Mechanical Memories Magazine

'Our Ian' - Ian Jamieson
By Joyce Todd
As most of you know, Ian Jamieson retired in July 2011 and I thought it only fitting
that we should all know more about him after his dedication to the industry for many
years.
Born in Bridlington in 1946, Ian Michael Jamieson is the only son of Doris and Arthur
Jamieson, who was the founder of Jamieson' s. Arthur started the company in 1956
with just £5, and went on to manufacture such iconic machines as Rotolite, Electrodart
and Easy Push wall machines; Bingo, Soccerette and Stadium table novelty style
games. Subsequently they became more involved in sales of a range of centre pushers,
including Silver Jubilee, Runways and Lucky Push.
At the age of 10, Ian accompanied his father on a machine delivery to Kraft
Automatics in London and spent his time listening to a jukebox continuously playing
the No 1 hit of the day 'Diana' by Paul Anka and also playing the pintables, leaving
his father to conduct the business. When he was 11 during school holidays he did odd
jobs at the factory earning himself pocket money and he was 13 when he attended his
first ACA exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Hall, London where Jamieson' s had a
variety of machines on Kraft Automatics stand, who acted as their 'exclusive'
distributor. A while later this 'exclusivity' was mutually discontinued. Jamieson's
changed its name to Jamieson Automatics Ltd, and exhibited at Alexandra Palace,
Olympia, NEC, Blackpool, including the Golden Mile Centre, Winter Gardens and
Norbreck Castle.
Leaving grammar school at 17, Ian became fully employed at Jamieson's. After
working in the factory for a year he got the opportunity to get involved with sales.
Once he'd passed his driving test, he took a lorry load of machines to Newcastle ' s
Town Moor fair, under instructions not to come back until everything was sold!
Arriving at the fair where the showmen were erecting rides, stalls and arcades, he was
welcomed - as many knew his father, but he soon learned that familiarity would not
benefit him in making a profit.
Three days later convinced he'd sold up, he returned to Bridlington, and his
father went mad when he saw a lorry full of old machines, which were none other than
' trade-ins.' Mind you 'trade-ins' were not the only thing he came back with - he had a
variety of payments mainly in cash, even down to bags of old pennies, but when all
was totalled up and the 'trade ins' accounted for, there really wasn't much profit from
the trip if any! Ian didn't fall for that again, he had learned his lesson, the hard way.
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