It was in the early 1980s when photographer George Wilson had the perfect job to document daily life at Cain’s – an amusement arcade on the seafront of Herne Bay, Kent.

George, a graduate of Newport’s documentary photography course under David Hurn, worked as a Bingo Caller for two seasons. He used this opportunity to capture daily life in the arcade when day trippers and locals would flock to the Kent resort. It’s an incredible look at a British arcade during the early 1980s that will resonate with many who grew up or raised families during this era.

George Wilson’s photographs remain the only known large body of documentary photographs focusing on British amusement arcades.