A bit of wonderful history

We received a proper letter!

We not often do. Everything is digital and cyber and cloud these days. Although this is our bread and butter business, receiving this letter touched a beautiful nerve. This was not a bill or an advertisment: Somebody had taken an effort to write, print, find an envelope, put a stamp, and drop it into the post box to send us a kind and joyful message regarding our champion, Tommy Flowers.

As we enter the second year of our endeavour, we would like to share with you this endorsement.

Dear Sir

TOMMY FLOWERS

 

It is with great interest that I have read the report in 'THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL' [p25 July/September 2017] about the Institute's work. At the age of 96 I am probably the one of the very few engineers living today who worked with Tommy in the Engineer-in-Chief's Office. True did I not know him personally when he did the wonderful groundwork on 'Colossus', although when it became public knowledge I found out that I had been involved in the assembly and testing of parts for the computer, known to me then as just one of the peculiar products we made up where I worked in the Circuit Laboratory. However, I came to work with him when we were building the first electronic public telephone exchange at Highgate Wood in North London.Then I came to know him well and have a great respect for his ability & his pleasant personality. To me it is great that he is now honoured by the creation of the Institute bearing his name and I write to you to tell you how pleased I am to see this. I only wish that I could help in some way to further the aims of the Institute, but age and limited mobility prevents that. I am certain that were he still to be with us Tommy in his own modest way would thoroughly applaud the institute and his work.

May the Institute have a wonderful future.

Yours most sincerely,
                                   Roy F Howard

We herewith pass on those wishes to all our members and supporters for a wonderful 2018!

The TFInstitute team!