Funding agreed for new Land LEO archivist post at the Centre for Computing History, Cambridge
We would like to share some exciting news with you. Since the end of our major lottery-funded project last year, we have been aware of the need to continue the important work of professionally archiving our collection of LEO material. Most of that material has come from your generous donations and is currently at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, some of it already archived, but much awaiting attention. .
Now we have received the excellent news that the AIT Trust has granted us the funding we need to pay for a new archivist appointment – to be named the Land LEO archivist in honour of Frank and Ralph Land. This post will be based at CCH and will last for 2 years.
To read more about this , please go to Press Release
We are delighted that this funding will ensure that the LEO archive continues to be properly preserve and promoted. Our first task will be to advertise and recruit for the post and we will, of course, keep you up to date with the progress of this project.
THE 19TH LEO REUNIONThe National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park,Thursday, 31ST October 2024
2024 Reunion at TNMoC
Peter Byford's Welcome Address
Raffle Prizes
On the tour
Anna Ryten drew the raffle Tickets
On the tour
On the tour
All the attendees
On the Tour
On the tour
Lunch
Big Yellow show the plans
Narrative by Peter Byford
Thirty members of the LEO Computers Society, some with their wives, plus Simon Allen (Head of Development, Big Yellow Storage) and Anna Ryten (architect for the redevelopment project for 66 Hammersmith Road, formerly Cadby Hall) attended this Reunion event.
The event officially started at 11am, however many arrived a little earlier. Several came some distance, often by train; we had people coming from Hampshire, Kent and Dorset. Train delays meant that some arrived late. Tea, coffee and biscuits were available throughout the event. Peter brought his own collection of LEO and Lyons memorabilia of ashtrays, flowchart template etc. and this also included a folder containing all the information (including attendees) for the first reunion in 1978.
At around 11.30 Peter Byford welcomed the attendees to the 19th Reunion and explained that we were the first people to come to the refurbished TNMoC. Peter welcomed our two guests, Simon Allen and Anna Ryten whose redevelopment project for 66 Hammersmith Road includes references to Lyons and the LEO heritage. They shared many of the drawings and images used in the planning application with the members at the reunion. You can see some of these on this page
Peter then set out the programme for the day which included tours by Vince Bodsworth and Sheridan Williams, volunteer TNMoC guides and members of the Society after lunch.
Jacqui Garrad, Director of TNMoC welcomed us to the museum and said that she was keen to have better links with the Society. This was followed by Vince Bodsworth giving a demonstration of the Virtual LEO 1 display which is being introduced to TNMoC as part of the Society’s Museums Project. Eric Dickens then presented the CLEO Premium bond demonstration, which will also be part of the Museums project. Simon Allen and Anna Ryten showed members the documents and pictures describing their plans for the Hammersmith Road development which were displayed on a table.
We had expected ten raffle prizes, In the event Anna Ryten’s promised prize turned out to be very generous, 6 bottles of champagne. Jacqui Garrad was also generous with 2 bottles of wine and several other items. I would also like to thank Neville Lyons and Frank Land for their prizes. As in previous raffles, Nigella Lawson and Thomas Harding kindly provided signed copies of their books. We also had 3 LEO books donated by the Pinkerton family.
As a result, the majority of attendees were able to win a prize. Bernard Behr brought the Society’s credit card reader and this was used to good effect, although most people paid cash. We sold 35 tickets and made £175. I would also like to thank Mike Tyzack for producing the excellent name labels for the attendees.
After a nice lunch which catered for those with dietary problems, Vince and Sheridan took groups around TNMoC, this included EDSAC and briefly the LEO display which we are looking to improve. Simon and Anna particularly mentioned how they enjoyed the tour around TNMoC. The event finished soon after 4pm.
LEO Matters Issue 16, November 2024 has been published and circulated to Members and others. It can be downloaded by following the download link on this page .
A new/updated leaflet about LEO has been produced for use at gatherings and in emails to people who may have an interest. It is in a PDF document which can be printed out or attached to messages. It is two sides exactly and so ideally printed on a device that can handle two sided printing. (On single sided printers print one side then turn the paper over to print the second side)
Andrew Herbert, is a distinguished Computer Science practitioner who hails from the Cambridge Tradition. Having held a very senior position in Microsoft Research, in retirement he is the leader of the project on display at TNMoC to construct a replica of the pioneering EDSAC I computer at the University of Cambridge which first went into service in 1949.
On 26 April 2024 Andre spoke to the LEO Computer Society on Zoom about the reconstruction project , now close to completion. He spoke of the challenges of reconstructing a machine for which there were very few surviving circuit diagrams – the EDSAC reconstruction team worked mostly from contemporary photographs and secondary sources and research into established circuits for “computing with waveforms” known to 1940s electronics engineers.
Over time there have been a number of programmes on the BBC Radio which have talked about LEO. Neville Lyons put together material extracted from the BBC programmes together with relevant Slides to provide visual content and this was presented on 12 December 2023. A recording is available here Zoom Recording
To listen to the original BBC material without the slides you can follow the links below.
The LEO Computers Society and the Centre for Computing History have been awarded “Highly Commended” in the UK IT Industry awards for 2023., charities sector.
IT Industry awards 2023
John Paschoud, Vince Bodsworth, Peter Byford and Bernard Behr attended the Black tie event on November 8th at the Evolution Centre in Battersea Park
The British Computer Society (BCS) and Computing ran their Annual IT Innovation awards event at the Evolution Centre in Battersea Park on Wednesday 8th Nov evening. One prize was for IT Innovation in the Charities Sector and this was won by Plant Heritage with LEO Computers Society and The Centre for Computing History (CCH) as runner up (Highly Commended) for the Virtual LEO I. The event was attended by Peter Byford, Bernard Behr, John Paschoud and Vince Bodsworth of the LEO Computers Society and more will be in the upcoming Newsletter as a Stop Press. Announcement Read all about Virtual LEO I here
J Lyons & Co was famous throughout most of the 20th century for its Teashops, Corner House Restaurants and food manufacture. Since 2008, Neville Lyons (relative of co-founder) has given more than 200 presentations covering the history of J Lyons, the development and manufacture of LEO, the world’s first business computer and Art in the Lyons Teashops.
