Yes, there's a shiny new look to the Commodore Computer Club UK website - that means some new templates, a sparkly news editor that allows easier adding of news items like this one (as well as improvements to how they're syndicated for RSS feed users) and some general tinkering and improving of back engine code. Most importantly, our our forums are now using the latest version of phpBB3.

Commodore free issue 40 has been relased containing News - BASIC Programming Challenge update - Interview With Mind.in.a.Box - Interview With Anders Persson creater of PRG STARTER - PRG Starter application.

Available as TXT PDF SEQ D64 and HTML from www.commodorefree.com

In this issue: Editorial, Readers' Comments, Commodore USA, LLC, NEWS, New Version: D64Lister 1.7, CCS64 Updated, BASIC Game Competition, Amiga Zorro RAMBoard, Digital Talk 90, TAP Clean, Clear Competition Pro, Commodore Plus/4 Spreadsheet, Datatool, Return Issue 2, VIC20 Twitter Client, New Version of SD2IEC Released, PET Alive!, NOSTALGIA, Commodore Free, John Fielden, Peter Badrick, Chris Syntichakis, Commodore Free (2), Shaun Bebbington, Charles J. Gutman. www.commodorefree.com

Dates are Fri 12th to Sun 14th inclusive, with the main meeting / show being held in The Lambton Hounds pub, Pity Me, Durham on Sat 13th.

We have Shaun, Nigel Parker, Chris Syntichakis and myself confirmed with Chris Snowden and Allan Bairstow as possibles.

I can accommodate 2 people at my place, with rooms being available at the Lambton Hounds, which is only 5 mins walk from my place.

See the forums for further information.

The third Commodore Computer Club (UK) club meeting will be held in Durham from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st June 2009. Beer and stuff will be happening on the Friday with the main event, as such, on the Saturday. Pete (Badders) will be updating us on his little project to restore a Commodore PET 2001, and I've got my SX-64 (serial number GA0000001) to working order which will also be there to look at and use.

The second meet was vaguely themed around the Plus/4 and C16, with all other Commodore 8-bits getting a look in. If you're interested in attending, please PM or email Shaun through the forum. Non-members are welcome as long as they don't mind paying the £2.50 signing-in fee. Members get free entrance and other extras.

The 26th issue of Commodore Free has been released; this issue contains Interviews with Tom Roger (Tapes 64), Sean McManus (author of a novel featuring the C64) and Quikman 2008 author Robert Hurst, In the Beginning Part 11, creating TAP files, information on the DCN-2692 floppy controller board and more. It can be downloaded from CommodoreFree.com in PDF, text, HTML, D64 or SEQ files and the HTML version is mirrored here on the CCC UK website.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Commodore 16 and Plus/4 computers (and the birthdays of both Nigel Parker and Paul Green), we at the CCC (UK) will be holding our second meeting from Friday the 23rd of January 2009 through to Sunday the 25th inclusive. It will be held in Birmingham, B23 area, just of Junction six of the M6 (and don't worry about what Multi-Map or your Sat-Nav tells you, that really will be the easiest way to travel to the venue in most cases).

We may also be hiring a hall for the Saturday, but this is only if we get a reasonable turn out of at least four people. So far, Chris Snowden (Commodore16.com), Nigel Parker (Commodore Free), Shaun Bebbington (Micro Mart writer) and Peter Badrick have confirmed. Other potential attendees include Mike Dailly (Xeo3.com and ex-DMA Designs), Jason Kelk (various websites including Oldschool Gaming and writer for Retro Gamer), and Paul Green (PJG Developments).

In accordance with club rules, no-members will pay a £2.50 fee if they want to attend, and may be excluded from any "official" business during the weekend, should there be any formal matters to arise between now and then. We have a car share scheme, so if you would like to attend and could offer other people a lift, please contact us or visit our forums to say where you are travelling from. For members, there's a thread under Club News on the forums with further details.

The 24th and 25th issues of Commodore Free have been released; 24 contains Llamasoft - The Dromedary Years Part 2, In the Beginning Part 9 as well as information and interviews regarding Raymond Computer Store and the Hypersid sound module whilst 25 features include an interview with Jeff "Denial" Daniels, In the Beginning Part 10, creating a Commodore 8-bit Machine Code programming environment for Windows and a review of Sceptre of Baghdad from Psytronik.

Both issues can be downloaded from CommodoreFree.com in PDF, text, HTML, D64 or SEQ files and the HTML versions are mirrored here for issue 24 and here for issue 25 on the CCC UK website.