On Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, a small group of Retrobytes members gathered for a mini meetup at LaZona Coworking in Córdoba. Designed as an informal, table-level get-together, the morning focused on sharing hardware, solving problems together, and simply enjoying good conversation in a relaxed setting.
Despite being a deliberately small gathering, the atmosphere was warm and collaborative, and it was great to finally bring a few people together face to face. We had lunch at the nearby University Cafe.
Who came along (and what they brought)
- Antonio José brought along a Raspberry Pi 4, adding a modern twist to the retro mix.
- Pablo Mañas, a passionate Apple collector, stopped by briefly to talk about his collection. Although he could only stay a short time due to work, the conversation around the future of his collection was particularly inspiring — including the possibility of it one day being used for hands-on exhibition or educational purposes, perhaps even in a small interactive museum setting.
- José, president of the Retrobytes club, was on hand helping other members with hardware troubleshooting and repair advice, as always generously sharing his experience.
- FranXisco brought his ZX Spectrum +2, which sparked plenty of discussion and nostalgia.
- Vitinillo arrived with a 1990s Apple PowerBook as well as his ZX Spectrum, offering a fascinating contrast between eras.
- Natxo brought a beautifully preserved ZX Spectrum 48K, originally from Seville. He also helped correct the Spanish translation for Exploring Wilderland, a simplified version of the classic text adventure The Hobbit that I originally coded. We discussed the need for a diagnostic board and a reliable way to load software in order to properly test the machine.
- Paul – brought his Acorn BBC Micro B running the Spanish version of “Exploring Wilderland” ready for translation testing. He also improved his “Space Probe” game re-coding it without the need for the GXR chip.
A morning well spent
What made the meetup special wasn’t just the hardware on the table, but the shared knowledge, curiosity, and willingness to help one another. There were no presentations or formal structure — just people talking, experimenting, and reconnecting around machines that still have stories to tell.
Several members also expressed appreciation for having a calm, welcoming space in which to meet, and for the opportunity to slow things down and focus on conversation and hands-on exploration.
Thanks again to everyone who came along and helped make the morning such an enjoyable one.
You can find out more about the Retrobytes club in Córdoba here:
https://retrobytes.org/