Mark Oakley needs a day off. Maybe he could spend some time at one of these lovely technology-tailored destinations
Centre for Computing History – Cambridge
Jason Fitzpatrick’s enthusiasm for computing’s past is infectious. Speaking to him over the phone for just a few minutes, he’s already beguiled me with recollections of BBC Micro programming, Sensible Software and more classic consoles and systems than most can remember.
Jason, it’s fair to say, strikes me as a bit of a computer geek. Takes one to know one, I guess.
As CEO of the Centre for Computing History, he has overseen the charity’s relocation from Haverhill in Suffolk to its Cambridge home, where it’s been opening its doors to the public since late 2013. In truth, without Jason’s hard work and utter dedication to the cause, the centre wouldn’t have got to where it is now. The centre’s collection, formerly known as Jason’s hoard, is in the tens of thousands, and as the collection grew, so did the need for a dedicated and bigger facility to show it all off.
The centre is made up of three main areas, plus a vast storage space housing the rest of the items not on display. In total, there are over 160 items for visitors to gaze at with envious eyes. Running educational workshops for youngsters, the centre is a huge hit with both schools from the local area and with nostalgic visitors such as you or me. The fact is that if you can’t find something to tinker with here, you’re really not going to find it anywhere.
Here are a few choice systems to whet the appetite. The centre plays host to the world’s first online shopping system, providing you with a window into how e-commerce came to pass. Then there’s the Altair 8800, the world’s first personal computer. Or how about the SGI Origin systems, sitting pretty alongside BBC Micros, classic consoles and Spectrums, Amstrads, Acorns… the list is endless.
Seriously, think of a computer system or console, and it’s more than likely that the centre will have it. Best still, this is a handson experience. Even the few systems and items behind glass cases can usually be handled with care – you only have to ask. The fact is that visitors want to get up close and personal with everything that’s on display at the centre, to make connections with systems they remember from their own youth, and marvel at the equipment that predated them.
For anyone reading this who pines for the good old days of computing – and I’m sure there are a fair few of you – the Centre for Computing History really is as good as it gets. If you’re lucky, you might even bump into a genuine legend of the industry.
The centre puts on various events for visitors from time to time, from retro gaming nights to talks from industry insiders. The one that stands out for me is undoubtedly August’s ‘Bitmap Brothers Vs Sensible Software’ talk, featuring none other than the founder of Sensible Software, Jon Hare, and Mike Montgomery, the man behind Bitmap Brothers. What a prospect! A chance to listen to these two greats of UK gaming discussing their careers and some of the games that they were instrumental in.
If you can’t make it to one of the evening events, you should take some time to visit the centre this summer. Jason and his colleagues would be only to happy to see you. Indeed, I’ll leave the last word to Jason on why you should visit.
“What we provide here is a very hands-on, highly enjoyable day out for all the family. Someone came up to me one day and told me that we have something very special here, as the whole family can get to grips with computers from our past. For the adults, it’s a nostalgic look back at systems and devices from their youth – we all have so many memories of tinkering with these machines. For children, it’s an opportunity to be challenged by computing and to discuss all this amazing technology with mum and dad, who can act as real-life historians for their children.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved here.”
Web address: www.computinghistory.org.uk.
Actual address: Centre for Computing History, Rene Court, Coldhams Road, Cambridge, CB1 3EW.
Opening hours: 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.
Look out for: The museum shop, where you can spend your pennies on some retro computing goodies.
The National Museum Of Computing – Bletchley
Firmly established as the UK’s – nay, Europe’s – largest collection of historic computers, The National Museum of Computing has steadily made a name for itself as a fantastic day out for computer geeks and families alike.
Famously housed at Bletchley Park’s Block H, the museum’s philosophy is spelled out in its mission statement: “To collect and restore computer systems, particularly those developed in Britain, and to enable people to explore that collection for inspiration, learning and enjoyment.” It carries out its mission with real purpose, as the meticulous rebuild of the Colossus computer and the reboot of the Harwell Dekatron system prove.
