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From cakes to computers

Mary Coombs recalls her work as an early computer programmer on LEO, the first electronic office system, pioneered by the Lyons catering company.

In the early 1950s, the leading British catering firm, J Lyons & Co, pioneered the world's first automated office system. It was baptised LEO - the Lyons Electronic Office - and was used in stock-taking, food ordering and payrolls for the company. Soon it was being hired out to UK government ministries and other British businesses. Mary Coombs worked on the first LEO and was the first woman to become a commercial computer programmer. She tells Mike Lanchin about her memories of those heady days when computers were still in their infancy.

Photo: LEO 2 in operation, 1957 (Thanks to The LEO Computers Society for use of archive)

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