30th Anniversary of the ZX Spectrum

edited May 2011 in Announcements
Next year the Spectrum will become 30th years old. I have started a invitation on Facebook and everyone who is on Facebook is welcome to take part in this discussion.

Of course we can start a discussion also here, but I wanted to try out the feedback on Facebook. So if you want, click here:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199693406736333

We still have plenty of time to organize a big party, but however, we should start thinking about it now.

Regards

Thomas
Post edited by Speccyman on
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Comments

  • edited April 2011
    There's still time to build a legal clone for the 30th anniversary if you act now:

    http://www.pledgebank.com/opense
  • edited April 2011
    One thing I would like to happen sometime in the 30th year is a "Spectrum World" (or perhaps better, a "Sinclair World") on the lines of what the Acornisti seem to be able to organize from time to time at some of the larger retro events; that is a large area at a retro event dedicated just to Sinclair stuff. We will need to organize ourselves to do it -- pick an event, something like the Vintage Computing Festival if there is one, or something like R3PLAY in Blackpool.

    There's quite a lot we can do with a "Sinclair world" event:

    - game tournaments
    - music events
    - demo competitions
    - new hardware

    etc.
    We have a bit of time to think about it. I would like to do something with hardware and music; one thing I want to do (as a way of learning hardware description languages) is to build a decent MIDI-in interface for the Spectrum, and then link several 128K machines together and control them with real (or real-ish) instruments: keyboards, drum kits etc., the multiple Spectrums giving much more polyphony than just one AY chip can manage and also providing something of interest to Speccy hackers, and something fun for those who aren't deeply into hardware but would like to hear something really cool from a bank of Spectrums. Perhaps even mix in a real analogue instrument a bit like what Rockriver does for the Retroconciertazo (violin + a whole heap of MIDI connected 80s machines) at Retroma??a every year.
  • edited April 2011
    Would be a great idea. As i mentioned i was actually jealous of the Acorn lot as they had organised a decent sized event and had many turn up.

    At past retro events i might count 7 or so WOSsers , shame really.
  • edited April 2011
    psj3809 wrote: »
    Would be a great idea. As i mentioned i was actually jealous of the Acorn lot as they had organised a decent sized event and had many turn up.

    At past retro events i might count 7 or so WOSsers , shame really.

    people who had speccy's met women, and ended up getting married. :p
  • edited April 2011
    mile wrote: »
    people who had speccy's met women, and ended up getting married. :p

    Yup! We're also miserable, broke and addicted to cheap alchohol....or is that just me? :lol:
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited April 2011
    too busy arguing on the internet to organise things perhaps? ;)

    I'd certainly be up for helping out with a "Sinclair World". I don't have a huge quantity of hardware but every little helps eh :)
  • edited April 2011
    guesser wrote: »
    too busy arguing on the internet to organise things perhaps? ;)

    I'd certainly be up for helping out with a "Sinclair World". I don't have a huge quantity of hardware but every little helps eh :)

    Every help is welcome and needed. I have some experience as I organized the Spectrumania here in Germany years ago. However,we first need a place. I think London is the best place, easily accessable for international visitors as well.Anybody knows a good hall for app. 200 people in the London area?
    Other ideas?
  • edited April 2011
    I would try to have a stand at the next Replay show in Blackpool in 2012.

    Last year they had about 2000 people, this year theyre aiming up to possibly 5000.

    Biggest retro event in the UK, if there was a large stand there with various Sinclair bits it could be pretty cool

    Doing one solely for the UK and booking some hall for 200 people could be a big risk. I know theres been a few Speccy meet ups (10-15 people) but i wouldnt risk booking a hall. Have a stand at the next Replay show and see how that goes ?
  • edited April 2011
    psj3809 wrote: »
    Would be a great idea. As i mentioned i was actually jealous of the Acorn lot as they had organised a decent sized event and had many turn up.

