Tim Holyoake
@timholyoake.uk
RetroComputing. Liberal Democrat. Caterham 7 Owner. In remission from Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
More often at https://oldbytes.space/@psychotimmy
Blogs at https://z80.timholyoake.uk/ , https://mcl.timholyoake.uk/ & https://railwaywalks.timholyoake.uk/
More often at https://oldbytes.space/@psychotimmy
Blogs at https://z80.timholyoake.uk/ , https://mcl.timholyoake.uk/ & https://railwaywalks.timholyoake.uk/
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
The extraordinary Ernie Wise - born 100 years ago today - seen here celebrating on 1 January 1985 after just having made the first ever mobile phone call in the UK. 'Ring in the new year'. See what they did there?
November 27, 2025 at 1:49 PM
The extraordinary Ernie Wise - born 100 years ago today - seen here celebrating on 1 January 1985 after just having made the first ever mobile phone call in the UK. 'Ring in the new year'. See what they did there?
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
This Government has chosen to reject the single biggest thing it could do to turbocharge economic growth and repair the £90 billion Brexit black hole.
For millions of people struggling with higher bills this was a botched budget.
For millions of people struggling with higher bills this was a botched budget.
November 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM
This Government has chosen to reject the single biggest thing it could do to turbocharge economic growth and repair the £90 billion Brexit black hole.
For millions of people struggling with higher bills this was a botched budget.
For millions of people struggling with higher bills this was a botched budget.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
I wish I was surprised. Buried in this Budget is a plan to slash the Digital Services Tax, giving a multi-billion tax cut to US tech giants and the likes of Elon Musk.
That's right, cutting taxes for the world's richest man while hiking them for millions of hard-working Brits.
That's right, cutting taxes for the world's richest man while hiking them for millions of hard-working Brits.
November 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
I wish I was surprised. Buried in this Budget is a plan to slash the Digital Services Tax, giving a multi-billion tax cut to US tech giants and the likes of Elon Musk.
That's right, cutting taxes for the world's richest man while hiking them for millions of hard-working Brits.
That's right, cutting taxes for the world's richest man while hiking them for millions of hard-working Brits.
Utter madness. The project maintainers must've been pulling their hair out. So-called AI has very real costs that go far beyond the planet burning datacentres needed to run them.
These AI adherents are the programming equivalent of offering to be the designated driver when you’re not just the only one drinking, but are an incomprehensible, staggering, vomiting mess.
github.com/ocaml/ocaml/...
github.com/ocaml/ocaml/...
DWARF support for macOS and Linux by joelreymont · Pull Request #14369 · ocaml/ocaml
DWARF v5 Debugging Support for OCaml Native Compiler
This PR adds DWARF v5 debug information to the OCaml native compiler, allowing proper source-level debugging in GDB and LLDB.
What's Impleme...
github.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Utter madness. The project maintainers must've been pulling their hair out. So-called AI has very real costs that go far beyond the planet burning datacentres needed to run them.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Today the Government had the opportunity to end the cost of living crisis, get Britain growing again and repair the £90bn Brexit black hole - by fixing our trade with Europe.
It didn't.
It didn't.
November 26, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Today the Government had the opportunity to end the cost of living crisis, get Britain growing again and repair the £90bn Brexit black hole - by fixing our trade with Europe.
It didn't.
It didn't.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
This was a botched Budget by a Chancellor who’s diagnosed the disease but won’t administer the cure.
Despite promises to cut the cost of living and grow the economy, the Government still refuses to fix our trade relationship with Europe and repair the £90bn Brexit black hole.
Despite promises to cut the cost of living and grow the economy, the Government still refuses to fix our trade relationship with Europe and repair the £90bn Brexit black hole.
November 26, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This was a botched Budget by a Chancellor who’s diagnosed the disease but won’t administer the cure.
Despite promises to cut the cost of living and grow the economy, the Government still refuses to fix our trade relationship with Europe and repair the £90bn Brexit black hole.
Despite promises to cut the cost of living and grow the economy, the Government still refuses to fix our trade relationship with Europe and repair the £90bn Brexit black hole.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Brexit has cost each and every one of us £3,700 a year.
But instead of solving the problem, Labour are using Brexit as an excuse to raise your taxes.
My message ahead of the Budget: Stop blaming Brexit and start fixing it!
But instead of solving the problem, Labour are using Brexit as an excuse to raise your taxes.
My message ahead of the Budget: Stop blaming Brexit and start fixing it!