The dedication of all the volunteers that worked hard to bring these projects to life is a fine demonstration of just what we Brits can achieve when we put our collective minds to it. Indeed, the museum itself shines as a celebration of all things British, and you’ll often bump into people connected with many of the machines on display.
Head of Learning Chris Monk remembers among the audience over Christmas were women who worked on Colossus in the war. “Others have come who wrote software for systems that we have on display here,” he said. “Everyone has a tale to tell, and we try to connect the work we do here with as many people as we can.”
A key part of the annual schedule now for the museum is its series of Bytes festivals that take place over spring, summer and the festive season. Next up is Summer Bytes, taking place from 1st to 30th August, and things are shaping up for a fantastic day out for kids and grown-ups alike. “The idea behind Summer Bytes,” Chris said, “is to give visitors a taste of a perspective on computing that they wouldn’t expect to find in a museum. We give a broad view on things like 3D printing, Lego Mindstorms and get up close with the BBC Micro.”
More and more families are coming to the Bytes events, which proves the increasingly broad appeal computing has for visitors. To have come to a point where computing rivals theme parks as a family day out is quite amazing – Chris told me that some families visited five or six times over the course of the Easter Bytes festival – but, of course, the museum isn’t just for the kids.
“We provide a unique opportunity for visitors to get up close and personal with technology that has played a significant role in our history,” Chris said. “The history of Bletchley Park itself is a wonderful ground in which to host all this amazing, British-engineered technology. As a location, we offer a unique perspective on how our most famous exhibits were put into action, and there’s something really quite special about that.”
Split over 13 galleries, visitors are encouraged to be handson with the exhibits, and on Saturdays visitors can meet and greet volunteers who are working on the machines themselves, offering a glimpse into what it’s really like to operate these truly ground-breaking systems.
“The likes of Colossus and Harwell Dekatron are obviously big draws, but we have just as many people coming through the doors who want to go straight to our Spectrums,” Chris said. “There really is something for everyone here, and key to the whole experience are our volunteers. We’ll be running guided tours throughout Summer Bytes if visitors want to be led through the corridors and have any questions about any of our displays.
“We want people to see, feel and hear the technology we’re so proud of.”
Web address: www.tnmoc.org.
Actual address: The National Museum of Computing, Block H, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB.
Opening hours: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. (12pm-4pm in winter; 12pm-5pm in summer). Colossus and Tunny galleries are open daily. From 1st to 30th August the museum is fully open to the public daily, 12pm to 5pm.
Look out for: The PC gallery housing systems from Sinclair, Amstrad and the BBC Micro. So many memories.
The National Videogame Arcade – Nottingham
You’ll have no doubt heard of Nottingham’s annual GameCity festival, now in its tenth year, which celebrates all things videogame related, with a wide range of events, talks and presentations aimed at bringing gaming to a wider audience. As the festival grew, so it became apparent that there was also an opportunity for the organisation to build a permanent home for exhibits to reach a bigger audience, so the National Videogame Arcade (NVA) was officially opened in March this year. Since then, the visitors haven’t stopped coming.
Set over three floors, not too far from Nottingham train station, the NVA is the kind of museum you always wished your parents took you to on a rainy weekend, rather than the actual museums they dragged you around, kicking and screaming. This “cathedral for videogames”, as GameCity co-director Jonathan Smith describes it, is quite something. If you’ve seen any photos online, you’ll see instantly that this is no stuffy space. Smart, modern, and bristling with videogaming goodness, it’s hard to imagine that anyone visiting could fail to be charmed by its galleries.
What’s particularly impressive about the NVA is that while it could have easily decided to focus solely on gaming’s history (Nintendo, Sega, Sony et al), it’s chosen to set its sights far beyond that. So while arcade machines such as Ms Pac-Man and Track and Field are in residence alongside Sega Mega Drives and Nintendo systems galore, it’s the unique exhibits teaching about coding and game development that really catch the eye.
