Wilmot Breeden Limited

[Richard Dye]

Hi there, just wondering which is who in this photo? im related to miles/ carl and im trying to find a photo of carl, a picture of his son would be great too, thanks so much - Jess Breeden

Welcome to The Forum Jess, great folks here I hope you find what you are looking for. Lots of knowledge here, enjoy!

 

[devonjim]

Probably was Don but I can’t remember Jim.
View attachment 158660
That’s John Hack next to Sir John Hunt. Do you know the two next to Miles Breeden?

Hi there, just wondering which is who in this photo? im related to miles/ carl and im trying to find a photo of carl, a picture of his son would be great too, thanks so much - Jess Breeden

Miles Breeden on the right.

 

[jessbreeden]

Miles Breeden on the right.

Thanks so much! i cant see which photo is being replied too, sorry, so the photo holding the trophy is John Hack and Sir John Hunt and the other photo with 2 men on the left and one man on the right and theres microphones is Miles Breeden on the right?
Thanks so much in advance!
Does anyone have any stories of Carl or his boys? Just putting together a book of our ancestory i am loving it!! so many stories and pictures!

Jess

 

[jessbreeden]

Just thought i would re-post this picture if that makes it easier - just trying to work out names of the two men in this picture, thanks so much!

 

[devonjim]

Jess, attachment 158660 is the photo referred to with Sir John Hunt (Everest 1953 etc) on the left and Miles on the right. Have you seen the Wikipedia page for Carl Breeden.

 

[jessbreeden]

Jess, attachment 158660 is the photo referred to with Sir John Hunt (Everest 1953 etc) on the left and Miles on the right. Have you seen the Wikipedia page for Carl Breeden.

Thanks so much! somehow i had skipped the wikipedia page, just looked it up and it has some excellent info there, ill keep looking for a photo, thank you again for getting back to me!

 

[Barrie Allsop]

I did a commercial apprenticeship at Wilmot Breeden in Amington Road Tyesley between 1959 and 1964. They manufactured products such as bumpers, locks and mechanisms for the motor industry. During this time tabulators and comptometers were being replaced with early computers systems. Our Managing Director Miles Breeden bought one of these during a trip to the French subsidiary. The supplier was De La Rue Bull. I was one of two people who trained to be able to put together the complex plugboards that controlled the system. Miles also engaged consultants who convinced him that they could design a system that would enable the 'computer' to produce production schedules that would be used by the production team to work out demand for chrome plated bumpers for the week ahead. The system was based on complex mathematical formulae that were based on the car manufacturers earlier year's demand.
As with many such systems the equipment was not really up to such a complex application and so the resulting work schedules were greeted with much derision by the factory personnel who felt that they had a much better understanding of demand simply by knowledge and experience.
Once the directors realised that a more advanced computer system was needed they replaced the Bull equipment with an ICT 1900 series computer which had software based programs and large storage and processing capability. I was involved in the implementation of the new system but in the course of this activity ICT recruited me to join their Birmingham City office of sales and technical support staff

 

[Richard Dye]

I did a commercial apprenticeship at Wilmot Breeden in Amington Road Tyesley between 1959 and 1964. They manufactured products such as bumpers, locks and mechanisms for the motor industry. During this time tabulators and comptometers were being replaced with early computers systems. Our Managing Director Miles Breeden bought one of these during a trip to the French subsidiary. The supplier was De La Rue Bull. I was one of two people who trained to be able to put together the complex plugboards that controlled the system. Miles also engaged consultants who convinced him that they could design a system that would enable the 'computer' to produce production schedules that would be used by the production team to work out demand for chrome plated bumpers for the week ahead. The system was based on complex mathematical formulae that were based on the car manufacturers earlier year's demand.
As with many such systems the equipment was not really up to such a complex application and so the resulting work schedules were greeted with much derision by the factory personnel who felt that they had a much better understanding of demand simply by knowledge and experience.
Once the directors realised that a more advanced computer system was needed they replaced the Bull equipment with an ICT 1900 series computer which had software based programs and large storage and processing capability. I was involved in the implementation of the new system but in the course of this activity ICT recruited me to join their Birmingham City office of sales and technical support staff

A typical piece of computer history/development! For those of us that lived through the development of THE computer, what Barrie so well described was typical of the times and in fact is still happening. Including Barrie being recruited away. I remember getting ready to install a new MRP operating system and the developers stressed that a “user” be responsible because they knew how & what, Barrie was a user that’s why he was recruited. Sorry a little off topic but a very real part of our history.