The year was 1985, the computer was a Sinclair Spectrum 48k.

chuckie

I was still under 8 years old when Santa brought me a computer. I don’t know what inspired him, I think maybe my cousin or parents friends had one. Either way, it was a bloody great present, even though I had no idea what I was meant or could do with it. I read the manual, drew some lines and circles and coloured them in Cyan or Magenta. I eventually found a programming book and not knowing code I copied each line in verbatum. However, I didnt know how to save the program or compile it. So all I had was a few hundred lines of basic. I was looking at the cover of the book and expected to have some sort of arcade type experience running. However, on reflection the game was a simple numerical exercise like noughts and crosses. It did break my heart and utterly piss me off when I had to turn the computer off and lose all that effort. Thus demonstrating that for somethings you need some tuition and purpose. I suppose at ages seven and eleven months that is a lesson that may go over your head…