LEO Matters Issue 13, June 2023 has been published and circulated to Members and others. It can be downloaded by following the download link on this page .
LEO Matters issue 13, June 2023 Read More »
The recording of the Zoom that demonstrated the Virtual LEO I is now on the members section of the LCS Website and can be viewed here Virtual LEO I
Also the Video of the Zoom meeting in March when Richard Hollingham told the story of making the LEO movie is now on the Website LEO Movie
New Videos from Zoom Meetings Read More »
Interviewee: Ian Bruce DOB: 11 November 1947
Interviewer: Mike Hally
Editor: Tony Morgan and Frank Land
Role in LEO: Site engineer
Joined LEO (EELM): circa 1967
Date of Interview: 5th July 2017
Abstract: Left school in Edinburgh aged 15 to be apprenticed to his father’s Radio and TV supply and repair shop. After 4 years, expecting to take over the business, his father sold the business leaving Ian to find a job. On seeing an advert by EELM for computer engineers applied, sat the aptitude test and was offered job of trainee Data Prep engineer, Assigned to work at CAV LEO III site in Acton. Subsequently took on computer maintenance with special skills in maintenance of magnetic tape. Worked on a number of sites including Post Office LEO 326 in Edinburgh and later on a range of ICL computers. Became team leader but retired when offered early retirement Fujitsu after 35 years service. Keen on sports and still active as a swimmer.
Copyright: LEO Computers Society
Restrictions: None known
Repositary: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/62999/Ian-Bruce-Interview-5-July-2017-62999/
Interviewee: Peter Wharton
Interviewer: John Daines
Date of Interview: 2nd November 2016
Editors: David Phillips (P1) and Bob Marsh (P2)
Additional Editing: Frank Land (FL)
Joined LEO: 1962
Role in LEO: Programmer
Abstract: After West Bromwich Grammar School and graduating with a maths degree from Leicester University. Following the advice of a friend who had become a computer programmer, responded to a LEO job advert, was called for an aptitude test at Hartree House. Offered job as trainee programmer using CLEO, and with his background in maths was assigned to John Caldwell’s Mathematical Programming Group at Minerva Road. Worked on production of linear programming package for solving the transport problem principally for Shell. Notes that unlike the programming groups at Hartree House the Minerva Road group had not adopted a setoff programming, testing and implementation procedures. Moved to join programming teams in Hartree House, and in 1964 after merger with EE selected as member of EELM team to work on RCA Spectra 70 and in particular the design of multiprogramming software for what was to become System 4. Married fellow LEO programmer Sheila Milne. On return to UK moved to Kidsgrove. With formation of ICL advanced rapidly at Company level rising to Chief Engineer working under Technical Director. Became involved in collaborating with Universities including appointment as Visiting Professor at Southampton University and research collaborating with Durham University.
Repository : http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53382/Peter-Wharton-Interview-2nd-November-2016-53382/
Copyright: LEO Computers Society
Restrictions: None known
LEO Interviewee: Ninian Eadie DOB 15th March 1937
Interviewer: Two Interviews, by ArchivesUK, and for LEO Oral History Project by John Ferguson plus a third memoir by Eadie himself.
Date of Interview: LEO interview 6th July 2017
Joined 1960
Role in LEO: Joined LEO as a trainee programmer, rose rapidly in a variety of roles including teaching, defining CLEO, sales management in South Africa, managing the important Post Office project and taking senior management roles in EELM and subsequently ICL and Fujitsu.
Left LEO, on 1967 merger to take senior roles in ICL
Abstract:
Education, prep school, Winchester, Balliol College, Oxford (PPE). After National Service in the Navy joined LEO as trainee programmer. His LEO career included teaching on training courses, joining LEO teams assisting customers like Cerbos, defining LEO III software, acting as sales manager for LEO’s joint venture with Rand Mines in South Africa, and culminating in the role of Project Manager for the LEO III and System 4 Post Office project, the largest and most technically and politically project in LEO history. Following the merger which created ICL in 1967, he took on a series of increasingly senior roles for ICL and its successor companies, including managing ICL’s international sales organisation, acting as assistant to ICL’s chief executive and under Fujitsu became (1993 -1996) Group Executive Director for Technology before retirement. Amongst his outside interests he became an internationally recognised Dinghy racer.
Repository ArchiveIT: Ninian Eadie – Archives of IT (archivesit.org.uk) Repository recording and edited transcript by John Ferguson: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/63000/Ninian-Eadie-Interview-6th-October-2017-63000/
Repository memoir:https://docs.google.com/document/d/11helrhqsYB1bjMijqiolYOAcyPFrCHxA/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=106995194925914651236&rtpof=true&sd=true
DOB: 16th April 1928
Interviewer: Phillips
Date of Interview: 19/04/2022
Role in LEO: Trustee LEO Computers Society
Joined LEO: Joined LEO Computers Society as ‘friend’ in 2014
Abstract:
After a career as a Professional soldier, serving as adjutant while a junior officer and rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, found his metier in acting as a communicator. Discovering his distant relationship to Joe Lyons and the Lyons food empire started compiling presentations to interested bodies like U3A, and Probus making 166 presentations in a period of a few years. In the course of compiling the story of Lyons he discovered LEO, met LEO Computer Society people and started about 2014 telling the LEO story, and applied to join the LEO Computers Society as a friend. Subsequently became more and more involved compiling and making numerous presentations. Active member of LEO Computers Society.
Repository: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/69137/Neville-Lyons-Interview/
Copyright: LEO Computers Society
Interviewee: Neville Lyons Read More »
Georgina Ferry has donated the unedited transcripts of the people she interviewed for her book A Computer called LEO to the Heritage Project of the LEO Computers Society. The following interviewees are included:Anthony Salmon, Maurice Wilkes, David Wheeler, Murray Laver, David Caminer, John Pinkerton, Ernest Kaye, Ray Shaw, Derek Hemy, Peter Hermon, John Aris, Mary Coombs, Ralph Land, Frank Land (incomplete first half of transcript lost)
Georgina Ferry Transcripts Read More »
Late last year we received the sad news that Ray Shaw, the last of the original LEO I design pioneers had passed away.
A copy of his Obituary can be found HERE. On 20th February John Daines presented material via Zoom remembering Ray and a recording of that can be found on the LEO Website
Remembering Ray Shaw Read More »
A Review By
Maurice Wilkes
Former head of Cambridge University Mathematical Laboratory
A Review of User Driven Innovation by Maurice Wilkes Read More »
LEO Matters Issue 12, November 2022 has been published and circulated to Members and others via email. It can be downloaded by following the download link on this page .
Issue 12 includes the sad news that Peter Hermon, one of the best know and very talented IT professionals in the business, and a LEO Pioneer, died on 1st November 2022 and the Obituary from Computer Weekly is on the “In Memoriam” page and can be viewed here as well as a piece in Issue 12 itself.
LEO Matters issue 12, November 2022 Read More »