A Xmas card on an IBM 1401

Back in the days of "old iron", when computers filled large rooms and printers were huge noisy affairs creating novely calenders and cards was quite the thing. The Snoopy calender from 1969 was something every "real programmer" had apparently. But how about using an IBM 1401 mainframe (and a 1403 printer) to create a greeting card?

Ken Shirriff (who's blog is one of the best out there to be honest) took up the challenge. It's not quite as simple as it sounds as the card needs to be folded and so normal printed text would be sideways. Here is how to do it using BDCDIC characters. The code is provided in case you have a handy 1401 yourself. Or just watch the video below.

Review of 2017 : June

After a very hectic (and train filled) May, June was a little quieter and had some canal exploration - two long canal walks in fact. I walked the Coventry Canal from Bedworth to Longford, in doing so also passed the start of the Oxford Canal. I also visited Olton and did some more canal walking there - this time along the Grand Union.

Then came a very long canal walk, from Lapworth to Wootton Wawen. This completed the final parts of the Southern section of the Stratford Canal i had yet to visit. Finally i also took some train photos in Derby.

Song of the month was "do it again" by Trevor Something.

Bedworth

Olton

Lapworth

Derby

More from the Essex album

A few more photographs from the 1920s family album i bought on a whim on eBay. As Clacton-on-Sea features in a number of the photographs i have made the assumption it was a family from Essex who once owned the album. It might not be of course, and if you recognise any of the photos let me know!

Farm animals feature in a number of photos including these lovely cows. This makes me think the album once belonged to a farming family. We need to be always wary of assumptions of course, it could easily be the family were city folk and the photographer just liked taking photographs in the countryside!

Assuming this lovely car belongs to the family then they probably were pretty well off.

This photograph is unfortunately uncaptioned but shows a wedding cake (another photograph shows the cake a bit more clearly).

 

Finally another photograph from Clacton-on-Sea, this shows the Venetian bridge and the pier behind it. Both are still extant.

Review of 2017 : May

If April was canal heavy May was railway super heavy! The month began with a couple of diesel galas at Chinnor (CPRR) and Wirksworth (EVR). Then i headed up to York to stay for a couple of nights so i could visit the National Railway Museum's two sites in York itself and also Shildon up in County Durham. I was also able to visit the iconic Darlington station and managed to squeeze in a short visit to Harrogate too.

Returning South there was no time to rest as i attended the SVR's diesel gala. One of the highlights of the year for sure. If that wasn't enough i also managed to fit in visits to Walsall and Buckinghamshire including Chesham - the furthest point of the tube map. Quite a well travelled month.

Song of the month was the slightly aptly named "long holiday" by Flyying Colours.

Harrogate station

Aboard a Northern Pacer, proper Pacer!

NRM York

SVR diesel gala

Chesham

CPRR Gala

Review of 2017 : April

After the rail heavy March the next month saw a number of visits to canal stretches for the first time. The Oxford Canal at Tackley canal was visited, the station is also interesting as it has a foot crossing over the line guarded only by a gate.

I also visited Ledbury for the first time and at the end of the month returned to the Oxford Canal, this time a stretch of it at Rugby, and visited the station too of course! I also returned to Ambergate to walk some more of the Cromford Canal.

Song of the month was "Noosphering" by The Ice Choir.

Enslow near Tackley

Ledbury

Rugby station

Canal aqueduct in Rugby

Ambergate