A manager at Clacton Pier has received a prestigious national accolade for more than 50 years’ service to the amusement industry.
Alan Walker, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has spent more than a decade at the seaside attraction.
Last week Alan picked up the Seaside Hero Award from Bacta, the UK’s trade association for the amusement and gaming industry.
The award was presented at a reception in London for his contribution to the industry he has been involved with for more than half a century.
Alan is the pier’s head of coin operation services and works with some colleagues who are 60 years his junior.
Director Elliot Ball said he is a vital part of the Pier family and thoroughly deserved his award.
“Alan has a vast amount of knowledge and experience which he passes on to his juniors and they benefit greatly from it,” he added.
“He is also able to take on and embrace all the new challenges and technology that our industry faces.
“Despite reaching 80 last summer he has no plans to retire any time soon – and we are delighted about that. He is irreplaceable and we would sorely miss him on the team.”
Alan spent nine years in the Army before he took up a post as a service engineer at Music Hire Group in his native Northeast. From there he progressed into management with the firm.
He moved on to join the Noble organisation – both in the Northeast and Blackpool – before taking up a role running amusements for the resorts division of First Leisure.
His next job was with Family Leisure in London, and he has worked with various Showmen since then. That began with Connaught Leisure J Holland and Sons before a move to join Billy and Elliot Ball at the pier.
Most of Alan’s previous posts involved travelling around the country but he now finds it preferable to be on one site.
“As long as I am enjoying what I do, I will continue doing it,” he said. “There have been massive changes in amusements over those 50 years from basic analogue right through to digital. You just have to learn quickly on the job and be very flexible.”
There are around 400 individual machines in the pier’s amusement arcade which employs more than 30 staff.
Alan said that he was very proud to have received the award from Bacta and it came as a total surprise.
“I was shocked to be honest, but it is nice to be honoured in that way for something you love doing,” he added.
