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1980's

This is where my one days work in Cheadle back in 1970 hit home. Apparently someone there- who I did not remember- took a deep, long lasting pathological hatred of me. I dont know why.

But by 1980 he was Chief Manager of Mosley Street Manchester where I worked, and took his revenge, with a nasty hatchet job, busting me from the Securities Deparment to a form filling job in ledger department - no cut in salary but a long period of very boring work was to follow. Which led to me buying a computer, publishing software, writing a book... all thanks to John Barnes.

Our next door neighbours on Alstone Road had a female tortoiseshell and white cat called Chloe, who seemed to spend some time visiting with us. When they moved, by agreement we took Chloe over and she was happy to become a part of our family.

My niece Tracy had become a boarder at a school near Colwyn Bay, as her parents, June and Ron, were overseas with the Army. My father in particular took a concern for Tracy and my mum and dad spent some time over at Colwyn Bay visiting Tracy.

During the 1980's we did a lot of walking with The Stockport Field Club.

1980 holiday in Ilfracombe. Wettest year in decade.

31st May 1980 saw a battle reenactment at Lyme Park by the English Civil War Society

After working (and being utterly underemployed) in ledgers for a little while, I moved on to assist with the Correspondence department- dealing with money transfers and enquiries of credit worthiness, authorising quite large payments. This was a happy time. I also worked in the Bill department, dealing with unpaid cheques in and out, and the more interesting acceptance, collection, payment, Noting, and discounting of Bills of Exchange- quite an obscure bit of banking by this stage.

1981 Holiday in Margate. Reasonable walking- visited Canterbury Cathedral (and the older cathedral) and walked parts of old Pilgrims Ways. This was the time Prince Charles was married, and we went into London on the day before to take in the happy crowds and the sheer joy and spectacle. Watched the wedding on tv in Margate.

June 1981 and our first computer is on order, proforma invoice is dated June 1981 and comes to a total of 1,705 pounds - the pound was worth more then. In 1998 prices that's about 3,500 pounds - rather a lot. What did we get?

1982- Holiday in Mumbles, South Wales. Travelled there by train. Found local transport to be very restrictive and unreliable. Travelled on the Paddle Steamer Waverley to Lundy via Ilfracombe. Lundy is an isolated island.

Our Texas Instruments TI99/4 Home Computer:

Started writing programs. Wanted to buy programs- mainly American and no UK source, so I started Stainless Software, obtained licenses from US software houses to copy and sell locally, and obtained UK written programs.

I had the first official license from Waddingtons (contrary to later adverts, Little Genius did NOT have an exclusive license!). As Waddingtons were not sure that they had the right to grant a licence, they also wrote to the game inventor (Dr Eric Soloman) and obtained his permission before granting consent to me. That is how early it was in what was to become a very large scale computer games industry.

Onwards- to the Texas Instruments TI99/4a Home Computer- with a real keyboard. TI wanted me to leave the bank and set up full time, but even when I bought the computer I saw it had a limited market life, and chose to stay with the bank.

Stainless Software did grow large enough to have to register for sales tax, but only for one year, as by November 1983 TI had nearly been brought to its knees with losses on the computer and ceased production. There was then an unseemly scramble to pick up game modules before they disappeared, and sales of programs on tape all but disappeared. By 1985 Stainless Software had effectively ceased.

Stainless was also big enough to attract the attention of commercial pirates, and a number of pirate tapes were seized in Scotland. No other TI software supplier admitted to piracy of their product.

My early involvement with the TI - including the baby user group just formed in the uk- led to my being approached by a book publisher who wanted a TI99/4a book on the shelves.

So in Summer of 1983 I wrote Getting Started with the TI99/4A, which was published by Phoenix Publishing. I was paid an advance up front and altogether probably received a couple of thousand pounds. Alas because I was registered for sales tax, my receipts were taxed for sales tax AND for income tax. It was cool to see my name on book shop shelves, and to have my book in libraries. It was even sold in Australia. And the text is now freely available on the web- although the actual book was still listed on Amazon.com when I looked in 1997.

Dealing so much with America I found a number of pen friends and wrote to many of the TI greats. I exchanged letters with Ray Kazmer for maybe 15 years, as well as programs, and biscuits (Ray sent Oreo Cookies, we sent Jaffa Cakes, made here in Heaton Chapel, Stockport). Ray also sent George a cuddly Garfield and a cuddly Odie.

Ken Gilliland (Notung Software and commercial artist) was a friend of Ray's and we exchanged programs with Ken also.

Guy Stefan Romano took care of the Amnion Software Library, and we were able to send him a Kenwood Beater for his mixer at well below any price he could find- he sent lots of TI stuff and a copy of a recipe book he had written.

Jim Peterson was a great TI supporter, writing monthly articles for user groups, publishing a huge amount of software and finally collecting together TI shareware/public domain programs.

I consider myself privileged to have been a part of a great community.

1983- Holiday in Mumbles, Gower Peninsula, Wales- with a rented car. Excellent walking.

1983- Christmas at York with June and Ron, Mum Dad and Tracy. George was almost present at this time...

