Friday 12 November 2010

HOMAGE TO LORD SUGAR AND HIS AMSTRAD COMPUTERS.


      Having downloaded  Lord Alan Sugars book just out, ‘What you see is what you get’, onto my latest tablet computer sporting ‘Kindle’ its contents reminded me of my early assays into computing and the fact that without the then Mr. Alan Sugar I would not have had two books published nor have a very full computer life in my 75th year.

      My first introduction to using a computer was as an input operator in St Thomas’ hospital in London in the mid ‘70s. My terminal was all one piece connected to a giant mainframe computer locked away in the bowels of the hospital. Slow was not the word I would have used to describe the turn over rate, sometimes one would input a few details, press ‘Return’ and have time to do a full manicure. Having been a pretty poor typist I found the fact that you could undo and redo fantastic. If ever they bring out a computer to use at home, I declared to my husband, I am going to have one.


                            Me on my first computer at the hospital

        Home computers did appear but were way beyond my financial reach even if I had got to the giddy heights of £20.00 a week. A good wage for a woman in those days. Circumstances changed and it was many years before I heard about the Amstrad 8512 called by everyone ‘A Word Processor’. By this time I had moved to Devon and I knew I had to find a job to save up to buy one. Work was hard to come by and I managed to find a part time job in a pie factory. Six months later I had enough and with my husband went into Exeter to buy my first computer.

       I loved it – Locoscript, floppy discs and all. In no time I was writing articles, books, and much more. I had always did like writing but my typing and spelling were awful. I joined the local writing circle and sometime later I started writng a book that I managed to get published. At this time I became interested in Numerology and thinking it needed a hand book the ordinary person could follow I wrote that too. This I had published by Thorsons of Harper Collins. I am afraid that was the height of my 15 minutes of fame.

       I went on to use the ‘word processor’ to publish a local magazine and edit a national club’s magazine. I wanted to move onto a better computer and bought a 2000 Amstrad series. This was the computer that bombed for Amstrad although I found it fairly OK. It was a little light on power but it did have a Windows program on it. We tried it and sent a short letter to the printer. We sent it and sent it – until three a.m. when we gave up and sat taking for ten minutes. Then lo and behold – it printed! Windows came off and we went back to Locoscript. I even started a Numerology business sending out readings that I printed on the computer.

      Later we bought more and more powerful computers, not Amstrad. I even had a business teaching people Windows and Word. We are still very computer minded and have several different kinds around the house and touch screen phones that work like computers. Not bad for a 75 year old. Many thanks Lord Sugar, without you I could not do the computer art I enjoy so much – and a bit of blog writing now and then. Thank you.
      Some of my computer art. More on http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipjulie/

Friday 5 November 2010

Another Operation

I've had another operation, gallbladder this time. At least it is not in an embarrassing place this time. A modern keyhole surgery op as well. I am supposed to get better quicker and the anesthetics are so much better as well. I used to feel like I was a piece of silver paper being crushed and thrown out of my body but now you just drift off to sleep. Wonderful and very little after effect. I don't know if I am getting better any quicker as I am in quite a lot of pain at the moment, sitting up from lying down is the worst. Best of all it was day surgery and I was home that day.
I have no complaints about our health service I personally think we are so, so lucky to have it. The people who looked after me on my day in hospital could not have been better or kinder, Thank you to all of them in day surgery, Torbay Hospital, Devon.