Eric Whittaker was a machine tool designer. At the end of World War II, he was looking for some extra work and heard of a desperate shortage of spare parts for dodgem cars. He rented a stable in Shaw for four shillings a week and made spares which were then sold via a company in Manchester. Following advertising his business in The World's Fair, Eric was overwhelmed by the response and within a few weeks his "spare time extra work" had become a full time job! Eventually he conceded that he would need to hire people to help, at which point he was joined by his brother Ronald, Eric Wild and Fred Hampson, and the limited company Whittaker Brothers was born.
Eric Whittaker tries the new Santa Fe Express - The Coin Slot, November 1969As well as manufacturing spare parts for dodgems, Whittaker Brothers began reconditioning full cars in 1948, and building their own dodgems soon after. They made their first set of twenty Mid Century Cars for John and Herbert Shaw in 1950, and these sold very well throughout the 1950s. Italian pneumatic bumpers arrived in 1960 and subsequent dodgem models had an updated design.
1960 also saw the creation of Whittaker Brothers' first slot machine, the Monte Carlo Rally, a flashing light machine. This was followed by the Le Mans Racer, Roulette, Flying Saucer, Blackbeards Treasure and The Vikings. A second set of workshops was built to cope with the extra production, and a new company - Whittaker Bros. (Amusement Rides) Ltd. - was formed specifically to build their slot machines. Eric Whittaker "got hold of a genius who built kiddy rides" in 1963 when Les Quaintance joined the company and quickly became known as one of the top experts in his field.
Expert designer Les Quaintance working on the latest River Boat ride - The Coin Slot, November 1969
Eric described Les's ride creation process in a 1969 interview: "Les makes an iron shape rather like a skeleton of a model and moulds the toy with his hands out of clay. After a couple of weeks during which the model dries, he literally throws wet plaster at it until he has built up a six inch skin around the clay. This dries for another three to four weeks and then it is split and the plaster is taken away from the clay leaving the shape of an animal in the plaster". Fibreglass molding would then be taken from that.
Les's first kiddie ride for Whittaker Brothers was the Pony Express, a ride and shooting game in one. The horse had a gun affixed on top of his head and small targets would move across a screen in front of the animal as it rocked back and forth, allowing the child to shoot at these for the duration of their ride. The Pony Express horse could also be bought as a stand alone ride named Trigger. Les's favourite things to create were animals, which he would loosely base on Disney and other cartoon characters. But he did also make a few non-animal rides in his later years with Whittaker Brothers.
By the end of the 1960s, the only amusement machines made by Whittaker were games of skill due to the additional taxes on gambling machines. These included Fighter Pilot, Space Raider and Hellbomber. Their Mini Dodgems were also very popular, and they were in the process of producing a car called the Monte Carlo for children, which ran on a track and was guided by a groove and roller within the car. The two Whittaker Brothers, Eric and Ronald, were still directors of the company along with Eric Wild, Alan Buckley and Eric's son Paul.
When Les Quaintance left Whittaker Brothers to join Diamond Electronics in 1971, Eric Whittaker hired a new "kiddie ride artist", Trevor Devine. Trevor would sketch all the new kiddie ride designs before a prototype was made.
Firm's artist, Trevor Devine, at work on a toy duck - The Coin Slot, August 1972
In 1972, there was another change in management with Paul Whittaker leaving the company to start his own business, Pan Amusement Products. Alan Buckley became managing director, John Whittaker was sales director and Neil Holden was buying director. However, the founder directors still took a keen interest in the company and owned a majority of the shares.
Several of Les Quaintance's ride designs remained in production well into the mid-1970s, but were joined by a growing selection of Trevor Devine's models. By 1973, Whittaker Brothers offered a range of eleven animals, four small lower rides, three circular rides plus their latest Indian and Canoe. It was this year that they introduced their new blue base with all rides set on 2p or 5p for a short or long ride respectively. A Coin Slot report stated that "all of the models we have made will still be available, although some of the range will be to special order only".
The company continued to grow and by June 1975, Whittaker Brothers employed 50 people. Their target was to keep it within that number even if it was a struggle to keep up with the demand at times. Their reasoning was that customer relations were important and big companies couldn't maintain that personal link. Yet another major expansion was completed with a further 6000 square feet being added to the workspace that year. The ride range now consisted of twenty five models.
Trevor Devine emigrated to Canada in 1976, and Whittaker Brothers appointed Howard Jones as their next ride designer.
Ride releases
1973 - Clownabout, Scootaround
1975 - Humpty Dumpty See-Saw, Puffing Billy, Toy Town Rescue
1976 - Clown See-Saw I, Magic Carousel
1979 -
TT Racer, Toytown Express, Toytown Express Double Ride
Unknown - Alligator, Big Top Circus, Bluebell Train, Chieftan Tank, "Chipmunk/Lion Roundabout", Choo-Choo Train, Clown Car, Clown See-Saw II, Coco Clown Train, Compact Car, Dandy, Donald, Dinosaur, Engine No. 9, Fire Engine, Fire Engine II, Fire Engine (Jazz Van), Hippo, Hoppy, Jazz Van,
Jet Hawk, Jinxy, Larry, Magic See-Saw,
Mean Machine, Mini Darth Dog, Mini Dragon, Mini Elephant Circus Car,
Mini Fire Engine, Mini Monkey Car, "Mini Taxi", Mini Train,
Neddy, Nero, Nessy, Night Hawk, Noah's Ark I, Noah's Ark II, Noah's Ark III, Old Mac's Van, Old Toby Tug, Old Woman's Shoe, Park Ranger, Police Van, Police Van (Jazz Van), Post Van (Jazz Van),
Post Van (Road Transport), Prince,
Puff the Magic Dragon, Puffin' Billy, Puffin' Billy Jnr.,
Robert E. Lee, Rudolph, Runaway Train,
Santa Fe Sam, School Bus (Jazz Van),
School Bus (Road Transport), Sea Harrier Jet, "Sea Hawk", Small Turtle, Space Trek, Submarine,
The Red Devils, Toadmobile, Tommy Turtle, Toonsville Wood, Toytown Zoo,
Trigger,
Turbo Porche Racing Car, Veteran Car
No comments:
Post a Comment