New maison for the 1200XL

Hi guys.

You might recall, a few winters ago, I was absolutely on my backside in terms of being skint as a church mouse so had to put my 1200XL up for sale.

I got a few offers, here and there, but one offer shone through and that was from Manu.

Not only was he kind enough to pay me a top price, he also said no worries about sending it here and now as there was a chance it might get battered in the post... better I bring it next time we meet up, he said... and next Monday Bev and I are spending a little holiday over in France and will meet Manu and family to finally pass on his new acquisition he bought approx 2 years ago now - an old classic - the one and only 1200XL:

I very much hope you enjoy this beauty as it has had very little time and care and attention with me so is raring to go a new home, so over to you, Manu!

ENJOY, MON AMI.



Case condition - a good grade A


Great keyboard with an amazing tactile feel.



All RAM present and accounted for

I remember Brenski saying that sometimes the keyboard connector could sometimes work a little loose but I haven't had a problem during tests:


Machine is very clean inside so all in all, you have an immaculate looking Atari 1200XL coming your way next week, Manu.

Thank you once more for being so understanding and helping me out big time by buying her a few winters ago and so the season is ripe now for this marvellous micro to find her way to you at long last, fella.

Cheers, Manu.

 

Are you and Al having a competition to see who can spend the least amount of time in their own house?

Have fun over there, say hello to Manu from all of us, be careful of the steak over there, it might not be what you think it is..

 

Will do, Paul, will do, mate.
We will have to have a tattoo done on our foreheads saying ATARI OWNERS and then a pic taken and beamed up to the website via the 1200XL...
That'd be a scorcher

 

Lovely machine Andy, and you know it will be very well looked after by our very own Manu

Enjoy your holibags matey, you and Bev deserve it.

 

Cheers, Al.
As you say, Manu is the right guy to give this beauty the attention it deserves.
Also, you are so right - hols are exactly what Bev needs working in the NHS...as you will appreciate with the psychotic pressures you see too...
and lo and behold she's extremely worn out right now with heavy cold symptoms and has just tested positive for COVID!
Great - all we need ;-)

 

Oops, maybe it's that new strain that stormed through a care home. I hope she recovers soon and does not get long covid, that horrible long version is just a nightmare. A year they said before me and Cindy would get better, try three years on and still just as sickly as we were then, maybe worse. All three of us are having issues with being able to say some words, they either don't come out at all or are mangled to hell. Almost certainly a new effect of this nightmare long version.

 

Jesus, Paul - didn't know you guys were still suffering from that long Covid?
So sorry to hear - it must really sap your strength and leave you feeling generally low - and that's without the mother in law and those assholes upstairs.
You and your Cindy have my total sympathy, mate.
Are you taking anything at all to boost your immune system / vitamin supplements / tonic etc?
Bev just has a rotten head cold but the fact she is off work bothers me - the only other time was when she broke her leg but that couldn't be helped. I've never known her take off once in the past 15yrs... so it must be shit for her right now, too.

 

Hope Bev starts to feel better soon. Four weeks after mine I still have a cough that sounds like an angry dog barking and a sore head. Seeing quite a rise in the figures at the moment unfortunatley.

 

Yes, this new variant is causing worries, no word if it's more toxic but seems it might be.

All our best to Bev..

Yeah, we are ropey to say the least, tried everything (Vit D, tonics etc), all they do is make me feel nauseous (in truth, most stuff makes me feel that way, perhaps I'm preggers)

Hopefully Cindy's pension with back dated months will be here in a couple of weeks, it will enable us to pay off all our debts, so that should make us less stressed. Sadly the in laws are a real nightmare now, there's in fighting between the mum and 2 other sisters, mostly fuels by the dementia and the idiot called Fiona who is constantly moping about the same bloke after 7yrs...Nutters everywhere..

Hope the trip to Manu is still on, a few days away should make Bev and you feel better. Al, you staying in Scotland for the week

Impossible...

 

Of course I'm staying in Scotland for this week Paul

The end of this month though I'll be heading down to Blackpool, then Wales with a couple of days in Scarborough at the end

 

Watch out for the hotels in Blackpool, one called Tiffany hotel has just had a case of fatal electrocution for a 10y old. You job seems to have a cheat patch installed for infinite holidays

PS, enjoy it all, maybe take a few pics for us lot to look at?

 

Thanks, Paul.

