Nangle Natters

The gambler

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the Palace Pier is not just for tourists. And not just because it’s a good place for residents to take out-of-town visitors, or handy loos for getting changed in when you fancy a sea swim and don’t want to do the towel-Rhumba that risks your modesty with each maneuvre.

Recently I went in to the arcades on the pier, armed with just a few pounds and an overtired mood. I duly changed the first pound into tuppences at the counter. And I was hooked.

Not only could I win more tuppences – the decadence of it all! But I was given fabulous tokens every time I won. Before long, heady with the thrill of it all, I’d advanced onto ten pence pieces and reams of token strips. Greedily I coveted soft toy key rings and novelty shot glasses at the token exchange booth. I felt like the low rent version of the people I’d seen in movies, swimming in dollar bills in Vegas. It was intoxicating.

When I left I was still tired, but filled up with cheap (I spent £5 in all) thrills. I was a winner. And the proud owner of make-it-yourself glider. Marvellous.