{"id":33102,"date":"2024-07-07T22:29:39","date_gmt":"2024-07-07T21:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pinballnews.com\/site\/?p=33102"},"modified":"2024-07-07T22:29:40","modified_gmt":"2024-07-07T21:29:40","slug":"swavesey-pinball-weekend-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pinballnews.com\/site\/2024\/07\/07\/swavesey-pinball-weekend-2\/","title":{"rendered":"SWAVESEY PINBALL WEEKEND"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Swavesey Pinball Weekend is not exactly a show; it’s more of an annual social get-together in a pub, featuring a dozen-or-so pinballs, a prize raffle and a tournament, all organised by local resident and pinball restorer, Mark Squires, to raise money for charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As usual, it takes place over three days in the rear tap room of The White Horse Inn<\/a> which sits on the corner of Market Street and High Street in the Cambridgeshire village of Swavesey.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"The<\/a>
The White Horse Inn, Swavesey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The pub dates back to the 18th century and has been altered somewhat over the years, but these days it consists of a main bar area on the right as you enter and a larger dining room on the left. At the back is the tap room where parties and events are held, including the Pinball Weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"The<\/a>
The dining area on the left, the main bar area on the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"The<\/a>
The dining area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"The<\/a>
The bar area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Of course, being held in a pub means plenty of socialising over drinks and food. The social aspect always benefits from some decent weather and participants were fortunate this year as sunshine and warm weather dominated the three days, with just a little light rain on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weekend often coincides with major sporting events and this year was no different, with the qualifying matches for the FIFA Euros 2024 taking place in Germany and being shown live on the pub’s TVs every afternoon and evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SET-UP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pinball machines are mostly donated by collectors who bring them along on during the day on Friday and set them up for visitors to enjoy. There is no charge to enter the event, no official start or end times, and all machines are set on free play. Everyone, from seasoned players to complete novices, is encouraged to play any time and as often as they like from Friday until the machines are packed away late on Sunday afternoon, with the only exception being during Sunday afternoon’s UK Pinball Cup tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Setting<\/a>
Setting up Transporter: The Rescue, one of the first machines to arrive on Friday afternoon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As the machines arrived and were unloaded it became clear there would be another eclectic mix this year spanning 43 years of pinball history, from 1981’s Black Hole<\/em> to this year’s Pulp Fiction<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Keith<\/a>
Keith setting up his rare Space Team machine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"Space<\/a>
Space Team is up – Black Hole next<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While everything is free to enjoy, visitors are encouraged to donate to the Pinball Weekend’s chosen charity – either through direct donations, by purchasing tickets for the raffle on Sunday, or by visiting the charity’s website and making a donation there.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pinball<\/a>
Pinball players were encouraged to support the event’s chosen charity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As it has been for the past few years, the supported charity for the Pinball Weekend is UK Primary Immunodeficiency Patient Support, or UKPIPS – a cause dear to the heart of many regulars at the pub.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Jurassic<\/a>
Jurassic Park is next to join the line-up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It wasn’t long before all the machines were set up and being played.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"The<\/a>
The line-up is complete<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The thirteen machines available this year were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n