Friday, August 09, 2019

Generations


We went to visit Son on Tuesday because it was the day before Middle Granddaughter's birthday (and Tuesday is Son's day off). She's now 3! How did that happen? Above, you can't quite see her at the Dundee Science Centre, where we had fun with them.


And here you can't quite see Little Grandson, being held by his father and admired by his grandpa.


 I brought a cake and Middle blew out the candle like a pro. She also ate a slice. She likes cake.


 Looking through an old album belonging to my parents, I was reminded of this occasion, in 1951, when my dad hit the (Scottish) headlines for making and demonstrating a computer. The newspaper didn't have a name for such a strange device - "reasoning machine" was the best it could come up with. I remember Dad saying way back in the sixties, when computers were regarded by many as efficient adding machines, that they could in fact do far more than that and, in the future, would do so.


How young he was: 31, in fact. He was a very brilliant chap and also extremely hardworking, and though my brother and I did fine, I suppose we were probably a bit of a disappointment to him, though he never said so. 

He died 12 years ago. He would have been so interested in the technological developments that have happened since then. Not to say his great-grandchildren, none of whom he ever saw.


I'm missing this little person but at least I have her photos on the fridge.

4 comments:

  1. He was prescient! How wonderful to spend time with your grandchildren. I'm still hoping to have some one day.

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  2. What a wonderful newspaper article to have! It would have been a fascinating area to work in, right back at the start .... and yes, please send some rain this way! We are both freezing cold and parched.

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  3. How much more mature 31 year olds looked (and perhaps were) in the olden days!

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  4. 1951 was very early to build a computer! My husband got his PhD in Information Science in 72 and he was fairly early, though there was a generation before him. I am very impressed with your father and delighted you have this article! BTW. I am so glad you can blog with photos about your oldest grandchildren and your next to youngest! Mine are all off camping in Algonquin Provincial Park with their mothers. Lots of canoeing and kayaking and probably some fishing.

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