Late 1940’s The Casino and Amusement centre. A gang of us used to frequent the Amusement centre, playing on the pinball machines,slot machines and that amazing Juke Box. The Juke Box was a Wurlitzer ( I think ), with beautiful sound. I remember hearing Les Paul and Mary Ford for the very first time and we were all captivated by this new electronic Guitar sound. During Summer holidays from Canvey Secondary School I got to work on some of the rides in the back Playland area. I operated the little locomotive train ride one year but there was also a “Fun House”, Tower carpet slide and of course the very popular “Bumper” cars. Great Fish and Chips could be enjoyed from a store along the Front Those were the happy years in my early teens and to make things even better, my Dad’s dance band “The Night Spots” played at the beautiful”Casino” ballroom upstairs
By Gerald Hudson (03/02/2012)
And when my sister and I were young we spent many happy hours in the casino. My favourite things were the small cars that used to go round a track and the Helter skelter. We lost most of our pocket money on the penny falls waiting for that elusive pile of coins that never seemed to drop! I seem to remember seeing a laughing policeman too ( or was that Southend?) When we were a little older we used to go with my cousins and play bingo for hours. I don’t ever remember winning. Being frightened of heights I never went on the Wild Mouse rollercoaster but it was a feature of the casino for years.
By Annette Hudson (03/06/2012)
It was the laughing sailor at Southend I havent seen a policeman. there was however a black and white minstrel machine which were singing puppets (I would like to see a fillm of it) and at Canvey Island there was a ukelele man machine right on the front where amusements are still there, this I remember from 1958 until 1969 when I last saw him again (I would like to see a film of it), any ideas what happened to these machines?
By Gwen (12/11/2012)
There was definitely a laughing policeman in the Canvey amusements when i lived on the island (1947 to 1962)
By George Smith (12/11/2012)
How I loved this place. I worked on the dodgems in the late 1960s. The only time I actually looked forward to going to work.
By Bob Hayes (09/09/2016)
We spent many happy hours at Canvey amusements. Can remember the helter skelter, with the big wooden dip at the foot of it. I’m sure i had a couple of minor injuries coming off that thing. Still went back for more.
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Late 1940’s The Casino and Amusement centre. A gang of us used to frequent the Amusement centre, playing on the pinball machines,slot machines and that amazing Juke Box. The Juke Box was a Wurlitzer ( I think ), with beautiful sound. I remember hearing Les Paul and Mary Ford for the very first time and we were all captivated by this new electronic Guitar sound. During Summer holidays from Canvey Secondary School I got to work on some of the rides in the back Playland area. I operated the little locomotive train ride one year but there was also a “Fun House”, Tower carpet slide and of course the very popular “Bumper” cars. Great Fish and Chips could be enjoyed from a store along the Front Those were the happy years in my early teens and to make things even better, my Dad’s dance band “The Night Spots” played at the beautiful”Casino” ballroom upstairs
And when my sister and I were young we spent many happy hours in the casino. My favourite things were the small cars that used to go round a track and the Helter skelter. We lost most of our pocket money on the penny falls waiting for that elusive pile of coins that never seemed to drop! I seem to remember seeing a laughing policeman too ( or was that Southend?) When we were a little older we used to go with my cousins and play bingo for hours. I don’t ever remember winning. Being frightened of heights I never went on the Wild Mouse rollercoaster but it was a feature of the casino for years.
It was the laughing sailor at Southend I havent seen a policeman. there was however a black and white minstrel machine which were singing puppets (I would like to see a fillm of it) and at Canvey Island there was a ukelele man machine right on the front where amusements are still there, this I remember from 1958 until 1969 when I last saw him again (I would like to see a film of it), any ideas what happened to these machines?
There was definitely a laughing policeman in the Canvey amusements when i lived on the island (1947 to 1962)
How I loved this place. I worked on the dodgems in the late 1960s. The only time I actually looked forward to going to work.
We spent many happy hours at Canvey amusements. Can remember the helter skelter, with the big wooden dip at the foot of it. I’m sure i had a couple of minor injuries coming off that thing. Still went back for more.
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