November 25, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Brexit has cost each and every one of us £3,700 a year.
But instead of solving the problem, Labour are using Brexit as an excuse to raise your taxes.
My message ahead of the Budget: Stop blaming Brexit and start fixing it!
But instead of solving the problem, Labour are using Brexit as an excuse to raise your taxes.
My message ahead of the Budget: Stop blaming Brexit and start fixing it!
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Who remembers that Brexit campaign slogan from 2016? 🤔
November 25, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Who remembers that Brexit campaign slogan from 2016? 🤔
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Remember when they said Brexit would save us £350m a week?
Well, it has actually cost us £250m a day this year.
And that goes a long way to explaining why our taxes are high why productivity low.
It’s never been clearer that the key to growth is fixing our relationship with Europe.
Well, it has actually cost us £250m a day this year.
And that goes a long way to explaining why our taxes are high why productivity low.
It’s never been clearer that the key to growth is fixing our relationship with Europe.
Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue , new analysis shows
Exclusive: Britons also up to £3,700 worse off, leading to calls for the Labour government to improve relations with the EU
www.independent.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Remember when they said Brexit would save us £350m a week?
Well, it has actually cost us £250m a day this year.
And that goes a long way to explaining why our taxes are high why productivity low.
It’s never been clearer that the key to growth is fixing our relationship with Europe.
Well, it has actually cost us £250m a day this year.
And that goes a long way to explaining why our taxes are high why productivity low.
It’s never been clearer that the key to growth is fixing our relationship with Europe.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Because people *still* don’t understand that overseas students subsidise home students. This is punishing everyone involved.
With Rachel Reeves reportedly set to apply a new tax on tuition fees paid by overseas students, most Britons support such a move at the previously mooted level of 6%
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
November 25, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Because people *still* don’t understand that overseas students subsidise home students. This is punishing everyone involved.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
The UK is losing up to £250m a day in lost tax revenue due to the economic impact of Brexit, House of Commons Library analysis for the Lib Dems suggests.
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
November 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
The UK is losing up to £250m a day in lost tax revenue due to the economic impact of Brexit, House of Commons Library analysis for the Lib Dems suggests.
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
Brexit has blown a "black hole of [up to] £90 billion a year in the public finances" the party says. Even under lower estimates the hit is ~£65bn
Desire path, Ottery St Mary.
November 23, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Desire path, Ottery St Mary.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Getting there (if only I could find my soldering iron).
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
November 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Getting there (if only I could find my soldering iron).
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
The worst possible Government at the worst possible time. All those lives lost, all those lives changed forever. Boris Johnson was not fit to be PM and the Conservatives should never be let anywhere near Government ever again.
BREAKING: UK’s response to Covid was “too little too late”. Acting faster could have saved 23,000 lives in England according to the public inquiry.
Boris Johnson presided over a “toxic, sexist, chaotic culture” in No10, where rule-breaking seriously undermined public confidence.
Boris Johnson presided over a “toxic, sexist, chaotic culture” in No10, where rule-breaking seriously undermined public confidence.
November 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
The worst possible Government at the worst possible time. All those lives lost, all those lives changed forever. Boris Johnson was not fit to be PM and the Conservatives should never be let anywhere near Government ever again.
Getting there (if only I could find my soldering iron).
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
November 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Getting there (if only I could find my soldering iron).
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
New blog post from me - Pico MZ-700 progress.
z80.timholyoake.uk/pico-mz-700-...
#RetroComputing #Sharp #Pico
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Today’s awesome arrival, a huge lot of MZ tapes including some original Sharp User’s Club library tapes! I wonder what delights I’m going to find in this lot! :)
November 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Today’s awesome arrival, a huge lot of MZ tapes including some original Sharp User’s Club library tapes! I wonder what delights I’m going to find in this lot! :)
The #MZ700 emulation for the #Pico MZ is nearly finished! Documentation to write and update, plus testing on #RC2014 cards and #Pico2 hardware left to do. Hoping to have version 3.0.0 released by the end of the month. #RetroComputing
November 17, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The #MZ700 emulation for the #Pico MZ is nearly finished! Documentation to write and update, plus testing on #RC2014 cards and #Pico2 hardware left to do. Hoping to have version 3.0.0 released by the end of the month. #RetroComputing
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Today I met a woman who had come to live in Britain more than 30 years ago.
She told me how her sons, now in their 40s, who had lived in Britain since they were 10 were worried about being made to leave the country.
Reform, and the Labour government who pander to them, should be ashamed.
