THE shape of things to come – the central panel of Keighley Corporation’s first computer being delivered to the town hall in June of 1965. The area engineer of International Computers and Tabulators Ltd, supervising operations, stands third from the right. Alderman John Taylor (the future Lord Ingrow), chairman of a Finance and General Purposes Committee, and borough treasurer RM Burrows appear to be lending a helping hand.
This was described as “just one of the many large parts” of a £45,000 computer, and there was “some difficulty in getting one section to the first floor of the town hall”. The story goes that it had to be craned in through the window of the mayor’s parlour.
Two of the borough treasurer’s staff were sent on a computer programming course, initially for preparing rate notices, a task which the computer could “perform in eight hours, compared with the six weeks it has taken previously”.
The photograph has been supplied by Mr Bill Palmer, of Shann Avenue, Keighley.
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