Peter Baker, Operator, then Programmer Tote Investments. From 1962 to 1964 I worked as a Saturday job in the Lyons Tea Shop in Dalston. On getting my A Levels I joined Tote Investors Limited in New Bridge Street near Ludgate Circus London. I was interviewed by Alan Williams and was offered and accepted the job as one of the first 4 operators of their soon to be LEO III computer. After 8 months operating I took an aptitude test and became a programmer. I left to join Matthew Hall & Co Ltd on 21st November 1966 to work as a programmer on an ICL 1901. I stayed with them through various mergers and take-overs until my retirement in 2006 at which time I was an Information Manager working on large offshore OIL and Gas projects for Clients like Shell, BP, Elf, Total, Marathon Oil etc I have some memories of working at the Tote and some photographs of the machine and one of my fellow operators a Mr Andrews.
Brian Beagley Brian Beagley doing a vacation job as a Schoolboy in the mid 1950’s was offered an engineering job, mentored by John Pinkerton at the LEO manufacturing sites and contributed to the work being carried out. He carries a lifetime memory of those days. He went on the have a very full life in academia and research in Physics, Chemistry and Community Service
Brian also tells his story in the first edition of LEO Remembered, page 36, which will be repeated in the second, coming, edition.
Claire Brent-Meek Applied for a job as programmer in Johannesburg in 1965. She passed the QUIS aptitude test but decided to complete her education and declined a job offer. The letter below from the South African LEO company is of interest:
Claire Brent-Meek: Read More »
Maurice Bonney: DOB: 1932
Abstract: Maurice Bonney was a mathematician who had early experience of working with LEO as head of a group of programmers involved with aerodynamic calculations for missile technology working in the British aircraft industry, and using LEO as a bureau facility. Later in his career he worked for Renold Chains on their LEO III as chief programmer. He subsequently joined academia In Operations Management finishing his academic career as Professor of Operations Management. He spent much of his academic career working on Computer Aided Design producing significant innovative research.
He has written a substantial memoir about his career including his LEO experiences. The memoir, still undergoing revisions, is stored in the LEO Dropbox archive, https://www.dropbox.com/search/personal?path=%2F&preview=Maurice+Bonney+memoir.doc&qsid=53814489983096573199242543471538&query=maurice+bonney&search_token=maaZCi5EZfs9ghMHde3MaOmE5gIkeIs7mVlUbNhfSkQ%3
Graham Briscoe LEO III , IBM 360 and Phoenix Insurance. – Recollections
My first computer experience was with Tube Investments in the Midlands working in the early 1960s on an IBM 1401 for their Steel Tube Division, then supporting as a Company Systems Analyst a conversion onto an IBM 360 system – initially a /20 then a /40.
In mid 1970s I moved to Phoenix Assurance who had had a LEO III working out of Norbury – and when the company moved its HO to Bristol in 1974 I joined them and supported a conversion to an IBM 370 series…..it was reported at the time that this installation had the only ever paper tape input ( ex LEO ) into an IBM 370 series machine. (Editor: Mike Tyzack notes that Centrefiles 360/50 also had paper tape input). The LEO machine was number LEO III/33 – and the installation is currently with the National Computer Museum in Scotland – but without any of the connecting cables – all the various “boxes” are present. Between closing Norbury and the IBM 370 kicking in BriEditor:stol – Phoenix used the NDPS LEO machines in their Centre in north Bristol – but that is another story…..