She told me how her sons, now in their 40s, who had lived in Britain since they were 10 were worried about being made to leave the country.
Reform, and the Labour government who pander to them, should be ashamed.
November 16, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Today I met a woman who had come to live in Britain more than 30 years ago.
She told me how her sons, now in their 40s, who had lived in Britain since they were 10 were worried about being made to leave the country.
Reform, and the Labour government who pander to them, should be ashamed.
She told me how her sons, now in their 40s, who had lived in Britain since they were 10 were worried about being made to leave the country.
Reform, and the Labour government who pander to them, should be ashamed.
A great blog post and a salient reminder to me as to why I stick to doing software only rather than trying to design hardware!
New blog post - I have designed a new serial card for the Minstrel 4th and RC2014 bus. More on that next week, but first a look back at some of the things I tried before settling on this design.
blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2025/11/a-ne...
blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2025/11/a-ne...
November 16, 2025 at 6:47 PM
A great blog post and a salient reminder to me as to why I stick to doing software only rather than trying to design hardware!
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
You can't get more Labour than compulsory voluntary work.
UK charities condemn ‘immoral’ plans to force asylum seekers to volunteer
Making volunteering compulsory for refugees slammed as exploitative, bureaucratic and un-British
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:38 PM
You can't get more Labour than compulsory voluntary work.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
they gleefully announce the llm solves a difficult problem and then you find out...they use it to respond to an email, format some python, arrange two meetings in an 8 hour period.
we are going to let these people burn the planet because we are too nice to tell them they sound stupid.
we are going to let these people burn the planet because we are too nice to tell them they sound stupid.
lately i've been thinking about how LLMs must feel really amazing to use if you're a dumbass, but incredibly frustrating if you're just basically competent in life.
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
November 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
they gleefully announce the llm solves a difficult problem and then you find out...they use it to respond to an email, format some python, arrange two meetings in an 8 hour period.
we are going to let these people burn the planet because we are too nice to tell them they sound stupid.
we are going to let these people burn the planet because we are too nice to tell them they sound stupid.
Hopefully the BBC's response will be along the lines of "We refer you to the reply given in the case of Arkell v. Pressdram".
The BBC has until Friday to respond to a legal threat by Trump’s lawyers sent on Sunday seeking $1bn in damages unless the corporation apologises and offers compensation on.ft.com/4p1pwUn
November 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Hopefully the BBC's response will be along the lines of "We refer you to the reply given in the case of Arkell v. Pressdram".
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
"Research released this month by economists at the Bank of England, the Bundesbank, King’s College London and the universities of Stanford and Nottingham underscored the economic hit from leaving the EU. Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6-8%"
on.ft.com/4p1NoHv
on.ft.com/4p1NoHv
Rachel Reeves signals she will break manifesto pledge with Budget tax rises
Chancellor hopes to win support from Labour MPs by lifting two-child benefit cap
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:08 AM
"Research released this month by economists at the Bank of England, the Bundesbank, King’s College London and the universities of Stanford and Nottingham underscored the economic hit from leaving the EU. Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6-8%"
on.ft.com/4p1NoHv
on.ft.com/4p1NoHv
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Whenever Reform are in control, their first instinct is to go after the most vulnerable.
If this is what happens when they run a council, just imagine them running the country.
If this is what happens when they run a council, just imagine them running the country.
November 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Whenever Reform are in control, their first instinct is to go after the most vulnerable.
If this is what happens when they run a council, just imagine them running the country.
If this is what happens when they run a council, just imagine them running the country.
Reposted by Tim Holyoake
Finally: "PET Invaders" - Public Beta!
My personal take on Space Invaders for the Commodre PET.
Link to online-emulation:
masswerk.at/pet/prgs/#pe...
Beta testers and feedback welcome!
#commodore #petscii #mos6502
My personal take on Space Invaders for the Commodre PET.
Link to online-emulation:
masswerk.at/pet/prgs/#pe...
Beta testers and feedback welcome!
#commodore #petscii #mos6502
November 4, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Finally: "PET Invaders" - Public Beta!
My personal take on Space Invaders for the Commodre PET.
Link to online-emulation:
masswerk.at/pet/prgs/#pe...
Beta testers and feedback welcome!
#commodore #petscii #mos6502
My personal take on Space Invaders for the Commodre PET.
Link to online-emulation:
masswerk.at/pet/prgs/#pe...
Beta testers and feedback welcome!
#commodore #petscii #mos6502