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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251105T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251105T210000
DTSTAMP:20260523T230558
CREATED:20251103T145417Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T152945Z
UID:16669-1762369200-1762376400@www.newcomen.com
SUMMARY:'History of Research in British Gas - Part 2' by Chris Hodrien
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Random Group \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \nIn April 2025\, Chris Hodrien gave the first part of his account of the history of research in British Gas\, including an introduction to the gas industry in the United Kingdom\, and the consolidation and nationalisation of the industry in the mid-20th-century. \nThe basic production technology remained unchanged into the 1950s\, with gradual evolutionary equipment improvements\, but formal R&D on both production and utilisation was considerably accelerated first during WorldWar 2\, then by the nationalisation of the industry in 1948 and again with the formation of British Gas Corporation in 1973\, forming a powerful fully vertically-integrated organisation covering all aspects of gas technology. This led to two successive and very successful total technical revolutions\, from coal carbonisation to steam reforming of light oils in the 1960s-70s followed immediately by the conversion to North Sea natural gas in the 1970s-80s. \nBy the time of the privatisation in the early 1990s\, British Gas was one of the most powerful\, modern\, technically advanced and profitable industries in the UK\, with an R&D budget of c. £55M/year and a long term 25-year R&D strategy. \nIn part 2 of his talk\, Chris covers the later technical developments that resulted from the world-class research that he was involved in. \nAbout the Speaker\nChris Hodrien is the son of two industrial chemists who met in the laboratory. He formed an intent to become an industrial Chemical Engineer at about age 11 and had by far the largest home chemistry set in the neighbourhood! Chris graduated with an M.A. in Chemical Engineering from Pembroke College\, University of Cambridge in 1973 and went straight to work in cutting-edge world-class gas production R&D at Midlands Research Station\, Solihull. \nOne important role (1974) was the introduction of brand-new computer-aided gasification process simulation methods\, another (1980-83) was as team leader of the initial pilot plant for the world’s highest efficiency coal gasification process. A project for advanced low-cost drying of natural gas (1996-2000) won an internal Chairman’s Award for Chris. \nSubsequently\, the work was relocated to a new integrated national Gas Research Centre at Loughborough after privatisation in 1993\, under the new banner of Advantica plc.
URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/history-of-research-in-british-gas-part-2-by-chris-hodrien/
LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG
CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-04-02_HistoryOfResearchInBritishGasV2_1920x1280.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251118T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251118T193000
DTSTAMP:20260523T230558
CREATED:20250811T141834Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T090812Z
UID:16477-1763488800-1763494200@www.newcomen.com
SUMMARY:'Broadcast Britain' by Dr Mark Pegg
DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nA Century of Change Personalities\, Politics\, Society & Culture 1922–2022\nDr Mark Pegg presented to the society in 2024 on the technology that enabled public broadcasting: 100 years of the BBC\, crystal sets\, valve radios and television through to the semi-conductors and microchips creating today’s multi-media age with computers\, mobile phones and smart speakers. \nBy popular demand\, members wanted more information on the people\, social and cultural changes plus the impact of broadcasting on the way we live our lives. \nThis is a further presentation on the technology that uniquely entered our homes and changed us forever.\n \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Mark Pegg read history at Oxford University where his published doctoral thesis was British Broadcasting and Society 1918-1939. He worked in the UK coal mining industry in deep mines and headquarters where he was the Chairman’s personal assistant and also researched the modern coal mining history.  \nAfter working as a management consultant\, Mark became a Director of a Business School and CEO of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. He has extensive experience in the UK\, Europe\, Middle East\, Far East and Africa with clients including central governments\, Rolls-Royce plc and the UK Senior Civil Service.  \nHe is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/broadcast-britain-a-century-of-change-personalities-politics-society-culture-1922-2022-by-dr-mark-pegg/
LOCATION:LONDON  Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL
CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-11-18_BroadcastBritainCrystalPalace2_1920x1280.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T200000
DTSTAMP:20260523T230558
CREATED:20250922T102450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T091008Z
UID:16571-1764009000-1764014400@www.newcomen.com
SUMMARY:'A short version of the long history of automation on the railways' by Felix Schmid
DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ON-LINE – click this zoom link \nThe presentation will commence by introducing very early mechanical systems\, including some that were used on waggonways 300 years ago. These were quite primitive but reduced the labour requirement\, e.g. by automating passing loops on tramways. \nThe automatic systems that came about in response to the Regulation of Railways Act 1889\, which made the railway much safer and also improved its economy\, will be discussed\, followed by the origins of the train stop and warning systems that came into operation in the early 20th century. The electronic safety and operational management systems instigated by computerisation\, where British Rail had a leading role\, will be reviewed. \nThe presentation will finish with some reflections on fully automated railways and the role of machine learning and what is often termed artificial intelligence. Throughout the talk\, the speaker will comment on the importance of including human skill and perception in automated systems for the railway. \nAbout the Speaker\nFelix Schmid is an Emeritus Professor of Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham and\, currently\, serves as the President of the Newcomen Society. \nHe has had a longstanding interest in railway systems and\, more particularly\, the automation of activities necessary for the safe and efficient operation of railways. Some automated systems support the work of people\, others are carrying out tasks without regular interactions with humans.
URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/a-short-version-of-the-long-history-of-automation-on-the-railways/
LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG
CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/25-04-09_HistoryOfAutomationOnTheRailways_PICTOUSE_1920x1280.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251125T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251125T200000
DTSTAMP:20260523T230558
CREATED:20250929T102909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T084638Z
UID:16606-1764095400-1764100800@www.newcomen.com
SUMMARY:'Radical adoption of computer technology at Llanwern steelworks\, South Wales – an object lesson for AI' by Jonathan Aylen
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: AI Generated by Random Group Ltd \nAn in-person only event. No need to sign up\, just come along – all are welcome. \nThis is a joint meeting with the Computer Conservation Society. \nWhy do some automation projects succeed\, while others fail? More broadly\, how do organisations shape new technology – for good or ill? Why are some automation schemes supported and some resisted\, subverted and discarded?  \nHere we document one historical example. Expect many photos of solid engineering\, beehive hairdos and a walk-on part for Steven Spielberg’s dad. \nTwo pioneering applications of computers at Llanwern steelworks allow us to compare simultaneous adoption of parallel automation schemes. One succeeded\, one failed. The two automation systems were implemented by the same team in the same location for use by the same workforce. Natural experiments such as this are one way to test theory. \nBy way of explanation we focus on a distinction between “physical technologies” and “social technologies”. The distinction is captured by innovation scholar Dick Nelson’s metaphor of The Moon and the Ghetto. Moonshots required technical solutions. The ghetto was an intractable\, multi-dimensional wicked problem. Our experiment suggests it is harder to develop organisational routines for “social technologies” than for “physical technologies”. \nThe application of a GE 412 to process control of the new wide hot strip mill at Llanwern steelworks in the mid-1960’s in South Wales was precisely specified\, technically successful and imitated worldwide. This essentially technical implementation was a “physical technology”. Use of three Elliott 803 computers for managerial tasks of information handling and order scheduling for the same mill was problematic. These management computers were essentially a “social technology.” Computers were far more readily integrated into routines for physical control of a rolling mill\, than into the managerial task of scheduling. The research draws on interviews with those who participated in the schemes and private archive sources such as the surviving software. \nAbout the Speaker\nJonathan Aylen is an academic researcher who now specialises in the history of technology. He has written on the development of computer guidance systems for Cold War missiles\, the development of the first British atomic bomb and on computer control in the steel industry. His approach is to integrate oral history with unorthodox archive sources. Jonathan’s first exposure to computing was writing FORTRAN programmes for an ICL mainframe to support his research in economics.  \nJonathan is a recent past President of the Newcomen society for the History of Engineering and Technology and his research output across a range of disciplines can be found here.
URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/radical-adoption-of-computer-technology-at-llanwern-steelworks-south-wales-an-object-lesson-for-ai-by-jonathan-aylen/
LOCATION:MANCHESTER International Anthony Burgess Foundation\, Engine House\, Chorlton Mill\, 3 Cambridge Street\,\, Manchester\, M1 5BY
CATEGORIES:UK - North Western Branch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25-11-25_ComputerTechnologyAtLlanwernSteelworks_1920x1280.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - North Western Branch":MAILTO:catherine.casson@manchester.ac.uk
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