So what is the Commodore Computer Club (UK) then?
It's a UK-based user group supporting all classic 8-bit Commodore computers, and the C64DTV, excluding the rare Commodore machines which are more collectible, such as the P500.

As a user group, our primary interest is in keeping these ageing machines useful for as long as possible, by supporting hardware and software developments across each 8-bit.

Does it cost to join?
Yes. Life membership costs £30, though some areas (like the forums) are largely free.

What will I get for my money?
The club is run by its members. An annual audit of club funds will take place, as well as an AGM at which all members will be able to have their say about the running of the club, and make suggestions for its direction, or future projects that the club should take an interest in. On the whole, it is one member, one vote, except if stipulated in the club rules.

What will my money be used for?
The club will use its' funds to set up shows and meets across the UK, and commission hardware and software as appropiate to its' membership. For instance, we are currently looking at creating a good quality VGA adapter that will adequately handle the various video signals created by Commodore 8-bit machines: composite, Luma/Chroma and RGBI. Once found, these units will be made up and sold through our club shop. Whilst anyone may purchase these, these is a surcharge added to the price for non-members.

So, non-members will get all the benefits of membership by only paying a small surcharge?
Not always. We're setting up a private members area to the club website, and certain items will not be available to non-members, as agreed by the club. All club-organised events will be free to members, and non-members will have to pay a signing in fee of £2.50. In the instances in which the club is bolting onto another event organised by someone else, we will work with the event manager so that our members will get a discount on the ticket price for the day or weekend as appropiate.

What's the difference between a CCC (UK) event, and me organising to meet some Commodore users in my local pub?
If you think that you can arrange to meet other enthusiasts locally to you without the club, then that's great! But from experience, it's difficult to organise even the most informal meetings and even with the lure of beer.

Our club events will have the benefit from being organised with a purpose. Not only will you get the chance to meet other enthusiasts, but also you can thrash out hardware problems by bringing along your misbehaving piece of kit, or learn new skills through our workshops. Also, we have many spares in our arsenal, so if you have a flaky SID chip that needs replacing, or you need your drive head realligning, then bring it along and we'll see if we can help you! And whilst non-members will have to pay a signing in fee, they'll also have to pay for any fixes. As a member, you'll usually receive any easy fixes for free.

Do you support Amiga?
At the moment, we are only able to support Commodore 8-bits because we don't have members who have enough knowledge about Amiga range to adequately support that platform, and even if we do, we'll likely focus on the 'classic' Amigas.

So, how long have you been going?
We started talking about a user group at the end of June 2008, held our first meeting on the 26th and 27th of July 2008, and started taking formal membership on the 1st August 2008. There are still some things that are under construction, but we're getting there.

What sort of users are you attracting?
At the time of writing, we have a rough 50/50 split between the so-called "Power users" and the average Commodore user. The word user is an important one: whilst we may be able to offer help and advice for emulator fans, that's not the principle aim of the club.

What work have you been doing behind the scenes then?
We have agreement in principle with Cronosoft (http://www.cronosoft.co.uk) and Psytronik Software (http://www.binaryzone.org/psy.php) to resell their Commodore games on disk (3.5" and 5.25") as Cronosoft aren't very good at advertising that you can buy their games on disk, and we may be able to arrange a discount for Psytronik's software range to members.

We have also spoken to several individuals about manufacturing a SuperCPU-like accelerator for the C64/128 (one is looking likely to take on this challenge), and there is a distant possibility of a game released for the Commodore +4 and C64/GS on cartridge.

Why aren't you just supporting the existing projects out there that are free?
Whilst the club will always support any projects or publishers who largely work for free, there are still some gaps that need filling, and because of real life or other commitments, these projects have a tendancy to stall every-so-often.

You said that you have a shop?
Yes. If you remember Commodore Scene's importing service, this will work in pretty much the same way. And whilst CMD hardware might no longer be available, there are other hardware projects that are.

We have several benefits too: becuase we'll have some resources to play with, we could buy in several items at a time, meaning that we could save on shipping costs and pass that saving on to our members.

There is also the issue of documentation, certainly with hardware projects out there. The manuals are often extremely lacking, or the English translation isn't clear enough. As a club, we can provide further documentation to hardware items sold through our shop, and hold workshops for people who are still having trouble.

Are you trying to be another website like Lemon64?
Absolutely not. There are lots of good websites for gamers, but if you're a GEOS user, for instance, where do you go for advice? Whilst we will happily report on and review any new software, we're not necessarily all about nostalgia, and have the added dimension of good programming and technical advice too. Plus, we're happy to support all Commodore 8-bits, rather than going to Sleeping Elephant for the VIC, EmuCamp for C16/+4, Lemon64 for the 64 and other sites for the 128 and PET, we want everything in one place if we can!

Please feel free to ask any more questions

Regards,

Shaun.

[Updated 05/09/2010]