Walter Streets & Co. Ltd.

Walter Streets was born in 1901, the son of travelling showman Henry Streets.  It was expected that Walter and his brothers would carry on the tradition of working in the fairground and amusement industry as soon as they were old enough, which they did with great success.

For around 30 years, Walter gained experience in all aspects of the industry, starting off by running fairground sideshows, then starting a company in Wembley with his brother William to manufacture and import all manner of machines.  He even spent time as the chairman of the Amusement Caterers' Association.  Walter and William spent World War II operating an amusement arcade together in Ilfracombe, before parting ways after the war.  William emigrated to the USA while Walter moved to the far less exotic Eastbourne, where he started his own company Walter Streets & Co. Ltd.

Keeping in touch with popular trends in the USA via his brother, Walter became aware of the growing popularity of kiddie rides.  And that was how Star-Dust, "the coin operated galloping beauty", was born.

Walter Streets' Star-Dust, Bispham, August 2018

One of the very first British kiddie rides, released onto the market towards the end of 1953, Star-Dust was an instant success.  In fact, Walter founded a new company, Kiddy Rides Ltd., in August 1954 specifically to deal with the sales of this machine.  Despite this, Star-Dust was Streets' only kiddie ride model and production of the horse ceased in 1960.

Walter himself retired in 1965, and sold out to new owners.  But Streets Automatic Machine Company (as the company was by now known) remained forerunners in the amusement industry for many years, manufacturing a wide range of classic amusement machines.