I tracked down the exact same Amstrad TS-30 tower system that I used to have when I was a kid in school - though obviously not the exact same one. I guess it could have once been mine but that would go beyond freaking weird. I had to sell mine one day when I needed to make the rent. I worked my ass off for this washing cars and floors at my Dad's garage and then in an auto-spares store on a Saturday.

This one I picked up at a great price on ebay this morning, but the original, I bought from Boots back when they used to have kick-ass electrical departments. I think we're talking about 1982 here. Maybe 1983.

I went straight there after work (I think my boss Alan might have let me off a little bit early I was so excited), handed over my cash and because nobody was around to give me a lift back with it, I carried the beast home, which was maybe a mile or so...

I was so excited when I got it into my bedroom... only to find that they hadn't given me the speakers to go with it. I'm not sure I could really have carried anymore than the tower itself, but it was disappointing all the same as back in the eighties the only shops open on a Sunday were newsagents and garden centres. Thus, it was a long old wait until the Monday to hook it all up.

My record collection was pretty extensive by the time this made it into my life, so the little storage space (lovingly illustrated here by a copy of ABBA: The Album I do believe) would have gotten full pretty quick, though it will probably suit my needs right now down to the ground. The rest of my discs were stored in big heavy album cases. I had dozens of them. I think you could get about 50 albums in each one - and a few years later, they were also a pretty handy place to hide 'magazines' and cigarettes.

Anyway, it was great fun and I'm hoping to recreate at least some of the experience - I've even found a guy that sells belts and styluses online (does 'stylus' have a plural?), of which I might buy a few. Then... we begin the collection...

Damn thing had better work.