Hello all, I'm spreading my largesse (a large S?) and will be donating monthly to the upkeep of this amazing site. Like Lynn from "I'm Alan Partridge" - they money's finally coming through. I chose a direct cremation for the late Mr C though, lest I won't have to visit his grave whilst a Partridgesque character sits in his Lexus playing the theme to 'The Return of the Saint'. I am due to be granted the freedom of the whole of the south London suburban boroughs too, which is nice. I plan to wear the ermine robes (it's Cat Mr Blackadder) with pride, barring during rain showers.

That said, a little plea: autism and mental health issues REALLY exist and this is very much aimed at the Baby Boomer users of this site. I am proudly Gen X, like Billy Idol's former band, but in no way as explicit as Mr I ever was - as Rob Newman stated during an episode of "The Mary Whitehouse Experience" - "Billy Idol must explode in a library." I do hope that he doesn't do this in my borough's Central Library as it's a rather ugly 1980s building and I seem to recall it being built. I am therefore getting on a bit myself.

As you were, Jo - aka MrsLogicFromViz

Jo, may I formally introduce you to Mr Horseradish. I have a feeling you'll get along just fine.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 23rd February 2024, 5:27 PM

Jo, may I formally introduce you to Mr Horseradish. I have a feeling you'll get along just fine.

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Thank you. I think that I know Mr Horseradish as he's a hot root. Literally.

That's the spirit, MrsLogicFromViz! I'm Generation X too. I think we were lucky to have grown up in arguably the 'best' time - although I suppose other generations say the same thing about their own! - but we were in the unique time to witness the excitement of modern technology but not be taken over by it, and attitudes seemed more laid back concerning politics, religion and social issues in general - there didn't seem to be the extremes that there are now or were beforehand.

Or some sort of shit like that

Quote: a plate @ 23rd February 2024, 9:11 PM

That's the spirit, MrsLogicFromViz! I'm Generation X too. I think we were lucky to have grown up in arguably the 'best' time - although I suppose other generations say the same thing about their own! - but we were in the unique time to witness the excitement of modern technology but not be taken over by it, and attitudes seemed more laid back concerning politics, religion and social issues in general - there didn't seem to be the extremes that there are now or were beforehand.

Or some sort of shit like that

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No, you're absolutely spot on. The late Mr C was fifteen years my senior and thus, a baby boomer, so he'd fail to fathom any of my cultural references - ie when Angry Anderson's 'Suddenly' was played during the wedding ceremony between Nessa and Dave Coaches. Mr C* hadn't witnessed Neighbours Mania first hand like many of us did whilst attending an all-girls secondary modern in the late 80s.

I still miss my 128K Spectrum, not forgetting to mention its rubber-keyed predecessor, the 48K version. Sod the ZX81 - my stepfather had one and it was in black and white. In fact, I might take a trip to the Science Museum to check whether their versions are still on display. They had some on show at the University of Greenwich but I only saw them because I'd paid to see Jon Ronson speaking at the literary festival.

I cannot fathom any Gen Xer without a smartphone. This is another reason why I dislike Sara Pascoe. She's also a vegan. Apologies to any vegans out there.

*Not the one who sang 'Ebenezer Goode'

Quote: MrsLogicFromViz @ 24th February 2024, 5:31 AM

No, you're absolutely spot on. The late Mr C was fifteen years my senior and thus, a baby boomer, so he'd fail to fathom any of my cultural references - ie when Angry Anderson's 'Suddenly' was played during the wedding ceremony between Nessa and Dave Coaches. Mr C* hadn't witnessed Neighbours Mania first hand like many of us did whilst attending an all-girls secondary modern in the late 80s.

I still miss my 128K Spectrum, not forgetting to mention its rubber-keyed predecessor, the 48K version. Sod the ZX81 - my stepfather had one and it was in black and white. In fact, I might take a trip to the Science Museum to check whether their versions are still on display. They had some on show at the University of Greenwich but I only saw them because I'd paid to see Jon Ronson speaking at the literary festival.

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Ha, I remember how big Scott and Charlene's wedding was at the time, and that song... And I was a 48k Spectrum owner myself but it didn't have rubber keys, I thought that was the 16k version. Sometimes I like watching Youtube videos of people playing the old Spectrum games like Jet Set Willy, Back to Skool, Manic Miner, Atic Atak and so on...

