ScuzzBlog: Diaries July 2026
Entry 4th July 2026: Post 1: The Collection - The happiest of days.
The Collection - The happiest of days.
I was explaining in a recent blog how in the early days my aim
was to simply record the collection and feature as a reference
library of home computers. To do this I was not interested in
whether the computers worked given that I just wanted suitable
computers to photograph and display what they looked like. As a
consequence I would buy kit marked as faulty and broken and then
simply place in store for future reference.
By 2008 I had completed my collecting habits and decided to box
everything up. You can recognise the early period of the website
by the style of photographs. All of the pictures were taken from
the workshop bench with a bamboo rear blind and wooden bench. The
image sizes reflect a time when I was using the Win98 machine with
a much smaller standard screen resolution. I also tested the pics
on the Amiga to make sure the site could be viewed by the Amiga.
I hadn't really intended adding any more to the collection and
looked forward to the day when I could retire and spend all my
time mucking around with the stuff.
In the post 2008 period I was gifted two massive collections and
so the overall collection grew considerably. I waited until I had
retired in 2014 before I started photographing the last of the
new additions to the website.
In 2017 I decided to pull everything from the tubs and boxes and
throw off the dustsheets. At first I had no intention of doing
any serious photography and recorded modest blogs which at the
time were targeted toward my Amiga Group. It wasn't until the
end of 2017 that I moved to the bench in the kitchen and started
to take more structured photo shoots. What also happened from
the 2017 period was that I focused my attention on getting the
computers to work.
I have to say the post 2017 era of actually using the kit was
the most enjoyable of all the times I have had with the collection.
The joy of bringing some of the stuff to life was just magical.
I was reminded of this today as I flicked through old blogs and
decided to put together a rather random set of pics of some of
my most memorable moments. It would take a lifetime for me to
explain just what each picture represents, and so for now it
provides a very personal history of some of my most happiest of
times whilst using the kit.
Whilst the main site is still the bamboo backcloth images, the
real site is in truth the post 2017 era on the grey bench. I was
so pleased I decided to pull the machines and get them working.
I fear had I not they may never have sparked into life ever again.
I learned so much from this period and am eternally grateful of
such marvelous computers. For all those questioning why folk buy
old kit, I can just say if you like old computers there is no
substitute for experiencing the real thing. Nothing compares.
Anyhoo here are a 100 plus random images which will make no sense
other than to myself. Sorry for that.
Happy days !!
The Collection - The happiest of days.
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