Speaker Meeting with partners, 6.45 for 7pm

In the picture: Our speaker at this meeting, Jeremy Holt, the current President of the Rotary Club of Swindon.  Jeremy is a retired solicitor who specialised in computer law.  He has written and lectured widely on legal aspects of computing and is regarded as one of the country's leading experts in this field.

In 1990, he had an idea: the Country should have a Computer Museum and Swindon would be the ideal location for it because there are several IT companies based around the Town.  He sought and obtained support from some of them.  And he asked a good friend and computer geek, Simon Webb, to come on board with him.

One of the first objectives was to find suitable premises at an affordable cost.  Swindon Borough Council was no help at all and the project stalled.   Eventually, success came from an approach to Bath University which was in the process of setting up a campus in Swindon.  Finally, in 2003, the Computer Museum opened on the university’s Oakfield site.

But there was a problem: Jeremy and Simon had no exhibits.  An approach to Bletchley Park brought forth a positive response.  Bletchley was excited about the project and agreed to stage an exhibition and Sir Clive Sinclair agreed to perform the opening ceremony.  Jeremy said: “Prior to Sir Clive’s arrival we were told DO NOT mention the Sinclair C5, but HE did, and we had a few laughs.”

Jeremy and Simon began to collect computer “stuff”.  They had 3 objectives for the museum.  Exhibit, Conserve and Educate.  After a few years, the museum relocated to its present premises in Theatre Square for which Swindon Borough Council charge a peppercorn rent.

Today, the museum is recognised as the UK’s National Computer Museum.  It’s open from 10 to 4 on Saturdays and, by prior arrangement, on other days for groups.  The Duke of Kent has paid a visit and was really interested and very impressed.

The museum has most of the first home computers and many of the first hand-held ones and Jeremy brought a few bits and pieces with him.  No main frames or PC towers of course but he did have examples of two of the very earliest computers: a slide rule and a desktop calculator!   Also some early storage items such as a floppy disc (in every sense of the description) and a tape cassette.  As for early hand-held computers, he had a Spectrum 2 and a Psion Organiser.   Storage space is a problem but nevertheless no donations are ever refused.  (Club members – please note).  

The museum runs coding classes and training sessions for children, including children with special needs, which are well attended and very successful.  It’s a not-for-profit limited company, not large enough to be recognised as a charity by the Charity Commissioners, although HMRC do regard it as such.

Finally, a useful tip from Jeremy.   When boxing up, or storing electronic items, never have two different plastic items touching each other.  Such as a plastic covered lead coiled around a tablet, phone or whatever.  It’s been found that plastics interact with each other and that can cause all sorts of problems.