Long-serving arcade man says 'flexibility is key'

Alan Walker has spent the last 50 years working on piers around the country

A man who has spent 50 years working in amusement arcades around the country said the key to his long career was to "learn quickly on the job and be very flexible".

Alan Walker, 80, who is originally from Yarm, North Yorkshire, has spent a decade overseeing the arcade at Clacton Pier in Essex.

"The industry's progressed so much now and the machines now are nearly all PC based... I think the whole thing has got more and more exciting as the years have gone on," he said.

"As long as I am enjoying what I do, I will continue doing it," added Mr Walker, who said he had no plans to retire.

"I think basically it's [about] keeping up to date with the product and making sure that everything you've got on site works to 100 per cent, offering the customer exactly what they want."

Mr Walker served for nine years in the Army as an electronics engineer before changing careers to the amusements industry in 1973.

Clacton Pier says it welcomed almost one million visitors in 2022

Clacton Pier opened its amusement arcade in 1978, when it replaced the attraction's Ocean Theatre.

Mr Walker said when the time came to hang up his uniform, the county might also be a place to hang his hat.

"I came to this area never knowing what Essex was about and (I've) really enjoyed living here, and so, talking to my wife, we think this is one of the places to retire to," he said.