Joyce's Column: August

I can hardly believe that we are virtually at the end of August already, this year has just flown by, the mornings are not as light and the nights are drawing in and the Storm Floris didn’t help either, normally we get the storms in the Winter months not Summer ones, just goes to show how the World is changing. Anyway, we cannot stop time and what the hell we are alive and have all hopefully got a lot of living to do, I know I intend to do so.

There have been 3 recent special birthday celebrations of industry and ex industry people and I thought they deserved a mention, and I will start with the most senior person first.

Ex industry spares supremo Evelyn Wilkinson who worked at Deith, Shefras and Suzo from where she took retirement celebrated her 85th birthday, gosh Evelyn I can remember your 60th like it was only yesterday. Hope you had a great day and lots of pampering from your family, as you truly deserve it.

Ex industry journalist Peter Rubin was 65 (used to be pension age Peter) and I do know that Peter’s celebrations included lots of champagne corks being popped and much champagne drunk too.

Industry personality Martin Agabeg of NSM celebrated his 60th (a mere youngster Martin) and included in his celebrations was the hire of a cruiser for his family and his works family of NSM. The boat was hired in York and they sailed up and down the River Ouse for the day complete with champagne on board of course. Here are some photos of his celebratory day plus one that was not taken on the day, but at a set up day of EAG and he was freezing so the staff sat him down and gave the old man a blanket (Alex Kirby’s words)

I received an email from Innovative Technology’s David Bellis thanking me for the article I did in my chat column about their new warehouse, he was very happy with it, and as I said before David,  I was very proud to be a VIP at the day and it was an honour to be there. Yes, I will come in soon and see you again for chat and tea with you I promise.et

Great news that Electrocoin’s Teresa Nicholson (nee Arnedo) is on the mend after her accident and had managed to enjoy some time at the Scout Summer Camp (e all know she is very much involved with the Scouts) in Stockport, she checked with the doctors before she went if it was OK for her to go and they give her the thumbs up, she did enjoy it as best she could and took special equipment with her for the duration. She has also managed to get a few days back in the office so that in itself is good news, just goes to show Teresa, you can’t keep a good woman down, so just keep on with the progress.

Recently I was in communication with David Morosoli and we mentioned the passing of the late Derek Horwood, and David said that when he joined the industry in 1978 at Coin Machine Sales in Bermondsey and during his first week Derek and his Father (Ginger) visited the premises to view used equipment. David said it was fair to say that Derek made an impression on him and always enjoyed his company.

The photo below shows the late Derek in 1996 with Grant Newell of Magic Mountain Inc whose machine UDC distributed. David Morosoli also went onto to say that the late Roy Deeming was also a person that made a great impression on him and whose company he also looked forward to sharing. Yes, David these were our industry characters who helped to forge our industry into what it is today.

On a sad note, I report the passing of another industry personality Bernard Hart, he was, what one could call a backroom boy, but one of the people that without them companies would find it hard to exist.  Yes, Bernard was an engineer, but a very highly skilled engineer especially when it came to jukeboxes, he was the supremo. I am sure all that knew him and that will be many of us both in the UK and Southern Ireland where he gained great respect would like to extend condolences to his family and friends. I am hoping that next month I might give you a bit of a further insight into Bernard as Sound Leisure’s Alan Black, together with Doug Hession and Damien Hart Bernard’s son who are going to give me some memories of times they spent with Bernard.

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27 August 2025

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