The Retro-Kit collection

The collection primarily concentrates on the computers that I used throughout the 1980's and early 1990's and charts the rise and fall of the home computer market before the all conquering IBM PC compatible became the popular choice for most users.

Being British, the collection is mainly focussed on those computers that I used throughout my school days which were all produced by Acorn Computers Ltd from Cambridge UK. I've also got several VELA devices from Data Harvest and there are a couple of Commodore machines in the collection which reflects those computers that I used or owned as well.

You can click on the Acorn Computers, Commodore International, Data Harvest and Raspberry Pi logo's below to wander around my collection of computers from these two manufacturers.

Besides using the machines in my collection for my own enjoyment, I have  also used them in an educational setting, taking some machines with me when I delivered Code Club events at local schools. Using the collection to help educate the next generation of software and hardware engineers for me is a natural extension of both owning the machines in the first place and secondly, giving the children a better understanding of how computers have evolved over the years and make them think about where they could go in the future.

The Library and ephemera

Of course, in addition to the main collections, there are heaps of cables, peripherals, books, software, magazines and other gadgetry that goes along with all of the computers in the collection and those bits'n'bobs are detailed as part of the extended notes for each computer.