On Friday, May 18, 2018 at 11:20:04 AM UTC+1, Broadback wrote:
With all that government interference is it any wonder that the UK
computer systems manufacturing has failed!

It was already failing as far back as the mid-60s. There was a
fragmented collection of companies who were each failing to produce
competitive systems. The government response was two-fold - try and
consolidate the industry in an effort to catch up with the Americans,
and meanwhile allow the top universities and essential government
departments to buy American. I.e. even by the mid-60s it was
recognised that a buy-British policy meant the UK's industrial and
scientific progress was being held back by substandard equipment.

I've never used an Elliot 803 although I did once win a programming
contest on the one at TNMoC. But I do have a manual for it and it's
an appalling mess. Absolutely no comparison with IBM manuals of the
same vintage or even earlier, for clarity and usability.