Take The Hall of Inputs, for example. Here is an interactive exhibit that shows how you can play games without a traditional controller by using an Arduino-enabled MaKey MaKey kit to turn a potato into a customised controller. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (remember that?) is here too, alongside other forms of nontraditional inputs to showcase how gaming doesn’t have to be all about joysticks and gamepads.
Or there’s the Jump exhibition, in which visitors are encouraged to leap around like nobody’s business in order to control the game in front of them. The NVA is also the first space in the UK to show off interesting games such as Room Racers, an augmented-reality game played on the floor, which uses real-life objects as a race track.
The NVA is packed full of unique, genuinely forward-thinking exhibits like these, so it’s much more than a nostalgia trip, although if that’s your thing, then you’ll be well catered for with the History of Videogames in 100 Objects exhibition. See the Magnavox Odyssey in all its glory, then have a play on a PS4.
Over the summer holidays, the NVA will be open every day apart from Mondays, so more visitors will have the chance to experience what’s on display and take part in one of the many hands-on workshops that will be on offer.
The NVA is clearly trying to bring something fresh to the videogame industry and should be applauded for what it’s set out to achieve. Jonathan is delighted at how things have gone. “We’ve had many return visitors already in our first few months of being open, and we’re thrilled with the reaction we’ve had from visitors.
“It’s a really interesting time for videogames, as we have a generation of people who grew up on gaming and they now have kids of their own. Those children are also completely engaged in interesting and unique gaming, with titles such Minecraft and consoles like the Nintendo DS providing new experiences for them to share. There’s a mutual exchange of experiences in that respect, and I don’t think that we’ve ever had a situation with two generations so engaged in gaming as they are now.
“We’re delighted to be able to celebrate and be part of that.”
Web address: gamecity.org.
Actual address: The National Videogame Arcade, 24-32 Carlton Street, Nottingham, NG1 1NN.
Opening hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday (10am-6pm). Plus every day except Mondays over the summer holidays.
Look out for: The potato, of course!
Retro Computer Museum – Leicester
As a Midlands man, you’ll forgive me for giving Leicester a nod here. In truth, the Retro Computer Museum would have warranted a mention regardless of any local links. Smaller than the other museums mentioned in the article, the museum is open on Sundays and is an appointment-only affair, but it’s no less important for its hard work in preserving and displaying computer and console systems from the 1960s onwards.
What started off as chairman Andy Spencer’s own personal collection – “it was something like 15 to 20 systems and a handful of games when it first began” – the museum is a treasure trove of computers, consoles and software from the ages. Now, the museum houses more than 400 unique systems and duplicates.
Aside from the 40 or so hands-on systems, the software available to play around with here is immense. Over 20,000 games from various platforms are on offer, and if a machine isn’t out for visitors to play with, it can always be brought out on request.
Andy is keen to point out that donations are always welcome. “We’ve had systems come in to us from all around the world,” he told me. “Several people have actually donated their entire collections, and if anyone has anything that they’d like to donate, they should get in touch. We collect literally anything related to retro gaming. Even if items are broken, they’re sometimes great for spares.”
And why does Andy think computer museums are currently so popular? “I think young people are increasingly engaging with technology, and that’s helped to keep retro systems in vogue. We do a lot of school visits, and the most popular systems are still always either Pong or the ZX81.”
Web address: www.retrocomputermuseum.co.uk.
Actual address: Retro Computer Museum, Unit S1, Troon Way Business Centre, Humberstone Lane, Leicester, LE4 9HA.
Opening hours: Sundays (11am-5pm by appointment only). The museum is also closed over much of the summer, due to attending events around the country.
Look out for: The fully working W-Industries VR Machine from the 1990s – go all Lawnmower Man for a day!