On 14/06/2015 10:34, rick wrote:
I have a single 3.5" FD that was authored on a BBC compact.

It contains a few text files I would like to get off the disk .........
anybody have one of these pieces of history that still work?

A quick google does suggest their are some pay-services that might get
this data off for you.
http://www.shlock.co.uk/Utils/OmniFlop/OmniFlop.htm

is one.

This site might be useful, I am sure there are many others:
http://www.shlock.co.uk/Utils/OmniFlop/OmniFlop.htm