The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.
Computer Predicts Horse Racing Results
(About Anglia)
In this segment of Friday Flutter, we explore if a computer can predict horse racing results.
Using an Alpha Micro computer with the capacity of a whopping 10 million characters, John Bigley, a former restaurant manager and racing fanatic, and Colin Haverscroft, marketing manager of a Royston computer company, have built Cospac, the electronic racing information service. The machine uses 40 computer programmes to analyse statistics from previous races to determine a favourite. The results generated by the computer are accurate enough to be used in The Sporting Weekender, and Bigley and Haverscroft are commissioned to produce a statistical review of the 1984 season.
Reporter Gerry Harrison interviewed John Bigley and Colin Haverscroft in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire for this video, made to be shown in a news story on Anglia Television early evening news / magazine programme About Anglia. Part of Anglia Television's monthly 'Friday Flutter' series, featuring horseracing betting tips.
Computers and digital innovation in Cambridgeshire 1982-1988.
In the 1980s, Cambridgeshire had a concentration of individuals and businesses working on computer technology, often connected with the University of Cambridge. This earned it the nickname Silicon Fen, linking the East England fenland to California's high-tech Silicon Valley. Clive Sinclair, Acorn's BBC Micro and Alan Sugar of Amstrad became household names, but many smaller companies contributed to the regional success story.
Silicon Fen was and still is at the cutting edge of UK information technology, credited with innovations in integrated circuits, computer hardware and software, graphics, games and information resources, not to mention launching Britain's first affordable home computers.
This selection of news items from Anglia Television's About Anglia highlights some key developments and examples of early adoption of computers for work and home.
