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Old 26th Nov 2020, 4:44 pm   #1
Your_Sinclair
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Default Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Hi,

Following on from a discussion about the Sinclair QL, my understanding is that some forum members actually worked for Sir Clive Sinclair.
(I think Merlinmaxwell stated that he worked for Sir Clive.)
Sir Clive Sinclair has always been known for being at the forefront of the development in his field.
Can I ask if anyone has any memories of working with Sir Clive Sinclair?
I read The Sinclair Story by Rodney Dale, but perhaps there are anecdotes/memories past employees would like to share?
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Old 26th Nov 2020, 7:42 pm   #2
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Indeed I did, great place, I worked at Milton Hall Cambridge. A super mix of clever people involved in all fields of engineering, totally mad (like me. the mad bit anyway!). There were no real rules as to work times, most turned up early and left late. As said before afternoons were left (almost dedicated/ruled) for wandering about and chatting, lots got done then. Free "stick your mug in" coffee machines, free canteen (more of a restaurant, superb food), free bar!!! It was a let the people play atmosphere. When Clive found out that one of his lot was struggling with a wife and two kids a pay rise (of not a trivial amount) appeared. I won't mention the chaps name but we, our partners and kids became very good friends, he was/is a bearded nerdy software type and she a large Italian lady who could really cook, had many an evening with them.

Also Rick Dickinson lived just down the road (back passage) from us, many happy times with him and family too.

After lunch Clive wanted a chat in the bar, several (lots of) pints later I did manage to ride my bike home. Great thing about Cambridge if you are wobbly on a bike they think you are a tourist and give a clear berth.

35 years ago, how time flies...
 
Old 27th Nov 2020, 1:52 pm   #3
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Roughly what period were you there for, Merlin? - mainly I'm asking which Sinclair computers and/or other products were 'current' when you were working there.

I always thought the address of Sinclair in Cambridge was 6 King's Parade, but maybe they had expanded and moved out by the time you were working for them.
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Old 27th Nov 2020, 2:35 pm   #4
chriswood1900
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

There is quite a bit of information on Sinclair scattered around the net.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU_VUN9VVcM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBxV6-zamM&t=54s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrTmvqwpZF8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXBF...Ov8VHw&index=3
Apologies to those who have already seen them but I found them interesting particularly the last video the Ruth Bramley interview.
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Old 27th Nov 2020, 3:29 pm   #5
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

A friend of mine had a job working at home mending self-built kit products which didn't work. Things like Micromatic radios. If your kit didn't work after you built it you could return it to Sinclair to get it mended, i.e. put together properly. He would go to the river mill factory every now and again and collect a box of things to mend. Usually the problem was something simple like a dry joint that needed to be put right but he also had a good stock of unbuilt kits. If the builder had messed things up completely my friend just built another one which if he tried hard could be put together clumsily to look a bit like the original.
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Old 27th Nov 2020, 6:22 pm   #6
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Quote:
Roughly what period were you there for, Merlin?
Middle 80's, the old memory doesn't do accurate that long ago!
 
Old 29th Nov 2020, 2:17 pm   #7
Your_Sinclair
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
Quote:
Roughly what period were you there for, Merlin?
Middle 80's, the old memory doesn't do accurate that long ago!
I did a bit of research.
My understanding is that Meta Lab was mainly involved in Artificial Intelligence and Gen 5 programming languages.
Would you be able to provide some more information as the nature of the projects you worked on?
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Old 29th Nov 2020, 2:29 pm   #8
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I was involved in the Pandora laptop display electronics. Someone in the next lab was working on Rabbit telephones using the FTV tuner. I did see a colour FTV using a rotating drum round the screen, it worked.
 
Old 17th Dec 2020, 9:39 pm   #9
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Clive Sinclair and James Dyson are included in the "New Elizabethans With Andrew Marr" BBC2 9pm tonight!

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Other good threads re Sirclive this year as well!

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Old 18th Dec 2020, 8:59 am   #10
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
...I did see a colour FTV using a rotating drum round the screen, it worked.
I looked quite seriously at that in the mid 1980's when at PA Technology. The main problem with the rotating drum (it would have had a vertical slit in it) is purely mechanical. The idea was that the display would rotate at the same speed, so that anyone around a table (say in a conference suite) could see the display wherever they sat.

I came up with an alternative with a liquid crystal shutter alternative with no moving parts, but I failed to get any excitement - projection displays for teleconferencing were just taking off.

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Old 18th Dec 2020, 9:53 am   #11
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

Was that the same building as Anamartic? I used to go and visit them in the early 90's.
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Old 18th Dec 2020, 3:46 pm   #12
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Was that the same building as Anamartic?
That rang a big bell in my head, not 100% sure but nearly.
 
Old 18th Dec 2020, 5:06 pm   #13
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Default Re: Working for Sir Clive Sinclair

I thought that Yesterday's last episode of New Elizabethans [post 9] was pretty good. It was really an essay on British inventiveness and Governments that largely "missed the boat" [literally in fact see Shipbuilding and Hovercraft]. Beginning with the Comet aircraft and Lady "Docker" the line up of pioneering industrial figures starts with Christopher Cockrell [10 mins in] The Spring Fields/ Jimmy Reed/ Ridley Scott/ CLIVE SINCLAIR [at 37 minutes] Anita Roddick /ZAHA HADID [what a shame Cardiff renaged on building her Opera House-they could have been the UK version of Sydney with that structure] and James Dyson [now an exile].

Sinclair's profit in 1983 was £14,000,000-not bad to say the least. He gets 5 minutes... Dyson 6! No sign of Siralan Sugar and his products or hapless apprentices though I liked the clip of Tom Mangold? saying [during the celebratory Royal Jubilee in 1977] "Who were the world leaders in ship building 25 years ago? We were!"

Dave W

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