    At past retro events i might count 7 or so WOSsers , shame really.

    yeah shame there is no real speccy love at these things, for the ones i have been to its just one 48k in a corner and winston beavering away on his spectranet. although i think there was a c5 at one of them.
  • edited April 2011
    They have a retro meet in a Manchester pub once a month (Lass 'O' Gowrie), there was a thread about it a year or two ago and one poster (Sir Clive) said he was going. SirClive is 'Gordon' who is part of the team for Replay and a regular poster over at RG.

    Anyway one guy read about it and posted about going to the event. When he was there he was furious that 'Sir Clive' wasnt Sir Clive Sinclair and moaned a ton at Gordon as he felt he had been duped !

    I mean i thought it was obvious it wasnt the real Sir Clive ! What was that guy thinking ? He'll believe every person in a chatroom called hotgirl69 is really super fit !
  • edited April 2011
    Trying to organise a speccy meet/show is pointless, no-one can ever be bothered to go. I agree with the suggestion that we should look at organising stands at shows like the Acorn lot do.

    Also you probably want to cast the net a bit wider than the WoS announcements forum ;)
    I know there are a few members of the Spanish scene here, and Winston's been going to the Spanish shows with spectranet. There's c.s.s as well, though I think most of the active c.s.s-ers read wos these days.

    It really needs someone to pick a show, and start co-ordinating a Sinclair World stand. If no-one steps up I think everyone will just keep saying "oh that's a good idea" and "yeah I'd do that" but nothing will ever actually happen. It also needs someone to manage assets and co-ordinate with a show's organisers. There's no use the co-ordinator just saying "oh I'll print a banner" then 20 people arrive all with a 48k speccy and a copy of manic miner and no-where to pin up the banner...

    Note that I am *NOT* volunteering for this job :p
  • edited April 2011
    guesser wrote: »
    Trying to organise a speccy meet/show is pointless, no-one can ever be bothered to go. I agree with the suggestion that we should look at organising stands at shows like the Acorn lot do.

    Also you probably want to cast the net a bit wider than the WoS announcements forum ;)
    I know there are a few members of the Spanish scene here, and Winston's been going to the Spanish shows with spectranet. There's c.s.s as well, though I think most of the active c.s.s-ers read wos these days.

    It really needs someone to pick a show, and start co-ordinating a Sinclair World stand. If no-one steps up I think everyone will just keep saying "oh that's a good idea" and "yeah I'd do that" but nothing will ever actually happen. It also needs someone to manage assets and co-ordinate with a show's organisers. There's no use the co-ordinator just saying "oh I'll print a banner" then 20 people arrive all with a 48k speccy and a copy of manic miner and no-where to pin up the banner...

    Note that I am *NOT* volunteering for this job :p

    well psj will prolly be your best bet for that, he's got a car, and a family so he's pretty responsable. he also knows the organisers.

    id do it myself, but im not really a doer, more of a talker.
  • edited April 2011
    oh and psj, before you think you can just turn up with a tressle table and a 48k.

    we really need something like this. (but with speccy stuff)

    Fluke.jpg

    and some girls like this to help people with the information.

    most-shameless-e3-2009-booth-babe-award-winner-1.jpg
  • edited April 2011
    The one on the left looks Post Op....
  • edited April 2011
    beanz wrote: »
    The one on the left looks Post Op....

    I was going to say the same ! Without sounding like Scottie 'Brad Pitt' UK i thought both 'redheads' looked a bit 'different'
  • edited April 2011
    the high standard of people in the speccy community continue to baffle me. :-P
  • edited April 2011
    Could talk to a fair few other Speccy people on other forums as pointed out. The Attic Bug duo were at the last show selling Speccy games, be nice to have a stand near them so people could see various Speccy bits, buy games etc.

    Could be worth talking to Elite who have that Speccy app. They could have a small stand, obviously show off their app and make a fair few sales and just be great having some more retro faces (Steve Wilcox is still at Elite).

    Theres been some ex Speccy people here, Nigel Alderton (Chuckie Egg), a friends got details for Sandy White who came to a retro show a fair while back and i'm sure there'll be others. (Such as the guy who helped create Starstrike).

