Thursday 12 August 2010

Data Preparation in 1980

Data Preparation

Front row left - Chris Hutchinson
Second row standing red skirt and black top was Jean Jenkin's no.2 - what was her name?

I can recall the frequent trips through Data Prep on the 2nd floor pushing trolleys of work and tapes between the Univac 1108 and 1106 on the other side of Marlowes. Trips through this department could be quite interesting in the day time! However, at night in the dark they could be downright spooky - I had one experience of hearing voices in conversation in the dead of night with absolutely no one around.

A technical innovation was the installation of a paper tape reader in the centre of the Data Prep room which was linked through the floor to the Univac 1008 below.

Picture taken from "Computers are a people business" BP Oil Computer and Accounting Centre published in 1980

4 comments:

  1. I had the same experience one night shift. Another night shift I distinctly heard a girls voice cry out down by the bus stop around 2am. I was quite concerned and went to investigate. Nothing found.
    Now, what was the name of the contractor that wore ALL white - white hair, gleaming white teeth, white shirt, white trousers, and white handbag? He was the one you made sure you never walked through Data Prep WITH. 2 steps in front, or behind was ok!

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  2. Barbara Pritchard

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  3. Yes, thanks - it was Barbara Pritchard, I remember now. David

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  4. Clive Pickering5 June 2011 at 21:01

    I've still got the magazine. I'm on the front posed with a disc drive looking like I'm trying to load it in one that's not empty!
    Paul Simpson's in there as well.

    Clive

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