All Micro Show 5 Report - By Dean Garraghty
(c)1991 Dean Garraghty
Please Note: This article was written in 1991. Since then, many of the supporters mentioned have ceased trading. I have removed contact details for any suppliers no longer with us.
Back on November 9th 1991, the All Micro Show (AMS) 5 was held in Bingley Hall, Stafford. This venue has established itself as the main show for Atari 8-bit computers. It is, in fact, a general computer show, and electronics fare. But, the Atari 8-bit dominates the show.
I must admit that I didn't get much time at all to look around. I was too busy on my own stand (thanks to those who came and supported us). We were selling PD, used commercial software, used hardware, and Digi-Studio. Many people came to visit us during the day.
Other than us, there were the usual Atari exhibitors, as well as a few new ones. Page 6, Micro Discount, and BaPAUG/Gralin were all there as usual.
Page 6 was selling its huge range of software and books. Page 6 are at: (removed)
Micro Discount was by far the most popular stand (as usual!). It was crowded for the most of the day, and not suprisingly! How about a 400 for 3quid?! Derek had loads and loads of books/software/manuals as well. How about the complete Technical Reference Notes for a quid, or De Re Atari for a fiver?! Loads of Field Service Manuals were also available at a quid each.
BaPAUG/Gralin were selling there usual stock items. Colin was showing off his 1400XL (I even got to hold it, for a few seconds!).
A new face to the show was LACE (London Atari Computer Enthusiasts). They were there getting subscribers to there BOOT! newsletter. LACE also run a PD library of "the highest quality" (so there leaflet says!). They also are setting up there own BBS soon. LACE were going to have an advert on this issue of the News-Disk, but failed to get it to me by the time I specified (tut tut Simon!).
Bill Sutton (Late of XL/XE Alive) was there selling some reconditioned hardware and some software. He also had disk notchers at 2.50 each. Haven't seen those for a while! Unfortunately, I have no idea what address or phone he is operating out of now.
The rest of the show was taken up with other weird and wonderful computers, like the TI-99/4A, et al, and electronics and radio enthusiasts. Lots of bargains to be had here too.
As usual, AMS was great. Lots to do, and loads of bargains. Looking forward to AMS6!
This extra little bit here is just to embarrass Mike Blenkiron!!
Mike drove me down to AMS and also helped on the stand during the day. But, getting to Stafford was not as easy as we had hoped. 30 seconds onto the motorway out of Doncaster, we had a bit of trouble with the police! A police land rover started flashing its lights. We thought "it can't be us, let's drive on". So we did, and in fact overtook it! Then the lights started flashing again! "It can't be us, we thought". Then it over took us, and stopped us. Yikes, I thought! We got severely told off for driving with full-beam headlights on. I would just like to thank that policeman for being so lenient! We may never have got past Doncaster if he hadn't of been!!
I would like to thank Mike Blenkiron, Mark Keates, Paul Saunders, and William Todd for helping on the stand all day long, under extreme pressure and for no pay!
Originally published in The Atari 8-bit News-Paper.
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