Special u3a Talk – John Daines – Tarvin – 25 Jan

Cakes to Computers – LEO – The World's First Business Computer
Tarvin Community Centre will host a special Tarporley and District u3a meeting on Thursday January 2024 – The Speaker will be Tarvin's very own John Daines.

Doors open at 09.45am and there is time for tea, coffee, biscuits and a chat before themeeting begins at about 10.15 with a few announcements, followed by the talk atabout 10.30 and questions to the speaker at about 11.15.

The meeting closes around 11.30.

In December – we have our Christmas Break so there is no meeting at Tarporley
We welcome the New Year – 2024
On Thursday 25 January – and just for January – we will be meeting at
Tarvin Community Centre

Cakes to Computers – LEO – The World's First Business Computer
Our speaker – John Daines – will tell us an extraordinary story

Lyons Electronic Office – aka – LEO – was designed and manufactured, not by one of the electronic giants such as IBM, but by J. Lyons & Co. better known for Teashops, Corner House Restaurants and Swiss Rolls.

LEO was built more than 70 years ago, when after World War II, increasingoffice costs made J. Lyons realise that some form of automation wasessential for processes such as stock control and payroll. Nothing was available, soin 1949, they set about designing and manufacturing their own computer – it took two years to 1951 – and it was called LEO.

LEO was huge and was completely unlike the business computers of today – or themini computers – which almost everyone carries around in their pocket and can fitinto the palm of our hands – our mobile phones.

John joined LEO Computers from school in October 1961 and worked on LEO untilhe moved to Cheshire in 1968 and he is a member of the LEO Society promoting thehistory of this incredible system.
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You can find out more from the u3a website at:
https://u3asites.org.uk/tarporley/home where the monthly newsletter is available, as well as information on how to join the u3a.