It seems there were no positive features in the final quarter of last year, with domestic demand plunging, exports falling and confidence plummeting.

What's this got to do with vending? Everything. It appears that the UK economy is facing a serious recession and, historically, the fortunes of the vending industry have tended to mirror those of the national economy.

There may be some good news in the fact that since the last recessions of the 20th century, vending has reduced its reliance on the workplace - or at least the manufacturing sector - so the effects may not be quite as dire as they may have been in the past.

However, all of this underlines, again, the main finding of the AVA‘s York conference, which was some years ago now, that the vending industry must broaden its base. Accepted, something has been done, with greater inroads into the services, leisure and transport sectors. But is that enough to provide jam on the bread during these lean times? Perhaps not.

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It seems that I might have unintentionally ruffled the feathers of the cigarette vending fraternity when, on this page in last month's issue, I suggested that the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators was effectively a thing of the past.

Far from it, it appears. General Secretary of NACMO, Michael White, took me to task (for which I am very grateful) pointing out a few facts that I am happy to share here - to anyone out there who, like me, had sympathy with the cigarette vending business, but had all but written it off because of insuperable ‘power from above'.

NACMO remains the voice of the cigarette vending trade, consulting with government and responding in cases of formal or voluntary legislation. "Cigarette machines have not been banned", insists Michael, "although we may see ‘wake-up tokens' being implemented to ensure that under-age sales do not take place". I'm not quite sure what they are, but I wish them well.

Michael says that less than one per cent of UK cigarette sales now go through vending machines - while Tesco, alone, accounts for some 11 per cent! - and an average vending machine sells, on average, just one pack per day.

So what's the fuss about?

So, while I happily retract my suggestion that NACMO is no more, and wish it well, perhaps it could communicate better.

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How many people remember enjoying the company of Roger Spencer? Quite a number, I guess. He handled vending for Nestlé (back in the 80s, for the Nestlé Catering and Vending Division and, latterly, Nestlé Foodservice).

Roger was dedicated to vending, becoming a member of the Vending 21 Club and Chairman of the AVAB (that's the AVA minus the ‘B', for younger readers) and was/is very good company. It was due to Roger's foresight, not to mention courage, that the series of motivational Nestlé Sale Drives came into being and ran for several years - successful operators were given opportunities to drive a galaxy of vehicles (from a 38-tonner to a single-seater racing car) in a variety of environments; crew a real tall ship in the Bay of Biscay; and do a host of things that, in those days, simply could not be bought off-the-shelf.

I am delighted that Roger and I stay in touch - he from his sunny pad in Greece, where he sailed off to in his boat some years ago now. For those who would like to catch up with him his email is yachtbonton1@hotmail.com