Joyce's Column: March

Firstly, I would like to thank Aztec Coin’s Ray Wells for his comments to me that my chat column is a ‘Cracking Read’ and this is much appreciated, only sorry that you couldn’t make the Irish Show due to flight difficulty from the IOM. You were missed I was hoping to catch up with and share a glass or two or even a bottle or two of red wine together, never mind Ray there is always next year.

Innovative Technology’s Peter Dunlop was recently sailing the 7 Seas in his yacht Mojito, well the Caribbean Seas and not just sailing in them he was racing in them when he took part in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 16th edition of the RORC 600 race, and the race started and finished in Antigua. The classic 600 is a non-stop race that goes around 11 Caribbean Islands including St Maarten, St Kitts, St Barts, Nevis and Guadalope etc, and the 600 race is really an international affair with over 600 sailors from 32 different countries participating. The 1st warning signal was sounded at Fort Charlotte for the epic race of advanced and highly competitive fleet of IRC Offshore boats, Class 40s and Multihulls. The RORC 600 forms of the Club Season Points Championship, the World’s largest offshore racing series which for 2025 also includes Rolex Middle Sea Race, RORC Transatlantic Race and the Rolex Fastnet Race. The RORC was established in 1925 and has 4000 members and a club based in St James’ Place, London since 2014 with Peter Dunlop one of its members.

The excellent news is that Peter and his hard working crew came 2nd in the 600 race and the photo shows him getting his award, and look at his happy and smiling face. Well done Peter and who knows hopefully you might make 1st place next time.

Staying with ITL this time regarding the ICU product range which is proving to be a huge success for them. ICU Lite has been integrated into some of the following equipment:  Vape Vending Machines – Age Gating for Vape Products,  Gaming Machines – under 18’s playing them, Self Check Out – Age restricted products,  Foreign Currency Exchange terminals – Anti money laundering policies,  In Branch Banking ATM’s – Previously unauthorised access to bank accounts should people walk away before their session ends.MyCheckr and MyCheckr Mini  are installed in Vape stores across the UK and Ireland, Tobacco shops in France, Facial Recognition – for access control, Convenience Stores – for both staffed and unstaffed check-outs, Motorway services gaming areas, Alcohol purchase in convenience and petrol forecourts, Access to Trade Show Vape Expo Pakistan – ensuring under 18’s don’t enter.

ITL has a Primary Authority Partnership with such companies as Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, Independent Certification from Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS), and ITL are members of the ACS – Association of Convenience Stores.

There are of course many other varied uses and many fields for these products and are constantly working and opening new doors for the Age Identity Verification Systems.

Andrew Murden ex BFM and Electrocoin and  his family have travelled the Caribbean Seas recently but in more leisurely style, cruising. Oliver Andrew and Gemma’s son is still receiving home schooling so it means that they can take their breaks at anytime rather than have to wait for school holidays. Andrew tells me that Oliver is still partaking in drum lessons and now into guitar lessons plus table tennis tuition, and he’s told his dad that he will beat him at this when onboard ship. I wonder if he did?

Now for the first part of some chat from the recent Irish Show held at the Crowne Plaza, Dublin and I have to say that this was a busy show with one of the best attendances I have seen at it for a few years. Maybe the change in the new laws and the seminars helped to produce more visitors over the 2 days, but they weren’t just visitors they were buying too which of course is all important to the exhibitors, plus the making of new contacts.

The Social side of the Irish Show always has a great atmosphere and lots of Irish craic, and the usual charity raffle took place on the first evening of the show and I would like to thank the following companies for their continued support of supplying raffle prizes and donations of money enabling other raffle prizes to be purchased:  Bob Hepworth,  Bandai Namco Europe,  Crowne Plaza Hotel,  Dransfield Novelty Company,  Dualtron Limited, Electrocoin,  E-Service,  Game Coin Ltd,  GeWeTe, Harry Levy Amusement Contractor,   Innovative Technology, James Illingworth,  Instance Automatics,  NSM,  7’s Above,  Sound Leisure,  Sterling Amusements,  United Distributing Company,   Whitehoue Leisure and World of Rides.

Thanks go also to the following people Derek Lynch, Carnaby Gaming Machines for allowing his driver Chris and salesman Kevin to collect the prizes from my home and transport them to the show. Gary Newman, Newmans Sales who says he had a great show for stepping up and being my MC for raffle draw as my usual MC Bob Hepworth was away on a charity bike ride in South Africa, and I have to say Gary you did a great job, to Gary’s lovely wife Gloria who assisted me with the sales of raffle tickets and sorting out the prizes for the draw you were a great help. To everyone who purchased raffle tickets because without you there would be no raffle, and to Susan Feery and John Purcell for their continued support in allowing the raffle to be run and the raffle raised 1,000 euros. A lot of people say the raffle is just as much a part of the Irish Show itself and they really look forward to it, but I’ll tell you what my feet don’t look forward to it!! Selling the tickets I certainly cover some walking backwards and forwards and my feet felt as if they needed a foot spa at the end of the day, mind you I suppose the Gunpowder Irish gin and tonics did seem to help, and after a few of them my feet didn’t seem to bother me anymore!!

There will be more chat from the Irish Show next month.

Hope to see you all in Manchester at the end of April at the new northern show  ARE Expo 2025 on 29/30 April at the Cotton Sheds, Victoria Warehouse, Manchester and for you Manchester United fans the location is virtually on hallowed ground for you.  For full details of the show visit the ARE Expo website.

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27 March 2025

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