Welcome to 2010

I will get around to updating this blog more often... but in the meantime, Happy New Year!!! I hope you all have a wonderful 2010.

Lots has happened over the past few weeks which has resulted in me losing my interest in updating this blog - I doubt I will talk about here, but rest assured things will resume as normal soon.

Pimp my C64

On the night Michelle went in to hospital to give birth to Sophie and Kayleigh (Friday July 31st), I started a little project. I wanted to 'pimp up' one of my C64s by spray painting the case black, and swap an old style C64 keyboard so that it would match the newly painted case. Obviously it took me some time to complete (shortly after dunking the case in the bath to clean it, Michelle decided it would be a great time for her waters to break and we had to go to the hospital). I did manage to finish it a few days later though, and this is how I did it.....

Take two Commodore 64's (One breadbin style, and one C64C)

After removing the motherboard from the C64C (Thats another C64C that I own behind the motherboard).

Two empty C64 shells with the keyboards removed

C64 Motherboard again.


The famous 'SID' chip

C64 Breadbin keyboard

C64 Breadbin after having a C64C keyboard installed.

More C64 goodness - C64C Motherboard, C64 Keyboard and an additional C64C computer

Before spray painting - A dunk in the bath, with bleach to clean and remove the yellowing.

One clean (and less yellow) C64c case. Shortly after this photo was taken, we were on our way to Cheltenham General Hospital. About 15 hours later, Sophie and Kayleigh were born!!

Several days later... After spraying the case, the C64 is ready to be reassembled.

Finished - Black sprayed (silk) C64C with dark keys from a C64 Breadbin

Side view

Rear view

Before and After....

My current C64 collection - 1 black C64, 2 cream C64s and 1 Breadbin C64 with a C64c keyboard. I also have an Action Replay V6 cartridge (red cartridge shown at the back of the right C64), and a C64TPC unit for connecting the C64 to my PC. I have also just aquired a Commodore 1541-II disk drive. Plus tons of software/games etc.

My Commodore collection also includes 2x Commodore Plus 4's
1x Amiga 500 with a 120mb harddrive and 40mhz accelerator

1x Amiga A1200 with a 2Gb harddrive + shedloads of tapes and disks full of games/applications/demos etc.

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While I am posting, I thought I would also include a photo of Kieran in his new school uniform. He started school last Monday at Bengeworth First School, and after a week, he absolutely loves going.

The life of an IT Technician/Network Manager.... Systems Manager

I can't believe that it has been 6 weeks since the start of the summer holidays. School returns to normal on Friday (Friday of all days!?!) and I am already starting to panic...

It's not anything I have done - Over the past few months we have been having major building work on our IT block at the school. What started of as a simple 'replace the windows' job turned in to a massive 'shit, we've found asbestos in the wall columns' kind of job, and it has been ongoing ever since. Now, with only 3 more days to go, the IT block is still in a terrible mess. The builders have not been in for days, and I am left with 4 IT rooms that look like they have been hit by a bomb...

The new IT staff office (My office... the main Comms room is through that door - (note no furniture!!!)

This is a classroom and it needs to be ready by Friday - No desks... no computers... no nothing!

Classroom DU3 - Again, no computers, benches not complete and looks a complete tip

Classroom DU2 - Not as bad as it looks, but still needs work

DU1 - The only room we have been able to get in to a 'decent' state.

I love the way we were told at the start of the project that we would have 'plenty' of time to get the rooms ready for September - this includes any maintanance required, and the installations of Adobe CS4 and Microsoft Office 2007 on all the workstations.

Oh joy....!

One month late... but here you go!

It has only taken me.... erm... 1 month, but finally here are some pictures of our two new girls - Sophie and Kayleigh. Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook may have already seen some of these. More to come soon. :-

They're here....

I am pleased to announce the safe arrival of Kayleigh Louise Wilson, born at 13:23 (6lb 10oz) and Sophie Lauren Wilson, born at 14:41 (5lb 9 1/2oz), both born today (1st August). Both babies and Mother are fine. Photos to follow - I left my camera at the hospital with Michelle!!!!! I'm going to bed now as I'm shattered (and I wasn't the one pushing!!)

To be continued....

Congratulations Kieran.

Today has been a combination of mixed emotions - It was Kieran's graduation day at Nursery, which meant there was a presentation at the High School where all the little kids got given a certificate and all the work that they have done over the past year to take home - A time to celebrate all they have achieved in the past year... Sadly though, it was also Kieran's very last day at Nursery School.

We (both myself and Michelle) are so proud of Kieran. He acted so grown up when his name was called for him to collect his certificate and folder. He has learnt so much over the past year, and hope he enjoys his new school in September as much as he enjoyed going to Evesham Nursery,