The Extremis Publishing Podcast

A true pioneer of British microcomputing has once again taken to the airwaves. Mel Croucher, the visionary creator of Deus Ex Machina and one of the most distinctive voices of the 1980s home computer scene, has revived his irreverent end-of-the-year “address to the nation” as Mel Croucher’s Christmas Cracker. In the glory days of Crash and other stalwart computer magazines, Mel’s seasonal missives arrived as crackling cover-mounted cassette tapes, equal parts satire, philosophy and digital mischief. Now, in a pleasingly circular twist of technological fate, the message returns via podcast: still as provocative, still as witty, and still reminding us that computing was once as much about imagination and rebellion as it was about machine code.

In this Christmas podcast special, author Robert Murray reminisces about celebrating the festive season in glorious Tayside - from his happy childhood in the seaside town of Carnoustie to his memories of working in retail in the city of Dundee. Robbie paints a vivid picture of yuletide festivities over the decades, exploring just why this amazing part of Scotland means so much to so many people. 

Phillip Vaughan, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Games Technology and Mathematics at Dundee's Abertay University and Programme Leader for their Master of Science degree in Technical Art and Visual Effects, chats with Tom Christie and Julie Christie about their new book, "Lights, Camera, Dundee!" This entertaining illustrated guide to the films, TV series, music videos, and commercials filmed in and around Dundee, Tayside, and Angus considers just what makes this amazing part of Scotland so unique and appealing to film-makers worldwide.
For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/lights-camera-dundee.html

Chris Watson, Retail Liaison Manager for Stirling's famous Thistles Shopping Centre, drops by for a chat about his amazing charity challenge in support of Save the Children - a feat of endurance which has included training for participation in the gruelling Tokyo Marathon and a nail-biting sleepover in the Thistles' infamous Thieves' Pot, beneath the historic Bastion. With many thanks to Studio King Street, where this recording took place.
If you'd like to support Chris in his fundraising efforts, please visit his JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tokyomarathon2026-chriswatson

Robert Murray discusses his book "My Life in Carnoustie: A Lang Time Ago," a lively exploration of the famous seaside town in the Scottish county of Angus. He looks back over the evolving industries in the town, the changing face of the high street, the enduring community spirit, its cultural heritage, and of course Carnoustie's enduring connection with the game of golf.
For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/my-life-in-carnoustie.html

Laura Cluxton, Lauren Gilmour, and Rowan Ferguson - all representatives of the Forth Valley Sensory Centre in Falkirk - join us to discuss the vital role the centre plays in the lives of people of all ages. They talk about the services being provided by the centre, the community focus of its work, and the different ways that people can become involved.
For more information, please visit the Forth Valley Sensory Centre's website at: https://www.forthvalleysensorycentre.org/

A mystery interviewer quizzes author Dr Tom Christie about his book Digital Pioneer Spirit: The Freewheeling Creative Innovation of Mel Croucher on the Home Microcomputer. They discuss the infamously nonconformist counter-cultural genius, Mel Croucher - the acknowledged founder of the UK computer games industry - and explore his extraordinary career of world firsts as well as his most memorable titles, his original music, and many unexpected facts along the way.
For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/digital-pioneer-spirit.html

Entrepreneur Paul Murray, Director of King Street ApartHotel in Stirling, turns the tables on Extremis Publishing's Directors by putting them into the hot seat as part of their tenth anniversary celebrations. Tom found himself as the interviewee for once, while Julie took to the airwaves for only the second time in over eighty Extremis podcasts (to date). If you would like to know about the people behind Extremis Publishing, now is your chance!

Abertay University's Phillip Vaughan and Matthew Bett join us for a discussion of Dundee's brand new CoSTAR Realtime Lab - a remarkable new production facility which has tremendous implications for film and TV, live performance, and videogame development. They explain the many ways that this cutting-edge creative technology has the potential to spark new growth and innovation.

Archaeologist Dr Murray Cook discusses his book "Hidden Stirling", an exploration of the secret sites of the city, where he uncovers some surprising stories of its illustrious past. He also ventures into his findings from Stirling's surrounding area, discussing the ancient communities that once lived there and the mysteries they left behind.
For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/hidden-stirling.html