is it just gonig to be sat in a pub fiddling around with spectrum hardware, and talking about ram chips and rom drives?
At past meetings, it's been exactly the same mix of techy / game-y / off-topic that you get on these forums (in fact, possibly a bit *less* techy if anything), except that it's live action, lasts for a whole day, and has beer. This is by far the biggest one I've organised / attended (hmm, maybe I shouldn't say things like that until it's actually happened...), so it's anyone's guess how different things are going to turn out this time - looking at the list of people, the proportion of techy vs non-techy people is probably about the same as normal.
Sounds like loads of fun. I'd love to attend but I can't this time. If there's one planned sometime next summer, I could probably get a flight over and stay for the weekend.
So who's responsible for bringing the televisions? :)
Next year someone needs to organize one and give lots of notice for those of us in foreign lands that might be able to set our 'annual family visiting pilgrimage' around the same time period.
Next year someone needs to organize one and give lots of notice for those of us in foreign lands that might be able to set our 'annual family visiting pilgrimage' around the same time period.
That my mate, is a damn good idea! I shall mention it in the ZX Shed forum and see what the rest of the guys think.
Next year someone needs to organize one and give lots of notice for those of us in foreign lands that might be able to set our 'annual family visiting pilgrimage' around the same time period.
Amen to that! Lets have next years at the Chilly, or the Northumberland Hussar :lol:
Next year someone needs to organize one and give lots of notice for those of us in foreign lands that might be able to set our 'annual family visiting pilgrimage' around the same time period.
Good luck!!!
I can really imagine saying to my wife "Can we organize next years holiday around a gathering of 20 or so enthusiasts of the ZX Spectrum?"
Wife: "And what will you be doing there?
"We'll be drinking some beer, looking at various bits of hardware and chatting about 25 year old computer games"
The reply would be short and not very sweet!!
If you can swing it then you must have a very understanding (or submissive) wife.
I certainly don't. :lol:
My misses would just tell me to get on with it no problems. If I wish to join her on holiday later then that's fine.
She gets what she wants and then I can do whatever I want that's left.
It's kinda like that with me and my wife, but by the time my wifes finished paying (her) bills and wotnot, I end up with about 6 slices of Pizza, a 12 pack of beer, and about $6 to my name (I hope she isn't reading this she'll probably confiscate those dollars). So at the end of the week I don't really do much, although there have been a few occasions where I have splurged my hard earned coinage, I can tell it made her feel a little uncomfortable. :D
Just checked prices. If I wanted to go to a ZX meetup next May and stay for 3 days, the plane round-trip would be $998 (Air New Zealand).
I believe I can go, but I would have to have a date, and that date couldn't be changed afterwards. The only way to get cheap plane tickets is when buying them in advance. :(
Just checked prices. If I wanted to go to a ZX meetup next May and stay for 3 days, the plane round-trip would be $998 (Air New Zealand).
I believe I can go, but I would have to have a date, and that date couldn't be changed afterwards. The only way to get cheap plane tickets is when buying them in advance. :(
Damn thats high...most I have ever paid is $590. Try Air France bruno, they are usually good, and don't use a broker. What I do is check the cheap ticket places and then call the airline the ticket is with direct and say....
'hey...I saw a flight from Houston to Manchester for $500 on Orbitz...can you beat that if I buy direct from you?"
..they always beat it coz then they dont have to pay orbitz the commission.
Damn thats high...most I have ever paid is $590. Try Air France bruno, they are usually good, and don't use a broker.
Well, apart from the fact I didn't realise Air New Zealand flew from the west coast of the US to the UK, he is coming from the west coast and simply won't get anything anywhere near as cheap as a Houston to UK flight.
Houston's in a funny position regarding flights. It's one of the cheapest cities to fly to from the UK, cheaper than the usual holiday destinations in Florida. Houston is a big, smelly, polluted industrial city. Nobody except people going on business, or people visiting family/friends want to go to Houston, because let's face it, it's the armpit of Texas. (Actually, I disagree, I think Texas City is the armpit of Texas). The airlines must run a 7 day service if they are to get the premium paying business customers at all, and if you book on the right days, there are nearly empty flights where the airline will charge peanuts just to fill a seat.
I've found you can get a low priced fare to Houston even booking only 2 weeks in advance, if I choose the right days. The cost of flying London to Houston can be only 1/3rd more expensive than Isle of Man to London.
The cheapest way to travel is to turn up at the airport and ask to be put on the next available seat on the next available plane, and repeat until you get to where you want to go. You may up spending the rest of your life in airport terminals though. In other news I will almost certainly be there and I will be brining the Spectrum SE (the meet, not a random airport terminal -- although you might run into the OwenBot who is currently on a world tour).
Sounds like an idea for a game - Jonathan?
Can you guide Sir Owen, armed only with an Owenbot (and a name badge) to the meet, avoiding Winston and DEATH who want to steal the fabled SE and take over the world.
@beanz: It's like Winston said. I will try Air France to see if it's cheaper, but everytime you fly from California to Europe you have to be ready to spend around thousand dollars per person. I bought 4 tickets to visit Portugal this Christmas, round-trip, and I paid around $900 for adult and $750 per child, and I believe it was a good price. If I wanted to buy those same tickets now it would cost me about $6000 more.
When I asked the missus if I could go, this is what she told me: 'Do what you want'.
