Birmingham

The picture's not very interesting, but how I got there and what I did is a longer story. Wait a moment, you say, what happened to Glasgow, you wrote that you visited it? Well evidently I didn't think it photogenic enough. I have a hazy memory of a less attractive city than Edinburgh. Certainly I don't remember any landmarks.

I had a ticket for a microomputer exhibition given to me by the business contact back in the Lulworth Cove post. I took a sleeper from Glasgow, arriving at the break of dawn, hence the photo. Which reminds me, on London to Edinburgh journey I was asked by the conductor before retiring if I wanted tea for breakfast just before arrival. I hadn't even realised that this was included in the fare. It came in china cup with a couple of biscuits. I'm sure that this custom of yore is long gone and now passengers have to get their own breakfast from the dining car or a vending machine. But you probably get more choice. Such is progress.

Microcomputers were the hottest thing at the time. They were just starting to be put to use in offices. It may have been this exhibition or another where I came across a letter generator. The idea was you gave it a list of names and it printed out form letters with the names in appropriate places. The demo prompted for a name. Being the impish rascal that I am, I typed in Twithead. (My usage predates Twitter, by the way.) The microcomputer obediently printed out: Dear Twithead, Thank you for your enquiry, etc. etc. I made my escape before the booth staff got curious about the hilarity in the area of the microcomputer.