BTW, do you still read the current Viz? I don't regularly, but I got the most recent annual at Christmas ('The Barbers Pole'), and got one of the other annuals a few years ago. The letters page and top tips are often my favourite, otherwise kinda hit and miss. Good to see many of the old characters still going.

Quote: a plate @ 25th February 2024, 1:14 PM

Ha, I remember how big Scott and Charlene's wedding was at the time, and that song... And I was a 48k Spectrum owner myself but it didn't have rubber keys, I thought that was the 16k version. Sometimes I like watching Youtube videos of people playing the old Spectrum games like Jet Set Willy, Back to Skool, Manic Miner, Atic Atak and so on...

BTW, do you still read the current Viz? I don't regularly, but I got the most recent annual at Christmas ('The Barbers Pole'), and got one of the other annuals a few years ago. The letters page and top tips are often my favourite, otherwise kinda hit and miss. Good to see many of the old characters still going.

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It was massive. I was a pupil at an all girls secondary modern at the time (my Borough still retains the 11+ and I failed it) so boys generally were scarce. I recall a frenemy of mine creaming herself rotten about "Jason" - although she turned out to be a lesbian later, which is fair enough, but pushing me into a busy road wasn't.

Maybe there were different versions as we defo went - ZX81-48K-128K. I know that my older brother wrecked the keyboard by creating a cheat wheel from technical Lego so that he could win at Daley Thompson's Supertest. Do you remember the Wally Weeks games? Pyjamarama/Herbert's Dummy Run/Everyone's A Wally etc? Ditto the Minder game with a badly pixilated London skyline.

I don't subscribe the the bimonthly comic any more but sometimes borrow it from my library's e-mags (although it's a pita to read on a smartphone). I have The Barber's Pole on the shelf along with every other Viz annual. They're moving with me when I relocate two or so miles south in the Borough!? I love them. I've also got most of the profanisauri and both of the Donald brothers' books.

Impressive! I don't remember the specific games you mentioned, although I played a lot of Daley Thompson's Decathlon, which I think was the first Daley Thompson game before Supertest, so it was the same sort of thing (hammering two keys in quick succession to 'run') - and I had one called Jack The Nipper (!) which looks like a similar thing to Herbert's Dummy Run. Good stuff... Apparently there's quite an interest in retro gaming nowadays, dunno if they'd be worth any money.

I really enjoyed this post and the reason I enjoyed it is because it touches on important issues in the same way a steam engine might go choo choo choo. We all interpret that in many different ways and one way of interpreting the sound of a train going choo choo is....

Actually, what's the point? No point is there so I'll leave it there. All this talk of choo chooing trains is getting no-one no-where fast and that's about as fast as no-one wishes to go. I should know that because I've been there and I got there fast. We're here for soundcards and I have a soundcard that will blow off your socks in the event you are wearing them. In the event of no socks then I'm not sure.

Anyway, before that here's Michael Monkhouse with the daily weather. What have you got for us today Michael, more boring drizzle no doubt? Grey as death perhaps or is that just your outlook and not a fair reflection of the actual weather you're being paid to report on in my fictional Alan Partridge fuelled world? Jo's been like thunder recently I've no idea why and determined not to ask.

It's coming up to 4am and this is one of my favourites. Perfect anti-funeral fodder. After this we've got a lead woman from a grief group. I'm not sure which I don't want to get tarred with the death brush but she'll be here later after I've gone. So tune in for that to be sure. She's not Irish I just felt like saying to be sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK5KhQG06xU&ab_channel=Audioandlyrics

Quote: a plate @ 25th February 2024, 9:31 PM

Impressive! I don't remember the specific games you mentioned, although I played a lot of Daley Thompson's Decathlon, which I think was the first Daley Thompson game before Supertest, so it was the same sort of thing (hammering two keys in quick succession to 'run') - and I had one called Jack The Nipper (!) which looks like a similar thing to Herbert's Dummy Run. Good stuff... Apparently there's quite an interest in retro gaming nowadays, dunno if they'd be worth any money.

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Daley Thompson's Decathalon was a true classic - especially the swimming; the Supertest was pretty good too if I recall correctly? Do you recall the Skool Daze games? There was loads of bouncing a stone off of a master's mortar board and knowing the dates of major battles etc? I bought a Spectrum emulator or suchlike about a decade ago but ended up returning it as it didn't seem to link to anything and the manufacturers hadn't honed any software to accompany the hardware. I too enjoy watching walkthroughs on YouTube.

