I was always obsessed with arcades growing up. More the slot machines than the gaming areas. Whether it was a seaside or a theme park, neither visit would be complete without winning a cuddly toy or gaining a pocket full of 10ps. I went on a cruise once (aged 10 - with parents) where me and my newfound ship friends would sneak down to the deserted casino in the morning and play the fruit machines. They had fantastically flashy buttons (I think that’s where my button pressing fetish began).

Today at Bournemouth Pier I had a £1 budget but didn’t spend any of it. I realised it was more about watching others and enjoying when they won. So I watched and hoped as a lovely dad tried to win a sparkly whale unicorn for his daughter on the cranes. He tried. Nope. Getting nervous and excited. He tried again, it picked up and dropped but still rolled down into the hole….YAY! She was over the moon. So joyous. She said ‘I’m going to sleep with it every night’ and reminded me of me as a kid winning something special and professing my eternal love for it. It made their moment. It made mine too 😃

Here follows a fair amount of photos celebrating arcade madness in all its glory. From the child’s eye view of shiny coins to the trapped sparkly animals waiting to find new homes. Here’s to the vibrant madness of the arcade.