Catch Up With Joyce - June

Great to see the Open Day at Park Avenue go so well, yet again, plenty of both exhibitors and visitors, and of course sunshine which all helps. It was good to see Doug Skor from Stern in the USA as an exhibitor, it really goes to show that this is not just a happy day it is also an important business day when a company takes the journey from the USA to attend. On the visitors’ side I did notice quite a few of the regular faces missing, maybe due to holidays or other commitments, which we all appear to have these days. Anyway, I think we should all say a big thanks to the staff of both Electrocoin and UDC for their great organisation and hard work of this event, and each year the event seems to get better if that is possible, but I am sure it is a day that those who attend really enjoy and look forward to.

Talking of the Open Day we have a photo here of ex BACTA’s Parveen Sharma drawing the charity raffle, and she really looks as if she is like a queen sitting there, but then again, she is a bit of a celebrity these days with all her acting work both for TV and films, and I recently saw her on TV in an episode of Eastenders (yes, I know a saddo to watch this!!) and I had to do a double take. The episode was of people in the waiting room at a maternity hospital and lo and behold there was Parveen complete with bump sitting waiting there with her TV husband, I can assure you folks it was just a story –  Parveen was definitely not pregnant.

I have been in contact recently with Ruth Leftly, the late Norman Leftly’s wife and she told me how as soon as she set her eyes on Norman she told her friend the late Hylda Spero that she (Ruth) was going to marry him. Ruth started to work for the late Eric Jacobs in 1964 at New Automatic Machines in Colindale then Hendon, 2 years later they amalgamated with Phonographic Equipment in Cricklewood (orginally based in Ladbroke Grove) and Eric changed their West End name to Phonographic Hire. Subsequently, they bought out Juke Box Distributors who as a company had dominated the West End of London.

On the first morning, their staff commenced their employment with Eric’s company and Ruth caught sight of Norman across the warehouse, where he was standing at a coffee machine, and she told her friend Hylda Spero that she was going to marry that man, and she did. They were happily married for 49 years until Norman sadly passed in 2022, but I am sure Ruth, that Norman is up there now in his heavenly home looking down on you with love and affection as he always did and he will have his camera on hand happily snapping away. The photo here shows young Norman and Ruth on their wedding day.

I was talking to PST’s Kris Bannon at the Dublin show in March and she stated that they have a long- standing tradition of supporting their customers far and wide, and one of these countries is Ireland, where they have a great long standing and valued customer base, and PST are now regular exhibitors at the Dublin show.

This is a market that is steeped in tradition, but also a market that embraces innovation and technology, creating new gaming environments for customers using PST’s bespoke design service. Tradition will always have a part; but things have to move with the times, and this is what PST’s new range of designs, manufacturing technologies and creative service producing a gaming environment complete with floor plan and visualisation aspects.

Their design-led department was developed due to customer requests for a complete service offering all aspects of gaming ensuring seating fabrics complemented gaming tables, wall colour choices etc. Paul Donohoe CEO of Star Leisure stated it was a great pleasure to meet Kris at the recent Dublin exhibition as for many years they have communicated by telephone, he stated that they have purchased all their furniture requirements from PST since 2008 and their quality and service is outstanding.

 They also have a new customer which has caused them to be ‘Sailing’ they successfully collaborated with Virgin Voyages in supplying their bespoke furniture at the launch of their inaugural luxury liner Scarlet Lady 4 years ago. Despite tough competition, PST triumphed and were chosen to supply a range of casino and gaming furniture throughout the vessel, and such was their success they have since fitted out a second vessel Valiant Lady and extended their range to its nightclubs and restaurants.

Brilliant Lady is another vessel under construction in Italy to make its debut in 2023 and will be yet another vessel that PST will be fitting out. One can really see why PST are ‘Sailing’ and rightly so too!

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28 June 2023

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