https://medium.com/@tony.gillett/zxspectrum-e749bd7a384e

Like many of my generation the 8-bit microcomputers of the 1980s were a defining aspect of my childhood and adolescence. Playing games wasn’t just a solitary experience; it was a shared interest that drew friends together and gave a sense of involvement in a community. The fun of games helped nurture an interest in how the machines worked and how to write programs. This set the scene for my future career path and has led to a lifelong fascination of technology. I’m grateful to my parents — and my brother — for supporting me in this journey in my early years and spending their money on computer equipment that at the time they could ill afford. Their love, practical support and selflessness in my childhood has in no small way led to so many positive impacts on my working life and indeed in life in general.

Feeling nostalgic I decided I’d start a small collection of the machines that had had the most personal impact. When I was a kid, my cousin owned a ZX Spectrum 48K which he’d bought it brand new in 1983 and which, when I was around 14 years old, he’d loaned me on a long term basis. I asked him if he still had it and, if so, would he sell it to me. Sure enough, he had it carefully packed away in as good condition as you could possibly expect for a 35 year old machine. He even had all of his tapes, many of the inlay cards contained my hand writing and that of my school mates!