Hello from the Isle of Man

Introduce yourself to your fellow forum members - what was your journey into the Sinclair world?
Post Reply
User avatar
shannick
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 5:23 pm

Hello from the Isle of Man

Post by shannick »

Hello all,

I live on the Isle of Man and collect and restore vintage computers, Valve radios and tellies as a hobby.

My first computer I owned was a ZX Spectrum 48k but the first computer I saw was in primary school when I was 6 - a BBC Micro.

I have a couple of ZX81's but recently I was asked to help a lady clear out her dad's things - amongst which were his collection of Sinclair Computers, software and hardware. Boxes and boxes of stuff and right at the bottom of a dusty old box, forgotten and nearly thrown in the tip, was a white polystyrene box. I carefully uncovered it from wires, junk and old tapes, reverentially laid it on the floor in the dusty spare room in this lady's house.

"What have you found?" She said

"Wonderful things" I said.

Upon opening said polystyrene lid, was greeted with an original, unadulterated ZX80, with manual, PSU, audio leads and TV cable. She said "what is that?" I explained to her how rare it is to find one of these in the wild, especially here on the IOM. "You look after it then, my Dad would be so happy to know someone is going to look after and enjoy all his computers"

She let me have everything. For free. So I helped her empty a few rooms and stuff out of the loft into the tip.

I am so lucky, I got:
ZX80 - Working
Memotech MTX - Not working
Atari 800xl - Working
Spectrum +3 - Working
3 ZX Spectrums including one in a memotech case - All working but need membranes
Acorn Electron - Working
Amiga 600 - Working
Opus Discovery Drive - Not working yet
Dozens of computer magazines from the late 70's and early 80's
Hundreds of Sinclair software
Lots of other bits and pieces.
A toolbox that he must have used to maintain/fix these computers as its full of spares

I am not bragging, just wanted to share. Sometimes it pays to "Pay it forward"

Turns out - the gentleman whose house it was worked for Sinclair in the late 70's, not sure in what capacity but there are letters and things that suggest that. She said they did live in Cambridge for a few years in the 70's.

Anyway. Ramble over.

Anyone else from the IOM? :)
FB_IMG_1658825532525.jpg
User avatar
Paul
Posts: 1511
Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 8:15 am
Location: Germanys west end

Re: Hello from the Isle of Man

Post by Paul »

Not really, I live in Germanys west end. But I'd love to come along and visit you next year. When I collect my new Spectrum Next.
Never been on the Isle of Man.
I heard there is a museum with steam cars etc.
Kind regards Paul
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: Hello from the Isle of Man

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Welcome on board!

Nice instant collection going on there. Shame the MTX isn’t working. There is an MTX forum where doubtless some help can be had:

http://www.mtxworld.dk/memorum/index.php
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
David G
Posts: 387
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:58 am
Location: 21 North, 156 West

Re: Hello from the Isle of Man

Post by David G »

welcome, what a great story. "my Dad would be so happy to know someone is going to look after and enjoy all his computers" -- yes, a rare situation to find someone to look after them

I know of IOM from the famous 1970 concert and the famous TT motorbike races
User avatar
1024MAK
Posts: 5101
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:56 am
Location: Looking forward to summer in Somerset, UK...

Re: Hello from the Isle of Man

Post by 1024MAK »

Hello and welcome to our forum shannick!

:D :D :D

Nice collection you have now! 8-)

I hope you enjoy this forum :D

The only thing I know about the IOM is that big bear from Scotland who is on YouTube moved there, Big Clive! (Link).

Mark
ZX81 Variations
ZX81 Chip Pin-outs
ZX81 Video Transistor Buffer Amp

:!: Standby alert :!:
There are four lights!
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer later in the year.
User avatar
shannick
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 5:23 pm

Re: Hello from the Isle of Man

Post by shannick »

Thanks I will look him up :)
Post Reply