Thursday 22nd October 2009, 10am for 10.30 until 3.30pm
Institute of Directors (IoD) members and their guests visited The National Museum of Computing, the home of the largest collection of functional historic computers in Europe in the world’s first purpose-built computer centre.
At the famous wartime code-breaking centre, they saw still-functioning computers of the post-war years from Colossus, the world’s first electronic programmable electronic computer, through the mainframes and calculating machines of the 1960s and 70s to the PC and desktop revolution of the 1980s and 1990s, and today’s handhelds.
Introduced by IoD Bristol member Colin Butcher of XDelta, Tony Sale discussed the rebuild of Colossus, Kevin Murrell talked about the newly opened and much acclaimed, hands-on PC Gallery and revealed some of the new galleries in preparation, and Trustee Andy Clark gave insights into the governance and funding issues of a charity and a museum.
Also included in the visit was a viewing of the air traffic control technology that kept the skies over Britain safe for decades and a glimpse of how people survived without computers with beautifully crafted slide rules dating back centuries.
The event included further opportunities for discussion and networking over a light lunch.