Category Archives: News

Only Three Table Places Left for Kickstart 3: The Kickstart Amiga Group June BBQ Meet

Take-up for places at Kickstart 3, our 2024 BBQ meet on Saturday, June 22nd 2024 has been extremely positive. As always, thank you for your support, its always appreciated. It does mean that at the time of writing, we only have three tables left. We’ve managed to expand a little by adding some additional tables onto the stage area (and without those we would already be sold out), but even one of those has already sold, with only three remaining.

Non-table tickets, which we offer at a small discount to the table ticket price, are still available and get you access to everything (including the BBQ) except a table to put a computer on.

Key Information

  • When: Saturday 22nd June 2024
  • Where: Ottershaw Village Hall, Brox Road,
    Ottershaw, Surrey, KT16 0HG
  • Time: 9am-9pm
  • Cost: £14-16 per person
    (price includes BBQ lunch, snacks and soft drinks throughout the day)
  • Ticket Link: https://kickstartamigagroup.sumupstore.com/

Table Ticket for K3: The Kickstart Amiga Group June Meet

Non-Table Ticket for K3: The Kickstart Amiga Group June Meet

It’s already shaping up to be a cracking meet, with RetroPassion coming down for the day and offering special discounts for attendees, as well as user groups from across the UK joining us for some Amiga fun and a burger or two.

Continue reading Only Three Table Places Left for Kickstart 3: The Kickstart Amiga Group June BBQ Meet

Kickstart 2 is This Sunday!

It’s the final week, and we are all looking forward to descending on Ottershaw Village Hall for a full day of Amiga fun.

As it’s the final week, most things are locked down. Kickstart is the hottest ticket in town! We’ve sold out of tables and the table plan is now fixed for Sunday. There’s a couple of no-table tickets that I will leave live on the ticket page, just in case. We’ve ordered all the catering, Everything should be all set.

What to Bring: If you have a table ticket, there will be a table, a chair and access to power waiting for you – all you need to do is bring your gear! This simple list will help ensure you don’t forget the essentials:

  • Your Amiga
  • A monitor
  • Speakers or headphones if your monitor doesn’t do sound
  • Mouse, Mouse Mat and Joystick
  • Power Cables and Power Supplies for your Amiga, monitor and any powered peripherals
  • Mains extension lead (the more sockets the better)
  • A screwdriver (just in case you need to open up your machine, things can shake loose in transit)
Continue reading Kickstart 2 is This Sunday!

No-Table Tickets = LAST FEW ADDED

Table Tickets = SOLD OUT

Kickstart 2 – our second meet of the new era – is once again a table sell-out. We also sold out of no-table spaces, but have managed to squeeze a couple more in after previous attendees contacted us about going, so grab them while you can – we will be at maximum capacity after this.

https://kickstartamigagroup.sumupstore.com/product/no-table-ticket-kickstart-amiga-group-february-2024-meet

Ticket sales for Kickstart 2 close on Saturday 10th February 2024 – we have to lock it down a week before so we can order the right amount of catering and other shopping.

The all-important logistics email will be going out to attendees and guests in the next 24 hours. This will tell you everything you need to know about the day: What’s happening, how to get to the venue, where to park etc. If you still have any questions after that, please get in touch and we will be happy to help.

And don’t forget – if you can’t make it to Kickstart 2, tickets for Kickstart 3 – the big Amiga BBQ – on Saturday 22nd June 2024 are on sale now.

It’s 2024 – Time For Some More Amiga Meetups

Here’s hoping your 2023 ended well, and wishing you nothing but the best for 2024.

2024 is going to be the first of two big years for the Amiga community. The growth and resurgence of the user group community, large scale events, as well as the creation of a multitude of game-changing hardware and software solutions for our machines is set to make this year a milestone for bringing even more Amigas out of the loft and back into regular use. Kickstart has at least three events planned so far for 2024 (two already announced), details below:

Continue reading It’s 2024 – Time For Some More Amiga Meetups

2024 Barbecue Meet Confirmed for Saturday June 22nd 2024

One of the things we really wanted to get in the diary for 2024 was a barbecue. The annual barbecue was a mainstay of the Kickstart Amiga Group annual diary, providing a great social environment as well as the fun of a regular meet.

