pier Amusements

[staffslad]

Re: pier Amusements

A few more amusements I remember...

A shooting game in which the butt end of a rifle stuck out of the machine and there was an eyepiece to look through to see a target. Optics made the target appear far away. You could move the rifle and had one shot at the target. After shooting, the machine dropped a paper target out of a slot and you could see how close you got to the bull.

A machine gun mounted as to appear like those you would see on old WWI aircraft. Enemy aircraft would fly across and you had to shoot them down, cue flashing lights and sound effects.

A game where crocodiles would poke their heads out of holes, their mouths would open and you had to use a kind of hammer to bash their mouths shut. The crocodile heads would move in and out faster and faster as the game progressed.

A football game where you would press various levers to make players run up and down grooves to kick the ball.

The arcade bingo section where people would sit at boards and a person would shout out the numbers. If you had a number you would slide a little door to cover it. Lots of older woman and young women with babies in pushchairs seemed to play this one.

Not an amusement, but almost every amusement arcade would have a little cubicle inside which a bored looking person would sit to give change, which would drop down a chute.

[George 1978]

Re: pier Amusements

I have always associated these sort of things a lot more with northern coastal towns such as Blackpool or Scarborough - there seems to be a very northern feel to them, just like bingo and gambling (think of Coronation Street characters doing that sort of thing). I suppose that it is because working class people are more likely to use them when they visit or stay in a coastal town.

Not quite coastal towns but when the annual Goose Fair comes around at the start of October each year, there are plenty of those sorts of things there as well, although it is only for a maximum of five days in the year.

[cbenee]

Re: pier Amusements

I have always associated these sort of things a lot more with northern coastal towns such as Blackpool or Scarborough - there seems to be a very northern feel to them, just like bingo and gambling (think of Coronation Street characters doing that sort of thing). I suppose that it is because working class people are more likely to use them when they visit or stay in a coastal town.

Not quite coastal towns but when the annual Goose Fair comes around at the start of October each year, there are plenty of those sorts of things there as well, although it is only for a maximum of five days in the year.

just as many of these down south, living in Kent would see these in loads of towns, also holidays to the Ise of Wight

[George 1978]

Re: pier Amusements

I don't think I saw any when I was in Bournemouth this year, but I suppose that I wouldn't say that there weren't any.

[amethyst]

Re: pier Amusements

I don't think I saw any when I was in Bournemouth this year, but I suppose that I wouldn't say that there weren't any.

Dont tell me Bournemouth pier has vanished just like that.I remember having a cream tea a few years ago lol

[tex]

Re: pier Amusements

I was in Southport recently and although i wouldn't normally go into arcades it was raining so my wife and i popped into one for shelter, we decided to pass the time until the rain eased off by wasting a few bob on the machines, we were under no illusions that we might actually profit from this endeavour but as we walked around we became aware that it was never possible to do so as all the machines with the exception of the "10p shove" payed out in in bits of paper and when you had 200 bits of paper you could exchange them for a comb or maybe a fridge magnet ...what a rip!!

[Zincubus]

Re: pier Amusements

I was in Southport recently and although i wouldn't normally go into arcades it was raining so my wife and i popped into one for shelter, we decided to pass the time until the rain eased off by wasting a few bob on the machines, we were under no illusions that we might actually profit from this endeavour but as we walked around we became aware that it was never possible to do so as all the machines with the exception of the "10p shove" payed out in in bits of paper and when you had 200 bits of paper you could exchange them for a comb or maybe a fridge magnet ...what a rip!!

Plus the machines are / were always fixed even when they paid out in cash ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[George 1978]

Re: pier Amusements

Dont tell me Bournemouth pier has vanished just like that.I remember having a cream tea a few years ago lol

I didn't explore every square inch of the town - it's probably because I didn't go on the pier was the reason why I didn't see it for myself.

[cbenee]

Re: pier Amusements

I don't think I saw any when I was in Bournemouth this year, but I suppose that I wouldn't say that there weren't any.

oh yes a lot have gone now, back back in the 70's and 80' they were everywhere

[George 1978]

Re: pier Amusements

Not surprised - I am certain that I would have seen them with my own eyes if they were still there.

Anyway, the best amusement when you go on holiday is a trip to the theatre.

[Semi42]

Re: pier Amusements

Yes I like the 2p drop fall machine but they have a boxes inside the machines that collects the coins so you dont always get the ones that drop to you

There was a few “cons” I witnessed regarding the amusement machines like this.
I seen the owners periodically open the windows on the penny falls machines and move the bonus prizes to the back of the stack,
also seen them adjust the legs so the machine leans a bit back to shift the coins weight to the rear of the machine.
I also saw cheating in the sideshow stalls . This one , for a quid a go, you had to knock a stack of tin cans down with three heavy-ish bean bags.
when they were being set back up by the operator after another unsuccessful attempt, I saw one of the bottom cans roll and stop suddenly as if, well, there definitely was a strong magnet hidden under the plank they were stacked on.
I remember going on a grab machine, winning twice in a row, (two teddy bears with fivers attached !)when the jubilations of the kids attracted an attendant who asked what was going on, he pulled the plug on the machine.

[W1 Rover]

I remember the old fashioned fruit machines on the pier, there was something satisfying about pulling the lever and feeling a kind of grinding of gears . You'd have to be knocking on a bit to remember that I'm afraid.

I wonder if anyone else remembers those little horse racing slot machines? You'd bet on which little model jockey would win the race, all very shaky and primitive by today's standards.

[W1 Rover]

There used to be a retro type arcade in Brighton, one of the old vintage amusement machines would administer a short ,sharp electric shock. It was a wooden cabinet with a couple of small metal door knobs at the bottom.
I can't quite remember how it was activated but you'd drop your predecimal penny into the slot and grasp the metal knobs.....ouch!
Probably banned now

[George 1978]

Quite a few arcades seemed to change the video games for gambling machines after the mid 1990s, when home consoles started to have games as good as the ones found in arcades & owners of arcades found they could make more money from gambling machines.

I think that the Gambling Commission had a lot to do with the changes.

[W1 Rover]

Who loved to go on the piers whilst on their seaside holidays.

Maybe the odd loose plank of wood as you were walking along

If it was a long pier you could jump on the pier train

Old gents sitting on the seats with a knotted handkerchief on their head

Amusements I rem the penny one arm bandits

The machine with a silver marble going around where you had to keep it in play to win fruit polos or something

The noises of the machines the laughing policeman

That machine with MONEY and maybe a watch where this arm had to reach for them for you to win,There was a catch it never worked

I have fond memories of fishing off piers, some of them used to have dedicated areas/platforms where you could cast a line. It really used to be a family type of affair...the kids (including myself) loved it!
Woolworths fishing tackle... happy days!
Wish I still had my Winfield Bass Fisher reel