I’m sure that many of us, that were kids in the 80’s and 90’s, can remember the feeling of walking into a video game store for the first time and getting that ‘kid in a sweet shop’ buzz. Eager eyes open wide and darting from shelf to shelf, taking in all the cool machines (hopefully) running the latest and greatest games as well as rows of bright game covers enticing us with promises of new and exciting adventures or the latest version of the most popular arcade games. As adults we probably never felt that way again and the excitement is just a fading memory. But when I first walked into Vid Kidz, that was exactly how I felt. The buzz was back!

I’m not sure how long it has been open when we found out about this little gem on the Norfolk coast but we hadn’t heard about it until 2006. It was Andy Cherry who first told us about Vid Kidz and it’s owner, Paul Gilbert. Andy ran Norwich Space Station on St. Benedicts Street in Norwich and it was a great little retro gaming shop that had an impressive range of Star Wars figures on one wall and a large collection of videogames on the opposite wall (some of my early collection items came from his awesome shop). We had been discussing the small amount of retro game stores in Norwich and Andy asked if we had been to Vid Kidz. We had never heard of it so we made it our mission to track down this intriguing store. We were warned that the owner was a little, erm, aloof, but we didn’t care, if it didn’t work out we could at least spend the rest of the day at the seafront and check out the arcades (again).

So a few days later we jumped on the train for a quick journey to Great Yarmouth. We found the shop, eventually, and from the window we could tell that this was our sort of shop. As we walked in we had our first surprise, there was a rope across the entrance. At first we thought it hadn’t opened yet (although it was mid-morning) and it didn’t seem that there was anybody inside. We were about to walk away when a woman’s voice asked (out of no-where) whether we needed help. I explained that we had come to see Paul and we were soon let in and told he was out the back in another part of the store. As the rope parted, little did we know what we were entering a retro gaming nirvana.

As we walked through to the back, we walked past rows of arcade machines and various games and books on shelves. Although it was quite dark as the main lights weren’t on, we had the impression it was more like an arcade than a shop. And Paul had a serious amount of stuff crammed into the shop, yes, yes, yes. Wherever we looked there was something new (or old, if you like). It was floor to ceiling and even the ceiling had stuff hanging from it (it was truly a cave of wonders). We found Paul at the back of the shop and he was pouring over some figures in a book. As we approached he gave us a quick look but seemed disinterested in us. We greeted him and I explained who we were. As soon as he realised that we shared his passion, he opened up and we had a great chat. He suggested that we came back in a couple of days and he would show us the shop in ‘full effect’. So after an hour or so we said our goodbyes and spent the rest of the afternoon on the seafront.

Two days later we headed back to Yarmouth and this time Paul enthusiastically greeted us. All the arcade machines were already on and now it really was like an arcade. It was still quite dark but he disappeared out the back and suddenly we were in the middle of a disco. Lights flashing and rotating, music booming out of speakers, and even a dry-ice machine (which gave the place a futuristic sci-fi vibe). We asked if Paul would mind if we took some pictures and video. Thankfully Paul agreed and we spent a while doing a tour and gettings some great images (as you can see) and I did a video compilation which you can view using the link at the end of this article. We felt honoured to experience the place in such a different, well, light.

After finishing up our ‘tourist’ tasks we got our hands on the arcade machines. He had around 15 machines and the one that I especially enjoyed was Gyruss. I had only ever played in on my trusty Atari 800XL so playing the original version was great fun (no free-play though). We finished the visit with a chat about the shop, arcades on the seafront, and his special parties (which we never attended, which was a pity). As it was pouring with rain, Paul kindly gave us a lift back to the train station. We were part of the club now!

The train journey back to Norwich was spent in a daze. We had just had the most amazing retro experience and one that equalled the old days back at One Step Beyond and the great gaming sessions that me and Simon had back in the late 80’s. It was clear that Paul was incredible passionate about the whole retro thing (not just the games though, as he had other artifacts such as a Chopper bike, Tonka toys, Star Wars figures (unopened), Tomytronic games, and even a big old 80’s ‘ghetto blaster’). It reminded me a little of an antique shop and you almost felt like everything in Vid Kidz had a story.

I went back one more time, on my own, about a year after our first visit. Paul eagerly presented his latest addition – a great looking Tron cabinet. This time I got from free credits and had a real blast on this classic machine. He then brought up a video on his laptop of the machine from the sellers garage. The poor thing had been squeezed into the garage with a tonne of other stuff around it and on top of it. Paul knew a guy who repaired machines at various arcades on the seafront, so what little work the Tron cabinet had required was done and it looked almost new. Unfortunately this was the last time I would see Paul and visit Vid Kidz. We had exchanged a few emails and he had asked me if I was interested in joining him in a venture to start an arcade / roller-skating / cafe venue in Yarmouth (at a site next to the Model Village on the seafront. I didn’t have the financial resources to invest in such an endeavour so turned the offer done (although it would have been interesting to see if we could pull it off). Then it went quiet.

I popped back to Yarmouth a few years later and went to where the shop was located but not only had it closed, but the building had been turned into houses. The only trace that there had been been a retro shop at the site was a the space invaders plaque that had once sat above the main sign. Gone but not forgotten.

Paul had, at the time of our visit, asked us not to publish an article on our website or put any images or video on social media. He was concerned with unwanted publicly, which although seemed a bit strange, did reflect the way he viewed the shop, almost as a ‘club’, so we did honour the request. But we kept all the media and after the shop had gone, I put my video onto YouTube (I also found that Paul had put had also uploaded his own ‘closing down’ video. It consisted of the music from Halloween and had the light from his camera illuminating an otherwise dark shop as he walked around it. It was a bit sinister and a little sad but was Paul all over. It was the opposite to my video with bright lights and music, but I guess it was his way of saying goodbye to this place.

I’ve always wondered what happened to all the stuff that was in the shop (and there was A LOT), the arcade cabinets themselves much had been worth a fortune (especially the cabaret version of Williams Stargate – his pride and joy). I do still do a Google search every now and then to see if any new retro game stores have opened in Yarmouth or maybe a ‘retro’ arcade has appeared on the seafront, but so far he hasn’t resurfaced. I guess it was finances that caused the place to close down in the first place and with sites like Ebay being so popular, a shop like Vid Kidz was always going to struggle. It really was one of a kind.

Still, I am glad that we had the chance to visit Vid Kidz and meet Paul. If it wasn’t for chance comment from Andy Cherry, we may have had found out about the shop and missed the opportunity to experience that buzz of excitement I had from my childhood that had all by faded into distant memories. If you are still out there Paul, look me up, Norwich still does have some retro gamers!

Article by Gary Skipper, Images by Jops, Video by Gary. December 2014 (revised December 2024)