ZX-Blue Plaques?

Y'know, other stuff, Sinclair related.
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R-Tape
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by R-Tape »

Thanks everyone. I've added the up to date list to the first post, and the details can be added or refined in due course.
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 10:06 pm The country mansion where Ultimate made all their works.
Yes! That'd be worth a visit in its own right.
stupidget wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 10:42 pm Newsfield Publications Ltd Ludlow?
Maybe not the sexiest, but you could pop to Shrewsbury afterwards for the Cadfael trail.
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:32 am The 'Dinamic Mansion': c. Tilos 2, Boadilla del Monte (near Madrid). The place where Dinamic started. In fact, it was where the Ruiz brothers lived.
Nice one! Could pop round the corner for a churro dipped in chocolate, then have a four hour kip before dinner (paella).
Morkin wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:09 am Mentioned before, but I'm still looking to do a pilgrimage to Bath to visit all the Trashman streets (Montague Road etc).

Though possibly not 'blue plaque' worthy.
Maybe not a blue plaque, but it's exactly the kind of thing I'd like this list to include.

Keep them coming, and try to include postcodes (discretion where appropriate obvs). There must be loads of things that reference games or whatever. Doesn't (and shouldn't) be UK only.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by R-Tape »

Where would be the speccy mecca in the town of Kempston, Bedford?
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by 1024MAK »

I don’t know if that EPROM has been dumped yet.

What about all the different Sinclair Research Ltd and the earlier Sinclair company sites, there were at least three IIRC.
And do we also want the address for Cambridge Computer (the Sinclair company that produced the Z88)?

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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

R-Tape wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:54 pm Where would be the speccy mecca in the town of Kempston, Bedford?
Hehehe, a town whose name is a joystick... didn't know it!
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

More spanish locations:

Erbe & Topo Soft: c. Sta. Engracia, 17 Madrid.
Later they moved to c. Núñez Morgado 11, Madrid

Opera Soft: Pza. St. Catalina de los Donados, 3 4ªdcha. Madrid.
Later they moved to c. Gustavo Fdez. Balbuena, 25 Madrid

Zigurat: Av. Cardenal Herrera Oria, 163 Madrid
Later they moved to Av. Betanzos, 85 estudio 2 Madrid

Mr. Chip Computing Academy/Made in Spain: Av. Cardenal Herrera Oria, 171 Madrid

Investrónica: c. Tomás Bretón, 62 Madrid / c. Camp, 80 Barcelona
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by 5MinuteRetro »

R-Tape wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:54 pm Where would be the speccy mecca in the town of Kempston, Bedford?
It's the door just to the left of this kebab shop. Perfect spot for a blue plaque. :)

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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by R-Tape »

5MinuteRetro wrote: Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:39 am It's the door just to the left of this kebab shop. Perfect spot for a blue plaque. :)
Oh it's beautiful. I don't know which is more up to date, but streetview shows the bridal shop to be out of business, and the takeaway is "The Jade Kitchen".

There's sod-all to do in Kempston by the looks of it, but maybe combine a visit to the old Kempston Micro with a nice walk along the Ouse.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by TMD2003 »

I followed this thread from... a link from another one.

Loads of the tapes I've just been testing had an address for the software house. These are probably nothing more than... a house each, with someone completely different living there, so I doubt it would be appropriate to post the addresses...
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by akeley »

I used to deliver passports in Chelsea. It always cheered me up when I could pass by 32 Donne Place (Clive's old digs).
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Joefish »

14 Rathbone Place, London surely?
I did head up there once, but couldn't find any numbers on the doors in the right range.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by p13z »

Durell Software are still operating from the same address in Taunton that appeared on their Speccy cassette inlays.
They (he?) currently seem to do software for estate agents.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by XTM »

I saw this thread and read it from the start. This reminded me of a topic I had on WOS, called Places of Speccy interest in Google Street View which fits well with this thread here. I'm sure some of you have seen it before but to those who haven't it might prove interesting.

Back in November 2018 I made one of my usual "stalker/detective work" posts, this time about 43 Gravel Hill in Ludlow, which is where Crash also had offices. I linked to one of the excellent articles by @jdanddiet as it contained a photo of the spot mentioned. There wasn't any response from the WOSsers as usual - maybe some of you guys might like it.