1984 George Martin Shaw born 22.5.84 at Stepping Hill Hospital at 0547. Weight 3530 grams Length 53cm Head Circumference 35cm

By now I am working in Managers Department in the bank, heading up a small admin team and assisting with staff loans. Alas my manager at this time was NOT sympathetic, and cancelled my booked leave to stay with Cathy after George was born, and expressed himself well on my tiredness due to lack of sleep.

November 1984- First UK TI99/4A convention, held in Manchester at the Ritz Ballroom - huge number of people turned up. George attended.

George's first Christmas with June and Ron in York- also with Tracy. I see on a photo taken at this time a green and red felt ball made by a work colleague, Carole Pountain, a lovely lady. I was very sad to hear of her death some 20 years later.

1985 visits were to Styal Country Park, Dunham Massey, and Sale Water Park. Summer holiday was just days out this year.

1985- visited Mum and Dad for Christmas day.

1986- visits to Lyme Park and Etherow Park both in Stockport. Summer Holiday- rented an old farm house in the Lake District, near to Penrith - a car was essential here. Much enjoyed.

Mum and dad visited us for Christmas day.

Following George's birth, it became virtually impossible for Cathy and I to worship at St Paul's together, and this became something of a disappointment. Although "creches" were in theory arranged, they often didn't happen, which meant a wasted journey. Then when strict -and for us impractical if not impossible- rules were imposed on the sidesmen without discussion or consultation, and the main entrance was blocked off leaving the side entrance - handy for folks with cars- open, there was something of a loss of communication. One week we didn't go to Church, then the next. And nobody at the Church noticed- noone contacted us to see if everything was all right or not. That was that.

And having run out of local churches we havent been to church since - after some 17 years of weekly attendance. And no one has ever asked us to attend a church. This does not indicate a loss of faith- just a loss of interest in the local groups calling themselves churches!

It is fairly common for people to stop going to church when they start a family. And there is no sign that the church hereabouts has the first notion of why or what to do about it. Or even cares.

1987- Summer Holiday in the Lake District near Kirkby Lonsdale, we rented an old house. Much enjoyed, but our car was essential to getting around.

We had new double glazed windows put in the house, using pvc for the large bay windows and timber for the smaller ones (the timber ones were well rotted by 2006!).

1987 visits again were to Etherow Park and Lyme Park, also Styal Park.

Mum and Dad visited with us for Christmas 1987

1988-

By now, with George old enough to travel by train and bus, Cathy not working and me commuting to Manchester by train, we had little need for the luxury of a car, and became one of the rare car-less families.

In 1988 our holiday was in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. George's first sea side visit. Colwyn Bay now has a major disadvantage as a seaside town. There is the beach, then a railway, then a motorway, then the town. And access from the town to the beach is very restricted- and there is NO development by the beach- the railway is too close. We had a restful holiday, and spent a day at Llandudno, riding on the Great Orme cable car and tramway.

In 1988 we paid our first visit to the Greater Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, where they had a battery operated tram out as well as a visit from Lion celebrating its 150th birthday- Lion is perhaps better known from its starring role in the film "The Titfield Thunderbolt" made by the Ealing Studios. The Shaw family have had a ride behind the old engine!

In 1988 we also visited Buxton and the Poole's Cavern there (visits are restricted due to highish radioactivity in the rocks and gasses). We also visited Etherow Country park in Stockport.

For Christmas 1988 George had a desk -still in use in 2007!- quiet Christmas on our own at Gower Road.

1989- visit Manchester Science Museum

1989- George starts school - attending the local Church of England primary school, St Thomas, Heaton Chapel.

1989- Summer hols at Scarborough. A nice town badly spoiled by local people who earned their money from Tourists but hated them and did not make any attempt to give value for money. Nice castle but not a place to revisit. We even had to complain about the services (!) amounting to an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act, of the local council, and whilst our complaint was upheld, the prosecuting authority was the local council, so no surprise that no action was taken.

Visits in 1989 included Bramhall Hall (saw the restored wall painting for the first time); Styal Mill and Buxworth Basin (pronounced Bugsworth)- a derelict canal arm once used for shipping limestone.

Manchester Town Hall had a celebration of some sort where we discovered French guitarist Dan ar Bras, and bought a couple of tapes from him. Nice music. Also bought a tape from story teller Taffy Thomas.

In 1989 we celebrated Christmas in our own house with my mother and father visiting- the last time Mum visited.

In the 1980's Dads eyesight was fading fast, due to the Diabetes and Glaucoma. He fought it hard, never really accepting it, but ultimately he became totally blind and reliant on others.

At this time Mum was continuing with a long held hobby of embroidery, but as her fingers became less nimble she moved on to knitting characters which she gave to charity shops.

Cathy and George and I visited my parents weekly, and George was friendly with next door's cat, Sam, who was a black and white cat. Sam died of ear cancer some years later.

The Poco a Poco (formerly The Empress) where Cathy and I saw a very young David Bowie perform alone and accoustic guitar, was pulled down and a much smaller pub was built on the site.