Dosed Bev up with lashings of Lemsip as she has the most congested nose, throat and voice I think I've ever heard - she's away to bed now and so sorry that you guys have had to suffer continuously for months/years since 1st going down with Covid. I had no idea it had gone on so long, mate. Like you say, if it aint yer physical health it's all the mental strain coming from people in the family who haven't got a clue how much stress and anxiety they cause with their problems some of which are self-inflicted. So sorry about the dementia too...
Al, can you get us all on extended holidays - but we'll skip the Blackpool bit following the fatal accident of the wee kid.
Just get us all a transfer to see Matt in the States... that'd be nice.
Paul, I'll get some pics of France and us with Manu for sure.
Take it easy, guys, and enjoy the last of the summer sun shine / wine for 2023 here in UK.

 

I saw that Paul, terrible news for the family. There are a few right dodgy hotels in Blackpool sure enough but I got a good deal on a Travelodge so hopefully should be safe for the night.

I'm going to be doing some retro things as usual so will try and take some pictures if you guys are interested? Will be visiting Arcade Club Blackpool on the Sunday for sure. Be interested to see if I spot anything when down in Wales while doing all the usual Snowdon, Llandudno stuff etc. And there's a good retro games store in Scarborough (The Game Pad) where I always end up buying something lol.

And no cheat patch for infinite holidays . I do get just over 40 days a year with a mix of Public Holidays and long service so plenty of time off for a week here and there. And Haven caravan parks are a bargain Monday to Friday. I've never paid more than £100 for the full week.

It was a different case when I was a travel agent in the early noughties though. Wages weren't the best but getting 90% off the price of package holidays meant plenty of very cheap holidays ineed

 

LOL!
We're all envious of your hols, Al, but as you point out, you've earned em and built em up over the years of long service (Bev gets good hols too - and she deserves and needs em after 30yrs on the frontline in the NHS - most folk would be screaming like a bleedin habjab in an Oric home for the discontinued/distressed after half this stint).
Please do get yer camera clicking - we all like to see what we've all been up to on the retro micro console arcade front as we're basically a set of nosey sods on ere!
;-)
Keep on clicking, folks - keeps us all well amused.

 

I've not had a holiday in MANY years, well Serena was 3-4 when we last went to Florida, and she's 23 now, so seeing where others go is like a visual holiday for me. Back in the day we would do a couple of trips to Florida (you get the idea I like it over there) and maybe off to Malta as well in a year. The last trip to Florida got us in LOADS of debt, BUT it was at a very low time for us, I was barely being treated for depression, we were being thrown out of the in laws house by bad blood and my health was taking turns for the worse, so feck it we said, and off were went on the old CC's.

Jesus, it felt great at the time....And then we got back and the do-do hit the fan..

I don't miss the oversea's jaunts, sure I like the USA but I'd rather get an old camper van and tour around the UK, especially the Highlands, a place I've never been to despite my Scots Irish roots. So that's why I like seeing holiday pics, if you go somewhere with epic scenery then that makes me smile..

Pics of you sat on a beach with a knotted hanky on your head are er fine, but I'd rather see beach vista's, mountains, nice buildings, you get the drift.

 

I'm hoping with some recent better luck financially, Paul, that you and Cindy can still live out yer dreams and get that camper van and hit the high road and do some great UK touring taking in all those amazing sights and sounds we hear about in picturesque places such as the Lakes, Cairngorms, Highlands, Brecon beacons, Exmoor, Cornwall, Ull, Northumberland, Ull and many other exotic UK spots where you will be guaranteed a warm welcome, cuppa char and I will always wear a knotted hankie on me head if the price is right (usually a tin of Guinness or a Kitkat will secure my services, mate).


Baz waiting for Paul to arrive...

 

I'm coming....(may not be the best phrase...)

 

It'll be the string vest, as much as the hanky, that causes such reactions, pal.

 

String vest.....oh, oh, I've arrived...

 

Go and sort yersen out - look at you, you're all over the place with those pants on fire and y-fronts akimbo (etc)

 

And in my Benny from Crossroads hat

OK Miss Diane....

 

Well this thread has certainly taken a strange turn. Oo-er!

Paul, a camper to tour Britain is one of my dreams as well. That and to live by the sea (preferably in Scarbados) and have a beach hut. Sigh

 

You keep us up to date on yer plans, Al.
We might sub-let a beach hut from you on the prom at Brid!
Imagine a whole load of us in one of these, fellas...

You can hire one of these beautiful beach huts in Bridlington - Hull Live (hulldailymail.co.uk)

 

What's the sea like at Bridlington, the 'orrible brown mess that most sea sides are now? ie, can you actually go in the sea safely?

 

I think the main beach area is okay for swimming in from what I've seen Paul. Certainly seems well used whenever I've been down that way.

Love a good old beach hut. I booked one for a day when I was down in Lowestoft earlier this year. It was great sitting with a cuppa from the kettle stove watching and listening to the sea. Highly recommended if you ever get the chance.