I still recall the shrill 'loading' sounds of the cassette player. I could never program the thing, my maths isn't good enough to be able to code, unfortuately.

Quote: MrsLogicFromViz @ 26th February 2024, 7:21 PM

Daley Thompson's Decathalon was a true classic - especially the swimming; the Supertest was pretty good too if I recall correctly? Do you recall the Skool Daze games? There was loads of bouncing a stone off of a master's mortar board and knowing the dates of major battles etc? I bought a Spectrum emulator or suchlike about a decade ago but ended up returning it as it didn't seem to link to anything and the manufacturers hadn't honed any software to accompany the hardware. I too enjoy watching walkthroughs on YouTube.

I still recall the shrill 'loading' sounds of the cassette player. I could never program the thing, my maths isn't good enough to be able to code, unfortuately.

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Yeah, Skooldaze and its sequel Back to Skool were great - quite an original idea, and being able to re-name all the characters (both pupils and teachers) was a fun touch!
I remember making some of my own games but they were quite basic. There were magazines that helped, Your Sinclair and whatnot...

If my last post sounded a bit strange it's because I've been overdosing on Alan Partridge DVDs recently and I was trying to sound like Alan doing his radio show. Probably not as funny as I thought. I've been watching This Time and AP series 1 and 2 and it never fails to make me laugh even all these years later. It's hard to say anything that doesn't sound Partridge in some way. I could think of something as simple as making a cup of tea and then I start thinking about Alan making tea in the caravan with Sonja and he's inventing outrageous lies about tea. "Where is tea from, Alan?"

"Good question and I understand that tea was invented by The Pygmys. One pygmy bet another pygmy that he couldn't invent tea so he took the bet and invented tea to win the bet. Dinosaurs drank tea during the stone age".

"Wasn't stone age after dinosaurs?"

"The second one yes but not the first one. There's been billions of stone ages Sonja. I know stuff like this I was buying leatherbound encyclopedia sets long before it became fashionable in the 80s".

See what I mean I just can't stop talking Alan.

Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 28th February 2024, 2:26 AM

If my last post sounded a bit strange it's because I've been overdosing on Alan Partridge DVDs recently and I was trying to sound like Alan doing his radio show. Probably not as funny as I thought. I've been watching This Time and AP series 1 and 2 and it never fails to make me laugh even all these years later. It's hard to say anything that doesn't sound Partridge in some way. I could think of something as simple as making a cup of tea and then I start thinking about Alan making tea in the caravan with Sonja and he's inventing outrageous lies about tea. "Where is tea from, Alan?"

"Good question and I understand that tea was invented by The Pygmys. One pygmy bet another pygmy that he couldn't invent tea so he took the bet and invented tea to win the bet. Dinosaurs drank tea during the stone age".

"Wasn't stone age after dinosaurs?"

"The second one yes but not the first one. There's been billions of stone ages Sonja. I know stuff like this I was buying leatherbound encyclopedia sets long before it became fashionable in the 80s".

See what I mean I just can't stop talking Alan.

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Fear not, I re-re-re-re-re-watched S1 and 2 myself a couple of weeks ago. I love just how autistic Alan is and quite frankly, he IS. It's laugh out loud funny. I even sent a WhatsApp to my mate John stating "STOP GETTING BOND WRONG!" on Saturday night. Being recently bereaved myself, the scene where Alan takes Lyn to visit her mother's grave on the first anniversary of her death is brilliant. I have the script books pertaining to the series and Alpha Papa and I'll never stop quoting Partridge - in fact, if I ever find lurve again a deep love of quoting comedy will be one of my 'must haves'. "they've re-badged it you fool!" - brilliant as is "I'm not driving a Mini Metro". Every time I see an old Rover or a new Lexus (plural: Lexi) I think of Alan. Do you reckon that Amelia Bullmore's fantastic portrayal of Sonja wouldn't be permitted now? Oh bloody hell, I'm not even fifty yet and I'm constantly bemoaning stuff like a kind of suburban boring Victoria Meldrew. Here's another one "Bono has the largest collection of hatchbacks in Norfolk (sic)"

Carry on quoting ...

... And huge thanks for signing up, MLFV! We really appreciate every donor, every penny, and are delighted you share our love and goals for the celebration of comedy! :-)

Quote: Aaron @ 28th February 2024, 8:55 PM

... And huge thanks for signing up, MLFV! We really appreciate every donor, every penny, and are delighted you share our love and goals for the celebration of comedy! :-)

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Thank you Aaron 😊