A historical computing exhibition in your school
Celebrating how Britain entered the Computing and Digital age.
By providing hands-on access to historical technology, we can demonstrate what we are in teaching in the computing curriculum isn’t a new concept, but also celebrates and gives insight into how the UK adopted the home computer. As Industrial working practices evolved the computer was at the heart of this transformation. Adults feared the advent of the computing revolution whilst Britain’s youth embraced the new technology many creating their own games and in some instances persuading parents that the computer would help with their school homework.
Our Vision
The computing and videogame industry we know today derived from the bedrooms of children here in the UK, We are clearly missing a vital link with what we are teaching our children today. We believe the computing curriculum should embed computing history into the subject area so that every child learns how the UK entered the computing age.
Our Mission
We aim to reach out to every child and teacher across every school in the UK. Providing them with the opportunity to learn, explore and celebrate our home computing history furthermore embed some fun into the subject area so inturn we can hopefully inspire students to study computer science in school.
The story of children discovering and programming their home computer is a fascinating story which deserves to be embraced ,preserved and demonstrated to our current generation of learners so they too can experience the hardware and software of the time whilst helping them understand that what they are learning in the computing curriculum is not a new concept, but is something we excel at as a nation.
We demonstrate how 1980s Britain learned to love the micro computer from the bedrooms of children and young teens learning to program their home computer . Everything on display is hands on learning for students and staff to explore learning to program the computers to exploring some of the classic software titles created by Britain’s bedroom programmers.
Workshop Format
Offering a dynamic service, we structure our show to the tailored requirements of your school:
We arrive in school with 15-18 vintage computers spanning 5 decades in addition handheld technology, storage media, vintage processors and historical consumer technology including video recorders, Typewriters, 1980s mobile phones,Sony Walkman. Finally our 1985 Sinclair C5 electric vehicle joins the roadshow promoting STEM areas, identifying that electric vehicles are not a new phenomenon, where once again as a nation we were pioneering the use of electric transport as a viable means to carbon fuels over 35 years ago.
Students have full access to the machines as well as an opportunity for them to type in program listings into the computers furthermore, experience software from the era. We will quickly have students programming and engaging with the machines, whether that be loading software or coding from type in listings.
Practical Points
Ideally the use of your school hall for our visit however, we can work with a free classroom as an alternative.Access to around 5 or 6 mains sockets and 8 to 12 free desks (depending on criteria of machines requested for visit). Two hours setup time and an hour to pack at the end of the school day.
All our hardware is fully PAT tested.
Our current inventory includes
Our Collection
A comprehensive collection including personal computers, consoles and handhelds.
From our extensive collection of over 300 machines we have in our inventory, it enables us to match any format or criteria you wish, we can tailor our workshops exactly to the needs of your children.
We provide a hands on learning approach, enabling children to learn through play. Introducing them to hardware, processors, game consoles and much much more. In additon, learning about the pioneering inventors that created the hardware.
We have consumer technology that has been produced over the last 5 decades, as well as a range of computer CPUs including Zilog Z80, Motorola 68000, Intel x86 to mention just a few .
We have a range of historical media that was used to store data which includes punch cards from the 1960s, pre-processor ticker tape, laserdiscs, floppy disks and cassettes. We also have a collection of early mobile phones, vintage TVs including Sinclair.
The Home Computer Revolution
Acorn Atom, BBC B, BBC Master, Acorn Electron, Apple Mac 128, Commodore PET, Commodore C16, Commodore PLUS 4, Commodore 64, Dragon 32, Jupiter Ace, Camputers Lynx, Sinclair ZX 80, Sinclair ZX 81, Sinclair Spectrum 48k, Commodore Vic 20, Sinclair Spectrum 128k, Sinclair Spectrum +2, Sinclair Spectrum +2b, Sinclair Spectrum +3, Sinclair Spectrum 16k, Sinclair QL, Oric 1 16k, Oric 1 48k, Oric Atmos 48k, Elan Enterprise, Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad 6128, Goldstar MSX, Lynx Camputer, Sam Coupe, Sord M5, Atari XL / XE, Atari 400, Atari 800, Pioneer MSX, Acorn Archimedes, ATARI ST 520, ATARI STE, ATARI ST 1040, Commodore Amiga A500, Commodore Amiga A500+, Commodore Amiga A600, Commodore Amiga A1200
Early Favourites
Atari 2600 Video Computer System (1977), Vectrex (1982), Philips G7000 (1983), Sharp MZ 780, Atari Pong, Fairchild Channel F (1976), Mattel Intellivision (1980), ColecoVision (1982)
Handheld Heaven
Nintendo Game & Watch (1980), Entex Adventure Vision (1982), Tiger Electronics Game.com (1997), Nintendo Game Boy Color (1998), Atari Lynx (1989), Sega Game Gear (1991), Nintendo Game Boy (1989), NEC PC Engine GT (1990), Nintendo Game Boy Pocket (1996)
The Playstation Generation
Panasonic 3DO (1993), Sony PlayStation (1994), Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Famicom (1983), Atari Jaguar (1993), Sega Mark III (1985), Famicom Disk System (1986), Sega Saturn (1994), Nintendo Virtual Boy (1995), Sharp Twin Famicom (1986), NEC PC Engine (1987), NEC PC Engine (1987), Nintendo 64 (1996), NEC PC Engine-CD (1990), Super Famicom (1990), SNK Neo-Geo AES (1990), CD (1994), NEC PC-FX (1994), Sega Dreamcast (1998), Nintendo Wii-U (2012), Sony PlayStation 2 (2000), Nintendo GameCube (2001), Microsoft Xbox One (2013), Panasonic Q (2001), Microsoft Xbox (2001), Microsoft Xbox 360 (2005), Nintendo Wii (2006), Sony Playstation 3 (2007), Sony Playstation 4 (2013)
For booking information, please fill our CONTACT FORM
Alternatively, email HELLO@THECODESHOW.INFO