Mechanical Memories Magazine

A most unusual machine?
By Pete Barson
Over the last few years I have got to know Arthur Bolland jnr quite well (son of the
family who made the working models). When the factory closed in the mid 1970s I was
told that his cousin had bought most of the redundant stock. I had spoken to the cousins
many times, them being in their nineties didn't want to sell anything, so I gave this up as
a bad job. A couple of years had passed and Arthur phoned me saying that his cousin
had died and that his wife was now downsizing, and was willing to sell a few bits.
I made arrangements with their son, and headed down one Sunday. I didn't know
what I would find, but I had many visions of boxes of parts for working models. But all
these bits had been disposed of over the last twenty-five years. We located the house and
had a very warm welcome. On entering the hallway I spotted a nice Oliver Whales Four
Square in mint condition, it had been bought in the early 80s and had only ever been
used for storing light bulbs in. There was also a shooting game, a Bryan's Clock which
was in a very poor condition, and in a comer stood a machine front which turned out to
be a very interesting game, which I think was made by B.M.Co. I managed to buy all the
bits and headed off home . As soon as I got home I started to fiddle with the front, which
turned out to be a very good game. A friend of mine made a cabinet for me, and gave the
machine a good clean up. The game plays like this:
When you insert a penny and pull down the flicker handle, the centre disc revolves.
The disc also revolves when you flick the coin. The centre of the disc has been cut away,
thus enabling the coin to return home. It is a very hard machine to win on, but very
addictive. It is also fairly reliable.
Pete
Many thanks for telling us about this most unusual machine Pete, and for relating the
story of how you came to acquire it. It is certainly a very interesting game, and indeed,
extremely rare 1 should think. B.MCo were certainly masters at coin return machines in
the 1930s, and one wonders how many others there are out there that are not widely
known, or have lain undiscovered all these years. Your machine was certainly a great
find, and I wonder if anyone out there has ever seen another. ft would be good to be able
to put a name to ii. ff anyone can help, please let me know.
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