The Real Time Club’s history goes back to 1967 when Alan Marshall, an American entrepreneur, gathered a network of people with an interest in what was then called ‘real time’ computing. The informal gatherings of these ‘real timers’ developed into a series of regular dinners and into a club with substantial influence in the British technology scene. While the Club’s focus has widened in step with the rapid development of the British IT industry, its dinners remain a foremost networking opportunity for everyone with an interest in IT, technology and society. To this day the speakers and guests at the Real Time Club dinners regularly include prominent figures from the IT sector as well as from the financial services, politics and media. A list of previous speakers is available here.
Shirley F. Redpath has written a book on the Club’s history (“With All Due Respect – A History of the Real Time Club”, Second Edition, 2013). Her particular focus lies on the Club’s early days and its impact on British IT policy, IT education and the development of an IT industry. The book is available in print and as Kindle edition on Amazon and as Pdf document for download.