We are pleased to confirm that we have booked Saturday 22nd June 2024 for the Barbecue meet. Ticket price includes the barbecue and tickets are on sale now, along with a few remaining tickets for our February 2024 meet:

Key Information

  • When: Saturday 22nd June 2024
  • Where: Ottershaw Village Hall, Brox Road,
    Ottershaw, Surrey, KT16 0HG
  • Time: 9am-9pm
  • Cost: £14-16 per person
    (price includes BBQ lunch, snacks and soft drinks throughout the day)
  • Ticket Link: https://kickstartamigagroup.sumupstore.com/
Continue reading 2024 Barbecue Meet Confirmed for Saturday June 22nd 2024

Kickstart 2 Confirmed for Sunday 18th February 2024 – Tickets On Sale Now!

Hot on the heels of the success of our first meet, we are pleased to announce the date and details for our second meetup. Following a survey of members coming to our first event, we have confirmed Sunday 18th February 2024 for the meet. Tickets are on sale now, so please be quick as we did sell out of table spaces for our first meet.

Key Information

  • When: Sunday 18th February 2024
  • Where: Ottershaw Village Hall, Brox Road,
    Ottershaw, Surrey, KT16 0HG
  • Time: 9am-9pm
  • Cost: £14-16 per person
    (price includes lunch, snacks and soft drinks throughout the day)
  • Ticket Link: https://kickstartamigagroup.sumupstore.com/

For our second meet, we are once again holding it where it all began – Ottershaw Village Hall. This is where the Kickstart Amiga Group originally held its monthly meetings back in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as the first three Kickstart Amiga Shows. Back then, it was called Brook Hall. Not only has the name changed, but the venue has had a substantial makeover and is a wonderful place to hold our meets. You can see some pics from our October meet here, as well as on our Facebook Group.

Kickstart is a non-profit event. The price we are charging is purely to cover the cost of renting the hall for the day and for the cost of the refreshments. If by some miracle, we have money left over, 100% of it will be put towards the cost of booking the hall for the next meet.

Continue reading Kickstart 2 Confirmed for Sunday 18th February 2024 – Tickets On Sale Now!

A Great Day at Zzap Live!

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who stopped by the Kickstart stand at Zzap Live this past weekend. It was great to see so many people and to talk about our plans for the group. We even met a few Kickstart Originals (members from before hour hiatus) which was wonderful.

We had a double table in the Amiga room at Zzap, where we originally had five machines on display for people to use as part of our promotional efforts, but soon we were down to four after a customised A1200 we had on show decided to malfunction. We think its a Chip RAM issue, so should be easy enough to fix.

For the day, the remaining four machines were an example of member-owned computers, either modified and updated for 2023, or brand new hardware.

Continue reading A Great Day at Zzap Live!

Come See Kickstart at Zzap Live 2023 on August 12th

Ahead of our next Kickstart meet in Ottershaw in October, Kickstart will be on the road in August and September, popping up at some events and supporting some of our friends at their user group meets.

On 12th August 2023 we will be heading to the Holiday Inn Kenilworth (it’s about half way between Warwick and Coventry) for Zzap! Live 2023. It’s a hands-on show celebrating all things Commodore, from the early 8-bit days right the way through to the Amiga and even Commodore’s difficult history as a PC maker. We are there in conjunction with our friends at the South West Amiga Group, helping to populate the Amiga area. Some of the Kickstart team will be there showing off some modified and updated member machines, showing how you can make the most of the Amiga in 2023.

Zzap! Live 2023 will feature over 50 interactive exhibits, representing the entire history of Commodore computing from the humble pioneering days right up to the present. Not only will there be plenty to play, but other ways to spend your time and your money while you socialise!

Continue reading Come See Kickstart at Zzap Live 2023 on August 12th

Only Two Table Tickets Left For Kickstart in October – Don’t Miss Out!

Places at the 15th October 2023 Kickstart Amiga Group meet are in high demand, so much so that we only have two table places left at the time of writing this post. If you would like to join us and need a table for your computer, please grab a ticket now while you still can.

A few non-table tickets are still available for people wanting to come but who are not bringing a machine.

We’ve also added an option for a few “Bring Your Own Table” tickets. If you have a fold up table (ideally around 4ft, no bigger than 6ft) that can take the weight of your Amiga and its bits, you can bring it with this ticket. It’s the same price as our costs are the same whether we supply the table or you do, but you still get access and everything else included in the day like every other ticket holder, including refreshments.

Now Includes Lunch!

Thanks to the enormous amount of support and the size of the turnout for this meet, I am so happy to say that we can afford to add a bit more value to your existing ticket. In addition to the snacks and soft drinks we will be providing for the day, we will also be providing a sandwich buffet lunch for everyone.

Continue reading Only Two Table Tickets Left For Kickstart in October – Don’t Miss Out!