    Last year they had some of the old Ocean gang which was great to see and hear some of the stories from the 80's
  • edited April 2011
    besides my speccy kit I can also help out with a repairs/mods corner like the Acorn lot do. And again, that's not me volunteering to run it! just to take a turn behind the soldering iron :)
  • edited April 2011
    beanz wrote: »
    The one on the left looks Post Op....

    I'd have said the one on the right did a little, first thing I looked at was her neck, the second was her hands :D
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited April 2011
    mile wrote: »
    we really need something like this. (but with speccy stuff)
    Fluke.jpg

    I am picturing something closer to this...
    JS2.jpg
    and some girls like this to help people with the information.
    084%203%20old%20dears%20Barsana%20Romania%20Aug%202004.jpg
  • edited April 2011
    lolz. :-P
  • edited April 2011
    Helloooo mama ! Who be this cheeky young thing ? ! ;)

    I would like to point out the quality of women going to these events has gone way up from past ones i've been to. But dont go there expecting to find your future wife or bride ! They'll still want to talk to you about level 18 of Manic Miner etc.
  • edited April 2011
    The one on the left looks PRE Op.
  • edited April 2011
    psj3809 wrote: »
    or the UK and booking some hall for 200 people could be a big risk. I know theres been a few Speccy meet ups (10-15 people) but i wouldnt risk booking a hall. Have a stand at the next Replay show and see how that goes ?

    I agree - like the Acorn lot always hold Acorn World in another larger event such as Retro Rewind or the VCF, a Spectrum World event should be held in a general retro event.

    This is because:

    * More Speccy fans are likely to come to a big event anyway
    * People who may be interested in the Speccy but are more interested general in retrocomputing will also come, people who wouldn't have otherwise come at all in other words
    * The organizers of the main event will like it as it's something else to draw people to the event
    * The organizers of "Spectrum World" will like it because a lot of the organizing work will be already done by the main event (things like finding a building, advertising etc) so it's win-win for both the big event and the "Spectrum World" event.

    So you'll likely get a great deal of people coming to a "Spectrum World" held inside something like R3PLAY or the VCF or Retro Rewind equivalent, which you otherwise wouldn't.

    Ideally it would be nice to kick off the whole 2012 30th Anniversary thing at this year's R3PLAY. But there's lots to do between then and now if you're a hardware hacker :-)
  • edited April 2011
    Winston wrote: »

    Ideally it would be nice to kick off the whole 2012 30th Anniversary thing at this year's R3PLAY. But there's lots to do between then and now if you're a hardware hacker :-)

    maybe it would be a case of printing some flyers off to give out? announcing the thing next year?
  • edited April 2011
    Given a bit of warning I might be able to knock up a small game for such an occasion, as I've done for some previous shows. If it's not too far away, I might even be persuaded to turn up to the event as well. I haven't been to one for a couple of years.
    Still supporting Multi-Platform Arcade Game Designer, currently working on AGD 5. I am NOT on Twitter.
    Egghead Website
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    My itch.io page
  • edited April 2011
    oi mile, stick "special guest programmer Jonathan Cauldwell*" on those fliers!










    *(appearance subject to whether or not he can be persuaded to come)

    :)
  • edited April 2011
    psj3809 wrote: »
    Helloooo mama ! Who be this cheeky young thing ? ! ;)

    I would like to point out the quality of women going to these events has gone way up from past ones i've been to. But dont go there expecting to find your future wife or bride ! They'll still want to talk to you about level 18 of Manic Miner etc.

    I think you'll find that a woman of any true calibur will recognise that level 19 is in fact harder than the warehouse!

    C'mon PSJ get with it :roll:

    :p
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited April 2011
    psj3809 wrote: »
    dont go there expecting to find your future wife or bride ! They'll still want to talk to you about level 18 of Manic Miner etc.

    Your point being?

    Oh, I see, they're boring so-and-sos who are only interested in games, not hardware hacking. Got it now :D
  • edited April 2011
    guesser wrote: »
    Your point being?

    Oh, I see, they're boring so-and-sos who are only interested in games, not hardware hacking. Got it now :D

    The opposite of what you're looking for then? I am a robot! I am a robot! :p

    *hides

    :lol:
    Every night is curry night!
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