For Christmas 1982 I got my first computer. It was a ZX81. I was over the moon with it because my friends had them too and I borrowed some of their software.
But four weeks after Christmas it packed up and we took it back to the shop, WHSmith, which was very helpful. We left it there being told it would take a week.
Two weeks later we phoned and were told it would be ready the next Tuesday. We collected the supposedly mended ZX81 and took it home. It still didn't work.
We returned it and waited two more weeks and then we were given a new one. This did not work either. So we returned it once more.
The shop tested it and gave us yet another new ZX81. This was fine for about four weeks and then it wouldn't load and went kaput. We took it back and got another new one. this also went wrong. So we decided to get a ZX Spectrum.
This worked fine. Then my tape recorder broke and we took both back to WHSmith, which was again very helpful and sent it away, saying it would take two weeks.
I was very upset with all the bad luck I had been having. Anyway, two weeks later we returned to WHSmith to collect it, but were told it had been lost and would take at least two weeks to replace.
Finally, four weeks later I got it back and then my Spectrum went wrong so once again we returned it to WHSmith who kept it for nine weeks and then I got it back, working fine.
Things were looking bad when some of my software did not work. So back to WHSmith, which gave me a new type.
Just before Christmas 1983 I decided to get a bigger computer and I set my sights on the new Sharp MZ700, but first I had to sell my Spectrum. I sold it in a matter of weeks, got my Sharp, which cost £290 with the built-in tape recorder. Six weeks after Christmas its price dropped to £229 with extra software and built-in tape recorder.
Between these times I've managed to fracture my arm, crack two ribs and broke my thumb.
9th June 1984
