In conversation with Rory Cellan-Jones | TNMOC Honorary Fellow 2021

The National Museum of Computing's Honorary Fellowship Programme acknowledges outstanding individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the fields of computing and technology.
In September 2021, TMNOC announced the Honorary Fellowship of renowned technology broadcaster Rory Cellan-Jones. The award recognises Cellan-Jones' vast impact on the improvement of public knowledge and understanding in the realm of culture, history, science, technology and computing practice. With a journalistic career comprising of over forty years at the BBC, Cellan-Jones has had a front row seat researching and reporting the hottest technology news for just shy of half a century. Described by the BBC as "the non-geek's geek", Cellan-Jones has a remarkable skill for communicating complex tech-based topics to non-specialist audiences in a manner which is both clear and engaging.
This is a 'talking heads' interview session between Andy Clark, Trustee of The National Museum of Computing, and Rory Cellan-Jones.
Recorded 12th April 2022 at TNMOC, in the first generation gallery.

[@stephenaustin3026]

There wasn't actually a computer at Dulwich College at that time. What we had was a couple of Teletypes, linked over phone lines to a Scientific Data Systems Sigma 7 (later a Sigma 9) computer, owned by Cybernet Timesharing. You wrote your program on an another offline Teletype which created a punch tape, which you could then read in during an online session. The modems were the size of a VHS cassette player. You had to dial Cybernet on a rotary phone, then when you heard the tones, you jammed the handset into an acoustic coupler. We had the lowest priority on the timesharing link, which was reflected in our user name of 6DUL. Maximum network speed was about 30 characters/sec, IIRC. Access to the system was not restricted to science students (and you didn't have to wear a lab coat). Quite a lot of arts students used it - some had an interest in computer-generated music, for example. You didn't have to be doing A levels either - I wrote my first program as a first year in 1969, to solve a Martin Gardner maths problem from Scientific American.

[@marquisdemoo1792]

I really enjoyed my visit there a couple of years back. I have a couple of BBC Master computers in my loft including a Teletext Adaptor and CPM second processor. Would the museum be interested? If I can find it I have a Strowager Exchange Uniselector somewhere too (probably from an Army Bruin Exchange that only used Uniselectors as two motion selectors were gravity return and would not work if the exchange vehicle was parked on a slope).