Page 1 of 1

Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 3:53 pm
by QViewStu
Jonathan Oakley came across this in his QView scrapbook and we thought it might be fun to share. This was from the local rag Cambridge Evening News which covered the QUANTA Papowrth meeting where Minerva was launched. Some questionable journalistic ideology from the day (women keeping the tea urns full) with hindsight. Some other folk can explain the fluffy dice reference...
Untitled.jpg

Re: Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 6:01 pm
by vanpeebles
That’s great! :D

Re: Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 6:05 pm
by QViewStu
As if there was any such thing as a "typical long haired computer freak" - tabloid journalism ;-)

Re: Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 6:11 pm
by Derek_Stewart
Hi,

Heady times ideed, I remember talking to Lau on his BBS: LAU's Place about the new Minerva project.

I coukd not beleive that we could have multasking Superbasic and graphics speed update to 98% of Lightning, without the ram usage.

Re: Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 8:11 pm
by KINGCHEF
I was a founder member of Peter Rowells group and we started in Lolworth. I'm pretty sure the picture was taken in Lolworth Village Hall. A very busy group at one time. We were also at Coton for a while. PCs were moving in by then.
Numbers declined eventually until we were meeting at Peters house in Hardwick and numbered 6. After Peter died we tried to find somewhere to meet but it was impossible to hire anywhere at reasonable rates. We met a few times at the Cambridge Services on the A14 but realised after a couple of meetings that we could only stay for 2 hrs ( or pay a fine) which made it pretty pointless. Also we couldn't run a QL in the services eating area ;) . I came from Ely, a few from near Royston and one from Thetford.

Most amusing memory from Lolworth days. We were standing around a QL looking at a listing on the screen when it filled with zeros and kept going.
'Ah' says I, 'This is computing for you. A lot of people standing around watching nothing happen'

Good days. Insert wistful, tearful emoji here.

Re: Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 11:23 pm
by QViewStu
KINGCHEF wrote:I was a founder member of Peter Rowells group and we started in Lolworth. I'm pretty sure the picture was taken in Lolworth Village Hall. A very busy group at one time. We were also at Coton for a while. PCs were moving in by then.
Numbers declined eventually until we were meeting at Peters house in Hardwick and numbered 6. After Peter died we tried to find somewhere to meet but it was impossible to hire anywhere at reasonable rates. We met a few times at the Cambridge Services on the A14 but realised after a couple of meetings that we could only stay for 2 hrs ( or pay a fine) which made it pretty pointless. Also we couldn't run a QL in the services eating area ;) . I came from Ely, a few from near Royston and one from Thetford.

Most amusing memory from Lolworth days. We were standing around a QL looking at a listing on the screen when it filled with zeros and kept going.
'Ah' says I, 'This is computing for you. A lot of people standing around watching nothing happen'

Good days. Insert wistful, tearful emoji here.
It is probably no exaggeration to say without the encouragement and support of fellow QMUG members like Peter, Minerva might never have escaped my kitchen table where Lau did much of his cogitating. I read Peters obituary and was pleased to see a photo of Peter wearing his Minerva T-shirt at a meeting. My girlfriend at the time called him grandpa twinkle. Definitely some good days which I am glad to have been part of.

Re: Fluffy Dice for your Sinclair QL

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 10:05 am
by Peter
Many thanks for sharing! Wish the QL had come with Minerva-level OS right away...