PORTRAIT OF A SPECHEAD: Martyn Sherwood of Prism PD
I was born in Kent in 1964, but from the age of 4-20, I lived in Leicester. Along the way I picked up the usual rations of O and A levels, and HND in Graphic Design and Illustration. It was while at 6th form college at the age of 18 that I first clapped my eyes on a Spectrum. To be quite honest I wasn't filled with much interest. At art college, my art group had our bash at trying to use the BBC for programming art - and I hated it! At the time computers were the last thing I wanted to use. But one year later in 1985, I bought an ORIC ATMOS, which I still have. A cute little computer, 48K RAM like the early Spectrums, but with better graphics. It was voted European computer of the year. I had a bash at learning BASIC and was doing ok to a point, but soon lost interest.
However, salvation was just around the corner! At Xmas 1986, I received a grey +2 and have not looked back since! Hundreds of games, failed attempts to learn machine code, and I still love the Spectrum 8 years later! Yes, I know I have other computers - but c'mon, the Spectrum is THE home computer that started it all. Despite the hours playing games, I still managed to gain more qualifications in CAD and short story writing. Today, as with Fudgepacker, I'm collecting as many Spectrum software classics as possible - or in other words, if the sprite moves, buy it! Who remembers 'Hero', 'Desert Rats', 'Wheelie' etc? Well, that shows how my interest in the Spectrum developed. But how did Prism PD start? I was working at Rugby Community Printworks in 1991 on a voluntry basis and I was really getting into this 'do something for the community' lark. So I thought, lets take the same princible onto the Spectrum and run a PD library.
Prism offically started in March 92, but disaster was lurking around the corner! August 92, saw my one and only +2 break down. This was something I could not afford, as I had no copying utilities, and had to rely on normal BASIC. It took three attempts to fix it, settling in the end for a new circuit board. By Dec-ember, everything was back to normal. The following year was much better. Vision sent a decent copier, allowing files to be copied from +D to tape. Also that year, we bought a second +2, a +3 and a 48+. We started to wrap disks in silver foil, and introduced order forms. Our magazine also got under way after delays caused by those earlier problems. The only problem now was +D orders. With one disk drive and the G-Dos copy routine, copying files meant many disk swaps. In Feb this year we bought the SAM COUPE, and Kobrasoft donated SAM Dice copy utility. We now effec-tivley have a two drive Spectrum with a great means of copying +D files in under 30 minutes on average. The start of the year saw us introduce receipts with full details on how the order was done. We have just recently revamped our catalouge to make it easier to read, and it contains details of compatibility between all Speccys.
Our total number of titles is in excess of 1000 and we still have 7 +D disks of demos to check and over 100 tapes as well! If anyone wants to see our catalouge, then send a SAE to: 13 Rodney Close, Bilton, Rugby CV22 7HJ. Special offer to SC readers: Send a C60, 50p and we'll fill it with as much software as possible! (I tried this... and he did! - Dave)
ARE YOU OUR NEXT SPECHEAD? SEND US YOUR PIECE, NO LONGER THAN ONE SIDE OF A4, FOR POSSIBLE STARDOM!!!
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