Thirty- five years ago a young Spaniard named Arturo Manso wanted to go to the UK to work.

He had been told to find John at Electrocoin by a company in his home country of Spain, called Inter, which manufactured amusement machines.

Arturo wanted to learn English as well as find work. He found both at Electrocoin where John Stergides has become well known for giving folk a chance.

John told him to go and learn English and then come back.

Arturo Manso spent six months learning the language, returned to Electrocoin and found a job waiting for him.

A short time ago, Arturo returned to the scene of his first employment for a visit.

He is now the highly successful managing director of Teka UAE, the manufacturer and supplier of commercial kitchen equipment, based in the Middle East.

But he had never forgotten his early experience and training in the amusement industry.

He remembers well the personalities at Electrocoin in those days:

Nigel Booth, Don Holman, Gerry Bowyer, Dave Adams, Bob Egan, Teresa Arnedo among them, all of whom had welcomed and helped Arturo.

So his visit back to Park Avenue in London was a little emotional. He was greeted by John and taken on a tour of the premises, enjoying the lunch of fish and chips he remembered so well.

“Electrocoin served the industry with new ideas and games then, and still does,” he said. “I see the famous Bar X and OXO is still being made and still out-performing everything else.

The article was published in Intergame – April 2020