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LIVES REMEMBERED

Iann Barron, Christopher Foyle, Judith Durham and Major General Stuart Watson

Iann Barron
Iann Barron
TONY EVANS/GETTY IMAGES

Iann Barron

John Crofts writes: Iann Barron (obituary, August 17) and I quit Elliott’s in late 1965, with the intention to found CTL, the UK’s first minicomputer company. Neither of us had any money, or a telephone, when they weren’t easy to acquire.

UK venture capital was non-existent, but Iann managed to secure investors, one of whom was Robert Maxwell. Iann conceived the revolutionary architecture of the Modular One computer system while I designed the advanced electronics that made it work.

However, our progress was impeded by the Wilson government, which had the intention of knocking all British computer companies into one. They refused us an industrial development certificate, an impasse that was only broken after Rex Malik, the computer journalist, wrote a shaming piece entitled: “Two years to lift a rubber stamp”. In the 1970s recession we suffered a severe financial loss when a big customer collapsed. Our investors lost patience, ousted Iann, and installed a company doctor who stabilised the company but didn’t grow it.

Iann reinvented himself and went on to co-found Inmos, and designed the groundbreaking Transputer. Inmos was not held in favour by the Thatcher government, probably because it was a child of Labour’s National Enterprise Board, and never reached its full potential. I think that it is fair to say that a genius fell foul of governments of both right and left.

Malcolm Bermange writes: I joined Iann Barron’s company, CTL, in 1970, and I can confirm Iann being a stranger to conformity. CTL was based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, and when it outgrew its initial premises Iann engaged an up-and-coming architect, Norman Foster, to design a new headquarters. Foster responded to CTL’s need for an open office plan, as well as a compressed building schedule, by designing an innovative inflatable structure or “air-tent”. Semi-privacy was maintained in the air-tent by movable screens, but there were no doors whatsoever, and even Iann was visible to all and sundry in the “office”.

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Christopher Foyle

Ronald Porter writes: When his aunt Christina died in 1999 Christopher Foyle (obituary, August 15) had every intention of continuing with the famous monthly Foyles literary luncheons, which she started in 1930, aged 19. But he was not aware that they had been losing money for years. He found out only after Christina died that she used to secretly make up the shortfall out of her own fortune each month.

Foyles London Flagship Store - Grand Opening Party
Christopher Foyle
DAVID M BENETT/GETTY IMAGES

To the outside world they seemed a monumental success. Foyles never seemed to have any problem at all in attracting big-selling authors, along with the great and the good, to their glamorous Mayfair luncheons. Their guests would often include a mixture of past prime ministers, present cabinet ministers, pop stars, royalty, famous authors and Hollywood stars.

As an autograph hunter, I used to be a regular attender from 1985 until the last one, which took place in about 2012. They were just getting too expensive to run. But thanks to Foyles, I was able to fill many an autograph book.

Photo of Judith DURHAM
Judith Durham
PATRICK FORD/REDFERNS

Judith Durham

Charles Murray writes: Little was said of the Seekers singer Judith Durham’s piano-playing prowess, having trained as a classical pianist at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium (obituary, August 8). At one point she considered going back to her roots. Her prowess can be viewed on YouTube.

Major General Stuart Watson

Edward Waterson writes: When I called Stuart Watson (obituary, August 19) a few weeks ago he was characteristically excited at the prospect of his hundredth birthday.

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Major General Stuart Watson with Princess Diana in 1987
Major General Stuart Watson with Princess Diana in 1987

He wasn’t the first member of his family to marry late in life. His father Angus remained a bachelor until his late fifties and Stuart delighted in telling me that I was talking to a man whose father was born 159 years ago, during the American Civil War and five years before Disraeli first assumed office as prime minister. Living from 1863 to 2022 must be a near-record for a father and son.

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