A Mobile Phone Christmas Tree at Vodafone

A Christmas window display celebrating the world's first text message.

The world's first text message was sent over the Vodafone network on the 3rd December 1992.

This year Vodafone is celebrating this fact in its Christmas marketing activity, including window displays in retail stores, such as this one on Market Street in Manchester.

Find out more.

Check out the Vodafone website, and this article from 2017 that celebrated 25 years since the first text message, to find out more.

Link:

• Vodafone

Related blog posts:

• Christmas Trees
• Retail
• Marketing
• Nostalgia
• Retro

A cool retro shopfront at The iT Store in Canterbury

How cool is this window display at The iT Store in Canterbury?

Robotazia - a robot-themed restaurant in Milton Keynes

On our recent trip to Milton Keynes we spotted a robot-themed restaurant in the Theatre District.

Sadly it was permanently closed.

What a concept though.

The restaurant opened in 2020 and closed earlier this year.

Co-op Delivery Robot in Northampton

Spotting a delivery robot at The Co-op in Northampton.

The Co-op delivery robots were launched in Northampton in 2021. We've seen them a few times when driving through the town.

I believe there are also some operating in Sale, Trafford here in Greater Manchester.

The delivery robots are used by The Co-op in partnership with Starship Technologies.

Have you used one to get deliveries?

It'd be interesting to use them, I wonder if we'll ever seen them in Stockport...?

Cullercoats Lifeboat Charity Evening and the 'Raffletech 3010'

A Northumbrian Night fundraising event for the Cullercoats Lifeboat.

A recent visit to the north east saw our friend John 'Johnny Waffles' Moore take us to a Northumbrian Night in aid of the Whitley Bay & Cullercoats Lifeboat Guild.

The evening was held at the Cullercoats Crescent Club and was good fun, with song & dance and food & drink in a nice environment, and all for a great cause.

Regular readers of this blog will know I'm a fan of the obscure and ludicrous, but I was amazed at one of the prize draws during the night.

We've been to some interesting events on our travels - with the Thanet Ladies Auxiliary Quiz Night 2008 a highlight - but the Members Box Draw at this event was up there with the best of them!

I'm a big fan of a good old fashioned tombola and always go in for a raffle, but the Members Box Draw saw a machine called the Raffletech 3010 brought out to decide the winner!

The Raffletech 3010 - you really need to see this beauty in all its lit-up glory!

I'm not exaggerating when I say it wouldn't look out of place in a 'World of Tomorrow Feature' from an issue of a comic book printed in the 1950's!

Not winning the prize draw on the Raffletech 3010 - a pre-internet wooden cabinet technology machine

The Northumbrian Night was great entertainment - from the Newcastle Cloggies (dancers and musicians) - in good company, in a nice social club setting and some very reasonable drinks prices.

Note: I erroneously called the Raffletech 3010 'The Raffletron 3000' after seeing it on the night. Either way, what a machine!

Links:

- Cullercoats Lifeboat

- RNLI

- Cullercoats Crescent Club

- Newcastle Cloggies

Update: January 2015
A photo of the Raffletech raffle robot in action at the Cullercoats Crescent Club has been sent to me by Kay Heslop!

The Raffletech 3010 in use at the Cullercoats Crescent Club on New Year's Day 2015. I wonder if 428 was a winning number...