Obviously, not all of you will be able to make it to Block Party - the first ever Teletext and Digitiser festival - on October 1st, but here's a brief taste of what guests will be treated to.
Doors will open at about 10am, giving early birds time to explore the museum's many treats, before the first recording of the TeletextR podcast - hosted by Dan Farrimond and Carl Attrill - welcoming you to Block Party. Topics covered will, I'm sure, include the history of teletext... and should doubtless be a laid back and banter-fuelled affair.
At 11am teletext archivist Jason Robertson will be demonstrating how he has managed to recover so many lost Digitiser, Teletext, Ceefax and Oracle pages. Bring your old VHS tapes, and you never know what he might unearth before your very eyes. The second TeletextR panel happens at 12.30pm, and is dubbed "Meet the guests".
We'll be running our teletext designers panel - featuring myself, Dan and Steve Horsley - twice, at 2pm and 4pm, so that everyone with an all-day ticket will be able to sit in on one. If you want to add some spice to proceedings, you can probably ask Steve and I about our school days: we've known each other since we were kids, and were in the same art class together. In addition, there'll be a Make Your Own Teletext Art drop-in workshop running throughout the day,
Doors will open at about 10am, giving early birds time to explore the museum's many treats, before the first recording of the TeletextR podcast - hosted by Dan Farrimond and Carl Attrill - welcoming you to Block Party. Topics covered will, I'm sure, include the history of teletext... and should doubtless be a laid back and banter-fuelled affair.
At 11am teletext archivist Jason Robertson will be demonstrating how he has managed to recover so many lost Digitiser, Teletext, Ceefax and Oracle pages. Bring your old VHS tapes, and you never know what he might unearth before your very eyes. The second TeletextR panel happens at 12.30pm, and is dubbed "Meet the guests".
We'll be running our teletext designers panel - featuring myself, Dan and Steve Horsley - twice, at 2pm and 4pm, so that everyone with an all-day ticket will be able to sit in on one. If you want to add some spice to proceedings, you can probably ask Steve and I about our school days: we've known each other since we were kids, and were in the same art class together. In addition, there'll be a Make Your Own Teletext Art drop-in workshop running throughout the day,
SOME OF THE SPECIAL GUESTS WHO'LL BE TAKING PART IN QUIZ-ME-DO... BREAK DANCE
We'll have a break at 5pm while the centre closes to the public, and we get set-up for the evening's Digifest. During this time, as the evening ticket holders arrive, you'll be able to grab a drink from the bar - which will remain open during the evening - or a bite to eat from the food van.
Doors to the main hall will re-open at approximately 6pm, with a short set from the sublime GamerDisco, along with pages from Digitiser on the big screen - followed by a very special video presentation.
7pm will see the kick-off of The Ultimate Digitiser Panel. Hosted by top stand-up and Digi fan Chris Coltrane, you'll be treated to the never-before-heard true story of Digitiser, courtesy of myself, Tim "Mr Hairs" Moore, and Bad Influence icon and Digi panelist Violet Berlin. No doubt, it'll veer off at points into surrealist whimsy. Please bear with us while we get that out of our systems.
Following a short break around 9pm, for further refreshments - again accompanied by the sweet sounds of GamerDisco - we'll be kicking off Quiz-Me-Do. Audience members will be forced at knifepoint to choose a side, as team captains Mr Hairs and Violet Berlin will be leading their squad of surprise(d) guests into a battle of gaming trivia, nonsense, and challenges.
It won't be anything whatsoever like the popular TV comedy quiz Shooting Stars; it'll be far more shambolic and unprofessional. Expect the unexpected.
Suffice to say, by the time all that comes to an end, we'll all be ready to die... BUT... the night doesn't end there. We'll be keeping the bar open, and sticking around for a chat, to more of GamerDisco's retro gaming sounds.
EAT TO THE BEAT
Both bar and food will be arriving during the early evening break, but if you need to get something to eat earlier, the Centre has a small snack bar, or there are other food options just a short walk away, including an Asda, and a Frankie & Benny's. Or just bring a sandwich.
If you're travelling by train, Cambridge station is 1.4 miles away, so roughly a 30 minute walk, or a quick 10 minute cab journey. Car parking is fairly limited on site, but there are other options close by. Further travel details are available here. If you're staying over, there's a Travelodge just 5 minutes walk away, and plenty of other choices around Cambridge. Or you could just sleep under a bridge like we are.
We'll also have a Digitiser merchandise stand, selling our new mugs, 2017 calendars, stickers, and three brand new t-shirt designs. Oh - and hopefully Mr Hairs will have his brand new book, The Cyclist Who Went Out In The Cold, available for sale. We might also have some tatty old copies of my book, Confessions of a Chatroom Freak, which I'll be happy to sign for you. Bring money.
Just a brief request: if you've bought a ticket, but won't be able to make it, please let us know, as we have a handful of people who weren't lucky enough to get a ticket before they sold out, and would be happy to have yours.
We'll be sending more details out by email closer to the day. Suffice to say, it's going to be a rather special and unique day for all of us.
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