Vol. XVIII · Issue 04Personal site, established 2008
CharlesAstwood.
Retro computing enthusiast with three decades of digital marketing under his belt — and a Sonning CC 4th XI Batsman of the Year medal he's quietly proud of.
CIO at ParcelHero. Founder of Lost Retro Tapes. Previously sold london-eating.co.uk to toptable, then helped sell that to OpenTable.
Selected writing
— 2 of 2December 1, 2023May 9, 2017
Recreating the ZX Spectrum
Building a brand-new 48k ZX Spectrum from almost entirely currently-produced components — the PCB, the BOM, a working keyboard membrane, the manuals, the Horizons tape, and a faithful reproduction box.
Read article →High-street trouble — can marketers power its revival?
UK shoppers spend £1bn online a week. By 2030, half of today's town centre stores could be a memory unless the high street rebrands itself as an experiential destination.
Read article →Currently
What I'm doing in 2026.
- ParcelHero.comChief Information Officer2015 — present
- Lost Retro TapesFounder, evenings & weekends2021 — present
- GalangalFounder2020 — present