The Robin Hood in Sheringham

[treefrog]

After buying a Primus Wulf machine recently, went up to collect it yesterday and the seller was a landlord of a rather nice pub called the "Robin Hood" in Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast. It was the first time I had been to Sheringham, usually passing it through to Fakenham or Cromer... Nice place, and surprisingly busy for a small coastal market town at this time of year. (It was b@#&dy cold though).

I knew the seller had sold a few items recently, including a nice Nestle vendor.... More of a surprise was his collection of machines in the pub... Wall to wall vendors, allwins type machines, mutoscopes, slots and paraphernalia... He has over 70 machines in his collection and although not all on display, the rest may appear in another pub he is looking for.

He kindly took me on a tour of the machines, which were largely vendors from the early 20th century, but included a lovely wooden mutoscope and Callie machine. There was also a very early Wulff type machine, much smaller and more basic than the '50s type. I cannot remember the name now...

One slot on top of the piano, was an unusual penny clock type machine. This was not a Bryans, or didn't look like one - I didn't get to look inside. The dial looked larger than a Bryans. Apparently it worked, as I believe all the machines did. Some were using modern coinage, like the Bell Cascade, for the punters to play.

Really worth a visit if you end up in Norfolk and Mike the landlord loves talking about his passion, as we all do. Another thing I am finding more incestuous is how we know others in the business, as we described other collectors local to my area...

See below, a link to his website, as I couldn't find this under the old links page. Also a picture of a few machines in the pub including the strange clock. (Sorry I didn't have my camera to take piccies).

Click link http://www.therobin-hood.co.uk/

[badpenny]

Topic merged - site admin.

Sally and I have just had a few days camping in Norfolk. She'd never slept in a tent before and I did it once in 1962, so with a combined age of 108 we sensibly concluded it must be easy and arrived near Cromer the same time as the 80 mph gusts so accurately predicted by the BBC weather forecasters.
Everything was fine until it took enough shape to fill with wind and I was dragged past the toilet block backwards .... oh how we laughed.

The next day having enjoyed a refreshing 20 minutes night's sleep we spent the day in Sheringham. Popping into a pub in the High Street we found it was littered with old vending machines and a handful of slots.
Here are two I've not seen before ..........

This obviously looks like a Bryans Clock. The instruction on it was to stop the clock in order to win, and it has what looks like a large button to press. an unusual Deco type case.

This one looks new, a la Nostalgic (Jerry???)

The next day we went to the astonishing Cushings collection of steam engines.

Well worth a visit if you're in the neighbourhood especially as you can go on the two rides and the organs won't shut up!
Great fun

[treefrog]

Did go to the Robin Hood pub in Sheringham as posted few years ago (top post - site admin.) and saw the clock. At the time I did not get a close look at it as it was not easy to get to. Nice fella who owns the pub and I know he knows a few other people on this forum, especially his love of vending machines. Also he had a Monimat like yours, which was the 1st time I had come across one. Had a mixture at the time and suspects he changes them as well. Nice place to visit (when the kids have gone back to school).

[raj]

Wow, terrific engines, that has to be worth a visit. Not too keen on the scratch built clock however, nice idea but Bryans got there first

[jingle]

yes tree frog i have met mike a couple of times
hes a good lad
did you go to the other pub on the broads nr norwich he owns
loads of machines and vendors in
but also a lovely place to get p i $$ ed
i never did that tho i was driving

[badpenny]

Here's The Robin Hood's Monimat .................

The case is nicer than mine, but the respin button on reel one appears to be disconnected.

I'm interested in raj's comment about the pub's Clock.
Is it scratch built?
Is it cobbled together from bits?
Is it original?

There are obvious similarities to be drawn to Bryans, however the Win combinations are strange for example.

I wasn't able to ask anyone in the pub on the day for more information as Sheringham was in the middle of a 1945 weekend. We were knee deep in spivs carrying cardboard suitcases, sailors and soldiers on leave, Land Girls and more American 4 star Generals than Eisenhower ever had.
Half way down the High Street the U Boat commander form Dad's Army was stomping around demanding to know everybody's name as in .......



Pvt. Pike's Mother was serving in the pub, and Captain Mainwaring himself demanded to know why I had failed parade in the Church Hall the previous night.

Oberleutnants and Panzer commanders were also in evidence but my favourite representative of the Axis powers was a little old black Dachshund merrily wobbling his way up the street wearing a swastika embroidered neckerchief.

Sadly 1945 prices weren't in evidence.

[slotalot]

Sadly 1945 prices weren't in evidence.

1945? That’s a bit posh isn’t it?
In Yorkshire we say a quarter to eight.
Sorry couldn’t resist! ................stupid boy..

[badpenny]

I thought you Yorkshire types said ......

"ee bah gum mother, where's whippet's flat cap?"

Whilst of course us Southern Softies say ......

However we also think SEX is what coal comes in.

[bryans fan]

Now I know why my Mum got all hot and bothered when Mr Dingly delivered a ton of anthracite!

[jimmy55]

Glad to hear the Norfolk wind didn't let us down.

I'm lucky enough to have The Robin Hood as my local..... good quiz on the Thursday night. Not recommended after a bad sleep under canvas though!

[slotalot]

I'm lucky enough to have The Robin Hood as my local

Hi Jimmy, bit late but welcome to the forum The Robin Hood is on my list of places to visit, and one day I will get there. Until then, can you ask the landlord and all the regulars if they would like to give us their support and sign our petition
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/36659
Regards, Stuart.

[jimmy55]

Will do Stuart, I signed it myself last week and posted details on the pinball info forum too.
The Robin Hood is good, but unfortunately you can't play the machines. For a hands on arcade in Norfolk go to Merrivale model village in Great Yarmouth. It's free to get in the arcade and £1 for 10 old pennies with a really good collection of machines. While in Yarmouth, don't miss out on the world famous 'Snails'.

My first holidays were spent in Yarmouth in the '60s and I just remember winning loads of tubes of Fruit Gums and Fruit Polos. There was one machine about the size of a small pinball with Traffic Lights that you had to stop on green and the tube of sweets rolled down from the back box .....I've never seen a picture of one since. (No wonder I have so many fillings).

[slotalot]

Hi Jimmy, I have been to Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth 2 or 3 times over the years. He has a good selection of machines to play, and a good cafe
The machine with the traffic light will be the Tuck Shop; I have one in my collection. The grandkids love it because you can win sweets as a prize.
Thanks for supporting the petition

[jimmy55]

Wow that's the one Slotalot... thanks for the re-union, I remember it well. I notice you need a re-fill!
I had a Rowntrees Fruitgum allwin about 10 years ago, but the packets are bigger now so I always had to eat a few to make them smaller to fit the machine.

more from Merrivale:



or still shots here http://www.flickr.com/photos/vt500/sets ... 610840028/