Santa has a problem, his crane driver asked for a holiday this Christmas. So Santa said yes: what else could he do, the poor fellow has worked every Christmas for at least the past 100 years. Santa's problem now is to get a replacement. Fortunately, you're here to help out in this time of crisis.
As soon as the main Christmas rush is over, you know, up until the 26th, Santa's warehouse starts on next year's presents. These have to be loaded into the crane and then dropped through the chimneys into the baskets passing below.
As time goes on the baskets move faster and faster, due, of course, to the increasing rush as people change their minds about what they are getting for Christmas. Your job, as crane driver, is to try and keep up. If you get a high enough score then you may get a holiday in 50 years or so instead of the usual 100. One tip: watch out for inertia as you move the crane.
The program that loads up the presents should be run first (loader program). Then the main crane control program is loaded next ("G.CHIM2").
Chimney Drop by Kenn Garroch was originally published in Personal Computer News #42 and is one of a number of rediscovered games on the Acorn Electron World DVD.
20th December 2010
