Nikki Harrison, who co-owns Plymouth Leisure with industry veteran Richard Triscott, took time out of a busy filming schedule to talk to Coinslot about the day Bergerac walked into her venue.
Well you know you’re probably in trouble when Bergerac walks through your door and starts asking awkward questions, hot on the heels of the cavalry rushing in to nab the crims. That’ll teach the illegal operation at the renamed Kingdom Coin for mixing it up with some wrong ‘uns down in Plymouth.
Fortunately, these scenes formed a pivotal part in UKTV’s top show Bergerac which featured a starring role for the Boosters Casino Slots AGC in Plymouth, whose classy venue was selected to stage episode 4 of the TV programme’s latest series.
“They spent a whole morning filming here,” co-owner Nikki Harrison told Coinslot “We had all the stars at the arcade including one of the Hollyoaks actors, so it drew a large crowd throughout the time they were here.”
It was an action packed episode with police vans, intense interrogations and, it has to be said, one hell of a stylish, moody backdrop for the viewers.
“We’ve put a lot of work into developing our arcade and we’re proud of the fact that it’s a nice venue. We’d been talking to the programme’s production team since last year and they filmed just a few weeks ago and aired the programme not long after,” Harrison continued.
It was a busy morning for the AGC, the attending crowd of locals has to be ushered back and forward along the street to avoid being caught in the scenes.
“It was a great time and the staff really enjoyed the occasion,” she noted.
As with most filming at arcades, it’s the energy of the flashing lights and the industry’s earthy reputation back in the 50s and 60s that draws the TV crews into the venues. But at Plymouth Leisure the facts couldn’t be further from the Bergerac fiction.
“It’s great entertainment,” Harrison enthused, “but when the filming stopped we were back at work and enjoying our time with the customers.”
And it’s an operation where the customers certainly do come first. “I’ve been working here since 2002 when I worked behind the counter. In that time, we’ve invested so much in not just the best games available, but also in our community. We’re open 360 days a year and the atmosphere is really good.”
By an odd coincidence of timing, the Bergerac crew arrived shortly after International Women’s Day which is quite aposite given that of the 12 staff that work at Boosters Casino Slots, all but one are women. Harrison laughed at the observation. “You’re right! It probably explains a lot!” she added with a wry smile.
“Our focus here is on maintaining our quality and always raising the standards. Sometimes it’s a little disconcerting when the industry gets targeted by some authorities and bodies – we have 3 premises in total in Devon and I don’t think people recognise how much work goes into making our venues safe and welcoming. We are so highly regulated, the pressures of adhering to all the criteria is very intense, and that’s one of those things that always seems to get ignored. But it’s part of the job – it’s our customers that come first.”
And they seem to be getting a very good service at the moment.
Boosters recently bought another Kascade from Crown which is proving its worth. “The Light & Wonder machine has been really popular since we took it, it’s providing some of the best games for our customers.”
Even Bergerac would have approved.