I don't know if that's good or bad. :)
If I go to the next Speccy event, I still have to figure out how to go from the Heathrow Airport to the chosen place!
Comments
ROM fish to go with that sir :)
And doing some serious drinking, yes! :) Else what's the point in meeting in a pub?
By my reckoning, the current roll-call is...
Me, Scottie_uk, icabod, karingal, Philip Kendall, natxcross, csmith, fogartylee, Equinox, aowen, Dave Mills, leeg, Pete Thomas, Tyrone C, Vincent Lynch, Derek Jolly, Daren P, A.J.Moss, Markie/Retrovision, Justinas, Winston, Laesq, DEATH.
At past meetings, it's been exactly the same mix of techy / game-y / off-topic that you get on these forums (in fact, possibly a bit *less* techy if anything), except that it's live action, lasts for a whole day, and has beer. This is by far the biggest one I've organised / attended (hmm, maybe I shouldn't say things like that until it's actually happened...), so it's anyone's guess how different things are going to turn out this time - looking at the list of people, the proportion of techy vs non-techy people is probably about the same as normal.
Good call! I should have thought of that earlier really...
I'm terrible with remembering names, so this is going to be fun. :lol:
Andrew.
So who's responsible for bringing the televisions? :)
Necros.
I live near the M6, and will be joining it at Jn 22. I don't have to go to Scunny first now, fortunately.
So if anybody wants a lift down to Oxford, returning the day after, and lives reasonably close to the M6, I may be able to help. PM me if interested.
Bloody hell! Now I'm envious! :cry:
Bytes:Chuntey - Spectrum tech blog.
Shame you can't make it Arjun, would love to have met you.
Next year someone needs to organize one and give lots of notice for those of us in foreign lands that might be able to set our 'annual family visiting pilgrimage' around the same time period.
That my mate, is a damn good idea! I shall mention it in the ZX Shed forum and see what the rest of the guys think.
tch, no wimmin???
:P
Amen to that! Lets have next years at the Chilly, or the Northumberland Hussar :lol:
Necros.
1-Save enough money for the round-trip
2-Convince the wife
:(
Amen! *sigh*
Bytes:Chuntey - Spectrum tech blog.
and jars of chuntney
errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm
I can really imagine saying to my wife "Can we organize next years holiday around a gathering of 20 or so enthusiasts of the ZX Spectrum?"
Wife: "And what will you be doing there?
"We'll be drinking some beer, looking at various bits of hardware and chatting about 25 year old computer games"
The reply would be short and not very sweet!!
If you can swing it then you must have a very understanding (or submissive) wife.
I certainly don't. :lol:
She gets what she wants and then I can do whatever I want that's left.
I have a very understanding EX-wife.....those are the best!
It's kinda like that with me and my wife, but by the time my wifes finished paying (her) bills and wotnot, I end up with about 6 slices of Pizza, a 12 pack of beer, and about $6 to my name (I hope she isn't reading this she'll probably confiscate those dollars). So at the end of the week I don't really do much, although there have been a few occasions where I have splurged my hard earned coinage, I can tell it made her feel a little uncomfortable. :D
I believe I can go, but I would have to have a date, and that date couldn't be changed afterwards. The only way to get cheap plane tickets is when buying them in advance. :(
Damn thats high...most I have ever paid is $590. Try Air France bruno, they are usually good, and don't use a broker. What I do is check the cheap ticket places and then call the airline the ticket is with direct and say....
'hey...I saw a flight from Houston to Manchester for $500 on Orbitz...can you beat that if I buy direct from you?"
..they always beat it coz then they dont have to pay orbitz the commission.
That was a bloody excellent semi final against the French. Nice one Johnny Wilkinson (again)!
Well, apart from the fact I didn't realise Air New Zealand flew from the west coast of the US to the UK, he is coming from the west coast and simply won't get anything anywhere near as cheap as a Houston to UK flight.
Houston's in a funny position regarding flights. It's one of the cheapest cities to fly to from the UK, cheaper than the usual holiday destinations in Florida. Houston is a big, smelly, polluted industrial city. Nobody except people going on business, or people visiting family/friends want to go to Houston, because let's face it, it's the armpit of Texas. (Actually, I disagree, I think Texas City is the armpit of Texas). The airlines must run a 7 day service if they are to get the premium paying business customers at all, and if you book on the right days, there are nearly empty flights where the airline will charge peanuts just to fill a seat.
I've found you can get a low priced fare to Houston even booking only 2 weeks in advance, if I choose the right days. The cost of flying London to Houston can be only 1/3rd more expensive than Isle of Man to London.
Sounds like an idea for a game - Jonathan?
Can you guide Sir Owen, armed only with an Owenbot (and a name badge) to the meet, avoiding Winston and DEATH who want to steal the fabled SE and take over the world.
Be a Crash smash at least! :)
@beanz: It's like Winston said. I will try Air France to see if it's cheaper, but everytime you fly from California to Europe you have to be ready to spend around thousand dollars per person. I bought 4 tickets to visit Portugal this Christmas, round-trip, and I paid around $900 for adult and $750 per child, and I believe it was a good price. If I wanted to buy those same tickets now it would cost me about $6000 more.
When I asked the missus if I could go, this is what she told me: 'Do what you want'.
I don't know if that's good or bad. :)
If I go to the next Speccy event, I still have to figure out how to go from the Heathrow Airport to the chosen place!