[Blackpool] Blackpool LUG a brief history 2004 - 2015 - 2nd attempt

[Mike Hewitt]

Hi Folks -

A while back, I asked if anyone wanted to add to the above mentioned draft
blog post.

At Saturdays meeting I was informed that the post is only editable by me,
 no one else could add anything.


I get a lot of stick for being a rubbish webmaster ;)

and had to come up with a solution.


Below is the draft, accessible to everyone. Please add things as you see
fit. When we are all satisfied with the story, it can be published.

Thank you to those who have contributed already.




Blackpool LUG (Linux User Group) was founded in 2004.

First a few comments from some of our regular visitors.

Then a couple of items from each year taken from the mailing list which is
here:-

http://mailman.lug.org.uk/pipermail/blackpool/


Lug really is for All!


My 1st Lug meeting (January 2013) was full of intrepidation.  I had my 1st
Linux issue & it seemed that Lug was the only place to sort it.
But I was an "OLD WOMAN" with little/no computer knowledge and Lug at that
time was populated only by males of various ages - bright young things old
enough to be my kids or grandkids...


Now I'm even older & I've enjoyed lots of Lug meetings in a friendly, fun
way where I was made to feel immediately welcome and comfortable. I've
acquired some more computer knowledge along the way and, in turn, been able
to help others outside of LUG with their Computers.


Thank You so much to Mike Hewitt of Blackpool Makerspace and all the Lug
members there for radically improving the computer part of my life. Your
expertise, and your generosity in sharing it, has been stunning.


Elizabeth


At my first LUG meeting in February 2010, I spent the entire session
talking to Tony about Linux, tech and general geeky subjects. Tony became a
great friend from that point on, as have you all. We all bring a certain
something to the group dynamic that makes Blackpool LUG and now our
Makerspace unique.


Best


Les


Thank you Mr Pounder for those kind words, actually my memory is of
myself and Mike sitting there with one, (or both) of the Dave's and Colin
each week trying to work out how we could breathe life into the LUG. It
seems a long time ago when five of us was a big meeting. But when Les
joined us and then Donald and Jon, things started to shift up a gear.

But sitting at the meeting 2 weeks ago discussing the new venue and
moving into our next phase as a makerspace and LUG shows how far we have
come over the last few years. The focus now seems to be how we can as a
group support the
young people of Blackpool to learn what we do and how they can
get involved. The screaming penguins of Blackpool have much to do as we
move forward.

For the uninitiated the Screaming penguins are the roving
LUG/Makerspace members that help at Linux and technology related events
both in blackpool and around the North West. We have helped to run
Raspberry pi events, barcamps and Linux related events since 2010.

Now with the move to becoming a makerspace much more geekery awaits.

RIP Rippon Road, Long live Blackpool LUG/Makerspace


Tony



I vaguely remember my first visit to the LUG (as it was then)... It
was a bright,
sunny summer's morning outside. I opened the door, sunlight streamed in and
everyone inside turned to look at me (like they do in Westerns?).

Mike and Les said hello and  asked who I was and where I was from. "I'm
James and, err, I'm from the Internet*" was my reply.
I think they were expecting something more specific; it felt like the
Spanish Inquisition!


I think I might have ended up coming along because I saw Jon was doing
some Python sessions, which I thought would be nice to try out.

And that's my memory of my first visit to Ripon Road.

*May not be exactly what I said.

Best wishes,
James


I'd haven't been coming that long, I've always appreciated the friendly
space for a chat.  I have had a bad time in the last 12 months and it's
been a help.

I have great memories of ridiculous rants at the space, but what will
always stay with me have been the times away from the group when I've
caught myself being a little more adventurous trying new things.

I am semi proficient in Python now (I always said it was the future)

If I have some new micro controller peripheral to play with, I reach over
my PIC chips for an Arduino now.

I type things into a command line that begin with 'sudo' without grumbling
any more.

and last week I put water inside a PC, which is just plain daft and would
not have happened under any circumstances before I met you guys and learned
to give more things a go.

Cheers

Arthur


---------------------------------------------------------------------

this is what the first ever post to the mailing list said:-   Woop

"Christopher Ganderton 70810 at blackpool.ac.uk

Fri Jan 23 13:07:51 GMT 2004


So is there actually anyone subscribed to this list or


what?

____________________
Linux user 338000 !!


I feel so unique :)
____________________"




No meetings were organised in 2004. The following


blog post summarises 2004 from the mailing list posts.

http://blackpoollug.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/blackpool-lug-from-mailing-list-jan.html


Only two posts to the mailing list in 2005, nothing in 2006, one test
message in 2007, and one request for a meeting in 2008. The computer suit
had been available for four years, but still no meetings had been
organised, the "build it and they will come" principle had failed.


I decided to try a different approach.

*I would open for a meeting every Saturday, even if I was the only person
going!*

This technique worked, and by the third quarter of 2009, we had three
people starting to attend, Dave, Tony, and Colin.

Tony (Hughes) is still attending and is currently our longest standing
member. (After you Mike)


The first meeting happened on the 2nd May 2009, and this is what we (I) did:

We played with (demonstrated) 3 live

Distros, Mint, PC LOS, and Puppy.
These distros can be used without havingto install anything. Just put the
disk in the drive and reboot.
Once you have finished playing,

reboot without the disk and its gone.

We also used the PCLOS disk to make a system that dual booted Win XP and
PCLOS.
This gives you the option to choose

either XP or PCLOS as the machine is
starting.

Lastly, Puppy Linux was installed to a

USB stick and made bootable.
This system lets you use Puppy linux on any machine capable of booting from
USB and it will not affect anything
installed on that machine.


By the first quarter of 2010, things

were really rolling, and multiple new

names can be seen on the mailing list,

including our next longest standing

member, Mr. Les (Raspberry Pi)Pounder.

2010, We get a new site logo, an article in Linux Format magazine, and
Jon at RossLUG/ELLUG  gives us an invite to their first meeting at the
Woolpack.


2011, The Famous Blackpool LUG banner appears along with our android
game (angry beaks) with tux defending his fish dinner from the
Blackpool seagulls.


2012, The mythbuntu project, Electronic wallboard project, first
mention of the Makerspace, multiple mentions of Raspberry pi and
Arduino.


2013, Ripon Road gets Arduino project which automatically sends a
tweet of time and temperature when we are open (light sensor)

We are transitioning to a Makerspace,

Jon leaves for New Zealand


2014, Notice is given by the landlords that Ripon road (the LUG base)
will be sold.

Mike Hull offers to take over the role of host at his hotel on Tyldesley road.

We have been donated a (non working) 3D printer

We held our first midweek evening meeting.


2015, Ripon road is sold.

Mike Hull Takes over hosting the LUG/Makerspace

Renovations start in the basement (at Tyledsley road) which will
eventually become our new space.

Watch this space!


Mike