LEO editor

Interviewee: John Page                                                                    DOB: 1944

Interviewer: Dag Spicer, Computer History Museum, CA.

Date of Interview: April 11th 2017

Joined LEO: 1958?

Role in LEO: Commissioning Engineer

Abstract: Scholarship boy at St Clements Danes, public School.  Interested in radio and electronics as a hobby.  Chance encounter with friend working at Lyons led to application to LEO.  Did well in LEO aptitude test and offered job as engineering apprentice in Minerva Road.  As such worked on various engineering jobs before joining Tony Morgan’s commissioning team.  Provides fascinating account of way LEO operations worked to ensure to make working computers and working systems. Rose to become chief commissioning engineer on a number of LEO IIIs including Post Office and Czech machines.  Left LEO after merger created ICL, but continued his career in computing, but changing  from engineering to software management including a spell working for Hewlett Packard and moving to live in US.  

Left LEO:  Made redundant after formation of ICL

Repository: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/62998/John-Page-Interview/

Copyright: Computer History Museum, CA.

Restrictions:  None known

Interviewee: John M.M. Pinkerton 1919-1997

Interviewer: Chris Evans

Date of Interview: 1975

Role in LEO: Chief Engineer

Joined LEO: 1948

Abstract: John Pinkerton joined Lyons as chief engineer at the very beginning of the LEO initiative and led the engineering side until the merger with English Electric. He held senior engineering appointments within the merged companies until his retirement. Much of the success of the LEO enterprise lay in his genius for bringing innovative ideas to practical fruition – one of the true heroes of the information age.

Repository: London Science Museum

Audio Recording: Tape 6 in Christopher Evans’s ‘Pioneers of Computing’

Transcript: Evans, Chris, (1983) Pioneers of Computing, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing,

Vol. 5, No 1, pp 64-72, January-March.

Copyright: Audio, London Science Museum, Transcript, IEEE

Please Note: This item is not in the LEO Computers collection and is included here for signposting purposes only.

Repository:http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53242/John-Pinkerton-Interview/

Date : 1975

Interviewee: John M.M. Pinkerton (1919 – 1997)

Interviewer: John Pinkerton, self interview

Date of Interview: 23.08.1988

Role in LEO: Chief Engineer

Joined LEO: 1948

Abstract: Pinkerton begins by discussing his education and wartime work in radar technology in England. He then describes his movement into the computer industry after World War II and his work on the LEO I and LEO II computers. In this context he discusses the British computer firms J. Lyons and Company, LEO Computers, English Electric Co., and International Computers Ltd.

Repository: Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Transcript: 54 pages

Copyright: Charles Babbage Institute

To view this a transcript of this interview, click on the following link :

External Link : Click Here >>>

Please Note: This item is not in our collection and is included here for signposting purposes only.

Date : 23rd August 1988

Repository: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53241/John-Pinkerton-Self-Interview/

Interviewee: John M.M. Pinkerton (1919 – 1997)

Interviewer: John Pinkerton, self interview

Date of Interview: 23.08.1988

Role in LEO: Chief Engineer

Joined LEO: 1948

Abstract: Pinkerton begins by discussing his education and wartime work in radar technology in England. He then describes his movement into the computer industry after World War II and his work on the LEO I and LEO II computers. In this context he discusses the British computer firms J. Lyons and Company, LEO Computers, English Electric Co., and International Computers Ltd.

Repository: Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Transcript: 54 pages

Copyright: Charles Babbage Institute

To view this a transcript of this interview, click on the following link :

External Link : Click Here >>>

Please Note: This item is not in our collection and is included here for signposting purposes only.

Date : 23rd August 1988

Repository: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53241/John-Pinkerton-Self-Interview/

Interviewee: John Simmons

Interviewer: Chris Evans

Date of Interview: 1970s

Edited Transcript: Science Museum

Copyright: Science Museum

Reprinted as Interview between J.R.M. Simmons, Director and Chief Comptroller of J. Lyons & Co., and the Science Museum, London. Appendix B, in Caminer, D.T., Aris, J.B., Hermon, P.M., Land, F.F. (editors and contributors) LEO The Incredible Story of the World’s first Business Computer, McGraw Hill, New York, pages 360-374

Please Note: This item is not in the LEO Computers collection and is included here for signposting purposes only.

Repository:http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53240/John-Simmons-Interview/

Interviewee: Ralph Land

Interviewer: Martin Garthwaite as part of LEO Computer Society’s Oral History Project

Date of Interview: 31st October 2011

Role in LEO: Bureau Manager, Export Manager

Joined LEO: 1954

Abstract: Ralph joined the Lyons Teashop Division in 1953 as management accountant for the Teashops and transferred to LEO in 1954. He rose to manager of the LEO City Office followed by spells in promoting LEO exports in Paris and Dusseldorf before heading the LEO/English Electric team working in Eastern Europe including Soviet Russia. His subsequent career until retirement was with Rank-Xerox and Rolls Royce working on exports to Eastern Europe.

Link: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53363/Ralph-Land-Interview/

Text: Edited by Ralph Land and Hilary Caminer

Recording: MP3 (recording and transcript to be added).

Copyright: LEO Computers Society

Date : 31st October 2011

Interviewee: Mary Coombs (née Blood) DOB: 1929

Interviewer: Thomas Lean, British Library

Date of Interview: 2010 

Reference: C1379/16 

Role in LEO: Programmer

Joined LEO: 1953

Abstract: This is a full oral history of the life of Mary Coombs as part of the British Library Oral History series on the life of selected British Computer scientists.