Let me know if you'd enjoy having a topic like this here on SC :)
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by R-Tape »

Joefish wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:08 am 14 Rathbone Place, London surely?
I did head up there once, but couldn't find any numbers on the doors in the right range.
Going by streetview, I think it's Joe's Juicebar.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by R-Tape »

XTM wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:16 pm Let me know if you'd enjoy having a topic like this here on SC :)
Yep, or you could list them here so we could build up the blue plaque list. But as TMD noted further back in the thread, maybe best not to include ones that are just regular houses—unless they're the real biggies.

Ludlow has already had a mention in this thread.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

Gremlin Graphics/Just Micro shop. Alpha House, Carver St, Sheffield, S1 4FS.

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Also drawn in the Potty Pigeon cover art.

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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

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Office of the original Imagine, 5 Sir Thomas Street, Liverpool, L1 6BW

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Last edited by Rorthron on Sat Jul 11, 2020 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

There were a lot in Liverpool. Bug-Byte were at Mulberry House, Canning Place, Liverpool, L1 8JB, but it looks like it's been demolished and redeveloped.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

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There is a mini-Matthew smith pilgrimage:

Holt Road, Birkenhead, CH41 9EN. He and other Software Projects programmers lived there. Also referred to in JSW2. I don't know which number.

His mum's house in Wallasey somewhere.

His school: the Mosslands School, Mossland Drive, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 8PJ
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by XTM »

Some nice posts there, Rorthron. I think it was that particular b/w photo of Just Micro in Sheffield someone posted on WoS many years ago that actually made us look up the places nowadays. In that specific case, the front of the building had changed quite a bit over the years, but thanks to a few details on the pavement that still were the same, we managed to figure out where the shop entrance had been. This and much more is all on my WoS thread ;)

By the way, you can just check out any place on Street View and move the camera around until you like the view, then copy the current URL in your browser and post it here, that way we'll get exactly that view.

Edit:
In the very 1st post, R-Tape listed Ultimate Play the Game headquarters, so I dug 'em up.

They were first based "in a small office above the drugstore owned by their father" at The Green in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, but no house number so I'm not sure in which building. Street View of the area.

Later when they became Rare, they moved to a building related to Manor Farm in Twycross. I'm not sure which building that is either, but when I checked on Street View I saw a building with a blue plaque ... sadly the footage isn't detailed enough to see what it says. Anyway, here's the Street View link.

Rare apparently is still based in Twycross after all these years, but of course the Stampers aren't part of Rare anymore.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

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XTM wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2020 7:49 pm I think it was that particular b/w photo of Just Micro in Sheffield someone posted on WoS many years ago that actually made us look up the places nowadays. In that specific case, the front of the building had changed quite a bit over the years, but thanks to a few details on the pavement that still were the same, we managed to figure out where the shop entrance had been. This and much more is all on my WoS thread ;)
I've just looked at the thread. It looks like the paving has been redone since then, but to judge from the drainpipe, it is this spot:

22 Carver St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5ZEDJKu6vj7igbbu9
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

It seems the main entrance to the Gremlin offices were just up the street from Just Micro here:

12 Carver St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JzrQgs77QHTy1xX2A

(Apparently the offices were over Just Micro, which had a back door into the offices, but the main entrance was separate.)
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

Software Projects were at Bear Brand Complex, Allerton Road, Woolton, Liverpool, L25 7SF, but it seems it was demolished in the late 1990s and is now a Tesco.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

Then and now:

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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

Odin seem to have been round the corner from Bug-Byte at The Podium, Steers House, Canning Place, Merseyside, L1 8HN. It has also been demolished.
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Re: ZX-Blue Plaques?

Post by Rorthron »

Continuing with Liverpool...

Fuller Micro Systems were at The ZX Centre, Sweeting Street, Liverpool, L2. Surprisingly this street isn't on Google Street View. I doubt the address is still known as "The ZX Centre"!

The shop Micro-Digital was at 25 Brunswick Street, Liverpool L2 ... or 14 Castle St ... or Dale St.
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