A little piece of Wondermatics history...

[terry]

Been having a bit of correspondence just recently with the son of "Jack" Glover, the founder of the Wondermatics phenomenom. He's given me permission to post this piece relating his memories of his dads business. It's invaluable stuff that would be lost if it wasn't for people like Sinclair passing it on.

"Hi there sorry for the delay. Back to the Wondermatics info, plenty to offer as it was my fathers Tudah (Jack) Glover Co, which was based at 780 high Rd Tottenham. I don't know when it was started but must have been in the early 50's as most of the machines were flick ball and not many electronic ones were produced till the late 60's. None were made after decimalisation but as kids we all got involved in making new slots and guides for the new penny. After he retired and moved up here to Norfolk in 1969, we spent a lot of time doing the changes and swopping them at fairgrounds to cope with the new penny.
There was also a lot of machines sent abroad to Australia and South Africa.
The Co. was a small affair, just dad and a couple of workers. I believe in certain circles his machines are quite a collectors item especially the old flick balls. The most expensive I've seen sell is recently, for 908.88p, three weeks ago on eBay
I paid £45.00 for my dropper copper some 8 years ago at a local auction house.
I also have one called tower bridge and and a 24 cup among 8 in the family still.
One of the things that has made them collectable is the fact that when we moved out of the family home, the old ram pub in Tivetshall St Mary Norfolk 1982, we actually burnt loads of the machines and broke them up for the scrap brass and metal out of them as nobody wanted them in those days (we are talking about shed loads of machines).
People often ask me about the Co. logo but no one seems to know where it comes from. Mum could never give a definite answer to that either, she married my father after the Co had started.
Unfortunately there is no one left to ask the questions about it all.
I hope you enjoy playing on the machines and they have given you pleasure.
I also know that they are still being use in a museum on the Isle of Wight and in Cheddar Gorge and in the miniature village at Gt Yarmouth.
Hope this info is useful to you."

Regards Sinclair Glover

[badpenny]

Fantastic input to the real history of this important family, thanks Terry.......

[pennymachines]

Thanks Terry for bringing us that. I communicated with Tudah P Glover back in 2007 and he gave me some other details about the Wonders set-up. If he approves, I'll publish it here as well.

[terry]

Sinclair has kindly shared another memory, this time of the Wonders "Patsy Fair" allwin:

"A lot of the machines were based on certain people or occasions. Dad did all the art work himself. For example, Patsy Fair was a flick machine and was made for Patsy North who owned a fun fair at Battersea I believe. I still have the back drop to one of these mounted in a picture frame. Patsy North was a male, nearly as bad as the Christian names in our family."

[treefrog]

I went to TW Gaze auctions this morning to see where the Wonders Honest Joe would be price wise and it ended up going to a happy couple in the auction room being their first purchase, having always wanted an allwin.......
On leaving the owner approached the new owners and gave a bit of history on the machine and I could not help joining in, it was owned by the Wondermatics family, originally Jack and then the son. Had a nice chat about the history of the business and exchanged contact details.

So that would have made it more of a special ownership/purchase to have a family machine

[aristomatic]

Always nice to get some history, especially family history too. I am not sure if you were there to bid too, but if you did bid on it, would you have bid a little/lot more, had you known the history before the auction lot ended?

GP

[polaris]

Had a bid online myself this morning turned out to be expensive purchase for first machine must have been fairly exciting for happy couple to learn past history also

[jingle]

Hang on there chaps
Talk about bullshit
Around 2005 I was contacted by the daughter of the wondermatics
Family and was asked if I had any machines I wanted to part with
As they had not one machine in the family
It was this lady who told me about the bonfire they had early 70s
Of all wonders machines on bonfire night
And were so sorry they never kept one
So I sold them 5 machines which in the lot was a honest joe
To spread between the family
They paid well for them

I delivered them but can't remember exactly
But it was in the Cambridge area or around that part of the country anyway
Is this were the auction was,
I bet this was one of the machines

Pulled the wool over my eyes again

[treefrog]

If so Bob, maybe it is just the case they have been with the family for a few decades.....still it was good to talk to him...I had forgotten Terry had already got a piece for the site from him.

[gameswat]

it was owned by the Wondermatics family, originally Jack and then the son.

Well if it was purchased from Jingle 10 years ago, then theoretically you could still say it once belonged to Jack Glover, since all the Wondermatics machines were once his before being sold the first time.........

[jingle]

Where's my last post gone

[widget2k4]

It's still there mate?

[jingle]

Where's my last post gone

You accidentally posted in the Report Post field. I've copied & pasted it here - Site Admin.

Correct gameswat but then they
Haven't got the history they say they have
They don't know were the machines have treaded
The boards
They arnt numbered ,,the girl I sold them to
Begged me coz they never had one machine in the family
I felt obliged to give them 5 of my wonders machines
Then they obviously can't be arsed with them
And have sold them off

We're was the auction treefrog

Then again the girl was spreading them around the family
To other siblings of wonders,,,I was told
So they could of ended up anywhere

Jingle
Most disappointed sharer of slots

[pennymachines]

I felt obliged to give them 5 of my wonders machines

That's the bit I can't believe.

[jingle]

No dave your wrong
I used to be nice

[youngerap]

I am sure you are still a very nice man, Jingle.

Could I have 5 Wonders machines too, please?

[jingle]

It's actually took me nr 10 years to find another 5 decent wonders
Mr rap
There hard to find now
Although I must say ,there were 3 beauties in bonhams auction
House in Edinburgh that everyone of you saleroom dot com boys missed
My friend was in the room and bought them for 350 each
He was the only bidder ,,
Yep that's what I thought ,,I had already bought them of my mate
But then I alerted mr Polaris as to why he never bid as they are in his neighbour
Hood ,,,ohhh he cried for 3 weeks when he seen them

[gameswat]

Jingle, little known fact is that EG Mathewson was my great grandfather, and the family didn't think to keep any of his machines..... so

[pennymachines]

Steeple Chase, Pot a Ball... but what's the one in the middle?

[polaris]

Haha Bob, it was painful at the the time found right under my nose. It doesn't hurt so much any more as I have a nice handful myself. Still do a swap for Steeplechase though. The other is Spaceshot.