In 1973 Phoenix Assurance ( Bristol ) ( now integrated and ” lost ” in Royal Sun Alliance = RSA ) was converting from a LEO III to an IBM 370 series – ( at the time the only IBM 370 series which had paper tape input – ie ex LEO ) and as part of the conversion from LEO ( and a Data Processing Department relocation from Norbury to Bristol ) – Phoenix were using the National Data Processing Service ( NPDS ) LEOs ( ex Post Office ) in Bristol for parallel running. When NPDS went on strike ( OK the first time as they continued running external work ) for the second time and NPDS ” blacked ” external work – we ” raided ” at night their data tape store to ” rescue ” our main data tape files – which were then taken to eastern Europe ( probably Czech Republic ) and Australia ( ?? ) to run our insurance renewals on an existing LEO III. Following which the conversion to the IBM 370 was a bit rapid for the renewal print suite…….!!! ( Who remembers John K Norman ( JKN ) and Dick Cooling who organised the furniture removal van for our tape collection ? )
The Phoenix LEO III/33 to IBM 360 systems conversion took place in 1973 and this computer files conversion work was above my pay grade then…I was supporting Phoenix Corporate Services Department design the process and procedures ( as an Organisation & Methods Analyst ) for the relocation of their Administrative Head Office in King William Street across from the Bank of England ( the original Phoenix Clock and a giant stone phoenix is still above the entrance hall / door of a Japanese bank ( Dawia ? ) to Bristol.
During my own research on an Institute of Administrative Management 1960s computer training package I came across Peter Bird – who was, at that time, researching his own Lyons history book. I met him in Reading and we swopped a few stories – particularly the Phoenix Assurance conversion from a tape input LEO III to an IBM 360 ( I understand that the Phoenix 360 was the only 360 with paper tape input ! ), and the impact of the Bristol National Data Processing Service (NDPS) of the GPO to whom Phoenix had outsourced one of its two LEO machines work load during the conversion and whose staff then went on strike, and on the second strike staff blacked all external work as well. Phoenix Data Processing management hired a furniture van – and with the help of a set of keys supplied by NDPS management – stole back our complete set of master tapes. Some were then sent to an eastern Europe organisation ( ? ) with a LEO to print off our monthly renewals – otherwise Phoenix could have lost the insurance renewal business !! I also recall talk of sending some tapes to Australia ( ? ). Finally – some parts of the last planned six months of the LEO tape conversion project were squashed into two weeks – in order to get the Phoenix General and Life / Pensions renewal production and printing facility up and running in Bristol. https://www.dropbox.com/s/qrjgnwhk39hgtlt/Graham%20Briscoe%20memoir.doc?dl=0
See also obituary of John Denys Neale above.
Tom Brooks Joined LEO as a programmer in 1963 as his first job after graduating. After learning Intercode and later CLEO became working with Renold Chains and subsequently on a number of Post Office applications. After his days working with LEO became involved with the Marconi Myriad. He reports on the first experimental use of braille on Leo III at the Post Office led to more frequent use of Braille and how one of the programmers involved, Norman Verrill, in 1969, set up the “British Computer Association of the Blind”. They are the oldest computer association for blind and partially sighted people in the world. By the time that the British Computer Association of the Blind was set up, the first System 4 machines could also support braille. I have asked a friend for some details of the use of braille on those System 4s around the year 1970 to illustrate the continuity of development. John Paschoud adds: “I don’t know if I can add much to the Blind Programmers story. I never actually met any (of the blind programmers), and I think it must actually have been when I was Ops SDPO at Barbican NDPS Computer Centre (which was trials and EE System4, rather than production and LEO326, with most of the programmer teams based at Docos House a short distance away). But they were very similar to the barrel line-printers on the 326s at Charles House, Kensington CC. The process involved fitting a rubber sheet about 0.5mm thick between the hammer array and paper, and removing the ink ribbon, so that printing dots in Braille code would leave raised dots on the paper. Then adjusting the hammer force carefully so they didn’t actually puncture the paper.
- I used the same technique a few years later, on a much later timesharing mainframe (a DECSystem-10) because a completely blind little boy joined the Cub Scout pack where my wife was a leader. So we found software to translate the text of some of the Cub Scout Handbook into Braille, and I made a Braille-print kit for our lineprinter and ‘borrowed’ it for a few evenings.”
- His more extensive reminiscences are archived CCH or can be obtained from Frank Land at f.land@lse.ac.uk
Broken Link above
Peter Byford: LEO entered a team for the Lyons Pennant sports day competition open to all Lyons groups. They won the competition in 1962 and again in 1964. A group photograph showing Peter Byford holding the Pennant is shown on page 98 of the first edition of LEO Remembered. A photograph of the 1964 Pennant is attached
LEO Reunion 19th October 1984 – The Rugby Club, Hallam St., London
120 people, all ex-staff of Joe Lyons own computer company, met to renew old acquaintances and to celebrate old memories of the World’s first commercial computer LEO l and its descendants LEO ll and LEO lll.
