I suppose one my fondest memories as a kid was playing/programming on the ZX Spectrum. Although this wasn’t my first computer it holds a special play in my heart. I spent a good six months saving up the money to buy one from Rumblelows but it was worth every penny. There were no software bundles so I also bought Manic Miner and Trans Am to play on it. To me at the time these were ground breaking games, previously on the ZX81, games had no sound and could only display black/white images at a very crude resolution. The Spectrum had vibrant colour, It played music. It had half way decent graphics. I was instantly addicted. Manic Miner had that “one more go” appeal that gripped me straight away.

Soon I was bugging the local video shop manager for new releases. Armed with the info from C&VG, Crash and Your Sinclair. I used to badger him for games like Jet Set Willy,Sabrewulf and Monty Mole, even though the games were probably months away from hitting the selves. Looking back I guess this bloke was a shrewd business man as he told me to call round on Thursdays when the software rep used to make his call. It was great to get the games on day one and chat with the rep/manager. It was a friendly atmosphere and light years away from the impersonal service you got at the big shops like whsmiths/John Menzies. Happy days.