Goodbye Ceefax :-(

Pompey see off Ceefax in style on its last night.

The day I thought would never come arrived this week. The day they switched off Ceefax forever. Never again will we stare for hours at pages 302-315, the football headlines pages, and their related metaphorically well-thumbed pages 316-322 (results) and 324-329 (league tables). No more 338 (football gossip) or 323 (football shorts).

And goodbye to 390-399, the local sports headlines, fixtures, results and non-league tables (handy for football, speedway and London Irish rugby news).

My most-viewed Ceefax page, 399.

Also au revoir to 528, the latest pop charts (despite the fact that I haven't heard a top 40 hit in at least 15 years without thinking "that's a load of tripe, not as good as in my day", I still felt the need to keep up).

It all looked so retro, but then it looked dated from its very first day, around 30 years ago. Now replaced by shiny red button and its dig down into the tree view, if you can work out where to go. Five steps to local fixtures and scores, and if you go wrong, it's yellow button to go back and try again...

I suppose I'll get used to it, but pressing the magic numbers 3...0...2 was so much easier.

Sigh.

A random Ceefax page from 2010.

By the way, the next day I believe will never come is the day that the Sun rises up like a big hot angry devil's cupcake and devours our puny Earth. Not for a few billion years, hopefully. Fingers crossed.