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On This Day - 3rd December

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Cambridge Award presented to Mark Lucas
1983

Cambridge Award presented to Mark Lucas

Mark Lucas was presented with the first Cambridge Award at the ZX Microfair at Alexandra Palace, London, for his Spectrum wargame Battle 1917. The competition was organised by Sinclair User and Cases Computer Simulations to encourage the development of intellectually stimulating games for Sinclair computers. Lucas received the Cambridge Award trophy and a £1,000 prize, while his game was subsequently published by Cases Computer Simulations.
Source: Sinclair User January 1984
Sinclair User reported that the Cambridge Award trophy was presented to Mark Lucas at the ZX Microfair at Alexandra Palace. Contemporary CRASH Issue 1 independently confirms that the presentation took place on Saturday 3 December 1983 at the 9th ZX Microfair. Mark Lucas's Battle 1917 was the overall winner of the 1983 competition.
Cambridge Award Battle 1917 Mark Lucas Sinclair User Cases Computer Simulations CCS ZX Spectrum ZX Microfair Alexandra Palace Spectrum Games Sinclair History
Sinclair User Issue 22

Also in this month

Other historical information recorded for December.

1990

ZX Spectrum +3 production discontinued

In December 1990, Amstrad discontinued production of the ZX Spectrum +3, bringing the production run of its disk-based Spectrum to an end after just over three years. The +3 had been introduced in 1987 as the most advanced member of the Spectrum family, combining 128K of RAM with a built-in 3-inch floppy disk drive and support for CP/M.

The decision to discontinue the +3 was reportedly connected with Amstrad's relaunch of its own CPC range. The Spectrum +3 was effectively competing within Amstrad's own home-computer product line, while the simpler +2B was allowed to remain in production because it was considered less of a direct competitor to the CPC machines.

The end of +3 production did not immediately mean the end of the ZX Spectrum. Other Amstrad Spectrum models continued to be produced, with the +2B remaining available until 1992. Nevertheless, the discontinuation of the +3 marked the end of the final disk-based Spectrum model and the beginning of the final chapter of the Spectrum's commercial life.
Source: Sinclair Spectrum historical references
Production of the ZX Spectrum +3 is generally recorded as ending in December 1990. Some contemporary retrospective material gives November 1990, so no exact day is assigned.
ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum +3 Spectrum +3 Amstrad Sinclair discontinued production 1990 CPC
Page Revised: 01/09/2026

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