All five of the surviving LEO directors had been contacted. John Simmons, the man who proposed the original venture, is now in his eighties and was unable to attend, however he sent his best wishes.
Anthony Salmon and Tony Barnes also sent their good wishes but could not attend. Other apologies were received from as far afield as Canada, Germany and Hong Kong.
John Pinkerton and David Caminer were the two directors who did attend. They worked for ICL up until their respective retirements. It was interesting to find that one third of those present were current employees of LEO’s successor, ICL. Amongst ICL “personalities” was Ninian Eadie who has survived the STC takeover as a director (note: STC took over ICL in 1984 but this only lasted a few years until Fujitsu bought the company).
The committee had gathered some memorabilia which was on show. Also showing was a short LEO promotional film borrowed from the ICL archives.
The BBC “chip shop” got wind of the event and were there to interview some of the
old-stagers. The resulting programme was broadcast on Saturday, 27th October 1984. A copy of the programme will be provided for the LEO Reunion archives.
Dr. Pinkerton had been the electronics engineer recruited to build LEO l in 1949 and became Technical Director of LEO Computers Ltd. when it was formed in 1954. He retired from ICL earlier this year.
A presentation to mark his 35 years in the “Computer Industry” was made by the organising committee. This consisted of an engraved pen and a specially designed card signed by all present.
Bottles of wine (Chateau LEOville, Jean LEOn Cabernet Suavignon and Minervois (Minerva Road was the LEO factory) were given as prizes to:
Furthest traveller to the Reunion – Roger Thorpe (Newcastle)
Earliest starter at Lyons or LEO – Ernest Lenaerts (1947)
Longest server with LEO etc. – Fred Barnett (1954 – present time)
Lucky number tickets – Jim Hamilton and Ralph Land
Photos of the event were taken by ICL news, copies of these were available from the treasurer at the time.
To keep in touch for the next Reunion (April 1987) please write to the secretary. There are 275 names on the current mailing list. https://www.dropbox.com/s/tkn5tm8uhxpg2p2/LEO%20Reunion%2019th%20October%201984.docx?dl=0
LEO Reunion 19th October 1984: Read More »
- Tony Carrol Operator at Wills Tobacco. My involvement with LEO started when I was a schoolboy. I had taken my “O” levels and was going into the 6th form but I wanted to mix Classics and Science and was told in no uncertain terms that this was not possible. I could not just do Science as the only chemistry exam I passed was by ignoring the H2O s etc and just concentrated on the maths. I thought this was NOT chemistry. So I ended up doing Classics which did not suit me. Through a friend of my mother’s I went for a job as a statistician but did not get it (thank goodness) and then I heard that there ware vacancies for trainee computer operators in W. D. & H. O. Wills. This sounded interesting and I was fortunate to be taken on and started in September 1959 ( on £265 per annum ). I rapidly progressed up to Shift Leader and stayed doing that role until 1969/70 the boss of the department (Bob Brett, with whom I am still in touch today) wanted to move me to Systems and Programming. And so I moved, thoroughly enjoying that time, and stayed in IT until I retired for the second time in 2003(?).
One interesting occurrence happened on 10th July 1968, but cannot be part of my talk on LEO, was that our computer (a KDF9 by this time) was flooded to a depth of about two feet. As luck would have it, the workload on another KDF9 had just been transferred onto an IBM 360 (?) and this empty KDF9 was only about 7 or 8 miles from our site. We used it for one month, burning out the motor on a brand new printer in that month, and then returned to “our” KDF9 which had been successfully returned to life with, I believe, only two new boards. I also remember that we only lost a few mag tapes.
Linda M Chapman (nee Robertson) “I worked in Hartree House as a junior programmer between 1963 and 1965. I have memories of the excellent training and supervision which far exceeded anything else which I came across in my 30 years as a programmer
Linda M Chapman (nee Robertson): Read More »