Repository: British Library, National Life Stories, An Oral History of British Science

Type of recorder: Marantz PMD661 on secure digital (Sessions 1-4) Marantz PMD660 on compact flash (Sessions 5-9).

Recording format: Wav 24 bit 48 kHz (sessions 1-4) WAV 16 bit 48 kHz (sessions 5-9) Total no. of tracks 9 Stereo Total Duration 07 hours:14 minutes:40 second

A transcript of this interview is available online.

(Copyright/Clearance: Open except for 00:56:57 – 00:59:15 of track 7 and 00:21:51 – 00:22:49 of track 9; these sections are closed for 30 years until June 2041.)

Please Note: This item is not in the LEO Computers collection and is included here for signposting purposes only.

Link:http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53243/Mary-Blood-(Mary-Coombs)-Interview/

Date : 2010

Interviewee: Mary Coombs (née Blood) DOB: 1929

Interviewer: Google

Date of Interview: 21.11.2011

Role in LEO: Programmer

Joined LEO: 1953

Abstract: Google interviewed and filmed a number of old LEO employees including Mary Coombs as part of the celebration at the Science Museum of the 60th anniversary of the roll out of the first business application on the LEO I computer. Narrated by Georgina Ferry.

Please Note: This item is not in the LEO Computers collection and is included here for signposting purposes only.

Other references to Mary Coombs include:

• Douglas, Ian (2013-09-11) – “Bletchley Park celebrates women in computing“
• Google Arts & Culture, Google Cultural Institute – “Women in Computing: a British Perspective“
• Diversity in HPC – “Mary Coombs“
• BBC News – “Museum celebrates women in computing“
• British Library Voices of Science – “Mary Coombs“

Date : Unknown

Link: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/56445/Mary-Coombs-shares-her-story/

Interviewee: Brian Grimshaw                                             DOB 24 December 1948

Interviewer: Mike Hally

Date of Interview: 9th February 2021

Editors: Mike Tyzack (P1) and Mike Jackson (P2) Mar 2021

Joined LEO installation Shell Mex & BP Wythenshaw: 1967

Role on LEO: Computer Operator starting with offline work, progressing through tape loading to full control of the computer.

Left LEO/Shell:1968

Abstract: After Grammar School joined Shell Mex & BP’s LEO III as a computer operator. Moved within Shell onto an ICT machine operating, then plug-board programming. Programmed a UNIVAC machine then an IBM 360. Was transferred to documentation. Self employed in Holland then contract programmer. Specialised in security installation and implementation.

Repository :http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/62994/Brian-Grimshaw-Interview/

Copyright: Leo Computers Society.

Restrictions: None known

Interviewee:   Ken Kemp                                         DOB during the war

Interviewer: SELF see memoirs and reminiscences below

Date of Interview: September 2020

Joined LEO: September 1964

Role in LEO: Trainee programmer progressing to Head of Systems & Programming

Left LEO:       Transferred to BARIC leaving in 1984

Abstract: Following graduation joined as trainee programmer on LEO III at LEO’s Bristol bureau. Progressed to Head of Systems & Programming. Migrated to System 4, finishing working for Baric which he left in 1984.. On leaving LEO worked as a project manager or software manger with several national companies until retirement. Then joined the project to emulate LEO programming on a PC. Provided comprehensive review of LEOSoftware and Utilities. See http://sw.ccs.bcs.org/leo/KenK.htm

Repository memoir:: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xpmSyccq3JBBeMIeYRYfK-9exRogVA48/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=106995194925914651236&rtpof=true&sd=true

Copyright: Leo Computers Society.

Restrictions: None known

Interviewee:   Margaret Fox                                      DOB pre war

Interviewer: John Daines

Date of Interview: 19th July 2017

Editors: Hilary Caminer (P1) and Frank Land (P2)

Joined LEO: not known

Role on LEO: Programmer

Left LEO/customer: 1962

Abstract: After leaving University she joined LEO as a programmer working on payroll. After giving birth she did some home working. Then she moved into teaching followed by clerical work then data input.

Repository: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/63001/Margaret-Fox-(Margaret-James)-Interview-19th-July-2017-63001/

Copyright: Leo Computers Society.

Restrictions: None known

Interviewee:   Mike Jackson                                      DOB 1931

Interviewer: Elisabetta Mori

Date of Interview:  25th July 2018

Editors: Mike Jackson (P1) and Frank Land (P3)

Joined LEO 1957

Role at LEO: Programmer, lecturer, project manager, senior consultant (sales)

Left LEO       1964

Abstract: After University joined LEO as trainee programmer on LEO II. Later lectured on a course. Project leader for Eagle Star pension fund on LEO II/1. Project Manager for British Oxygen on LEO II/7.Wrote specification for Perkins Engines service job on LEO II/5. Rose to Senior Consultant (sales) writing proposals for sale of LEO III to many customers. Oversaw installation of LEO III to some of them. Moved to Freemans Mail Order as Computer Manager on LEO 326. Became Administration Manager, helping to transform the company with groundbreaking applications. Moved to Perkins Engines as Group Director Management Services. In 1980 moved to a company providing bespoke applications using micro-computers. Outside interests included dinghy sailing to international standards and designing what became an Olymbic class dinghy.  Also enjoyed flying and owned his own small aircraft.  Married Helen Clark a LEO programming manager.

Repository:http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/63002/Michael-Jackson-Interview-25th-July-2018-63002/

Copyright: Leo Computers Society.

Restrictions: None known