has been widely acknowledged, as is the pioneering role of the Colossus computer in the history of the development of computing. Randell was researching the history of computer science in Britain for a conference on the history of computing held at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico on 10-15 June 1976, and got permission to present a paper on wartime development of the COLOSSI at the Post Office Research Station, Dollis Hill (in October 1975 the British Government released a series of captioned photographs from the Public Record Office). The interest'in the “revelations” in his paper resulted in a special evening meeting when Randell and Allen Coombs answered further questions. . In 1977 Randell pubished an article The First Electronic Computer in several journals. <ref> COLOSSUS and the History of Computing: Dollis Hill’s Important Contribution by A.W.M. Coombs in The Post Office Electrical Engineers’ Journal (POEEJ; Volume70, 1977/78 part 2, July 1977, pages 108-110) </ref> Software engineering In the 1960s, Randell was "involved in the original NATO Software Engineering Conferences" in 1968 on Software engineering. At the time he was working at IBM in the very secret Project Y and then ACS super-computer projects. Software fault tolerance Starting in the 1970s, Randell "set up the project that initiated research into the possibility of software fault tolerance, and introduced the recovery block'' concept. Subsequent major developments included the Newcastle Connection, and the prototype distributed Secure System". Northern Informatics Applications Agency In the 1990s, Randell "became involved in a project to improve data networking provisions in the North of England, and to promote their effective use by all sectors of the community. This project resulted in the setting up of NiAA, the Northern Informatics Applications Agency". He wrote: "I served for several years as a member of NiAA's Management Group, until my attempts to delegate this to others bore fruit! NiAA existed, and worked to good effect, for seven years." Genealogy Randell has for many years been one of the leading members of the team of volunteers responsible for GENUKI, the web portal for Genealogy in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He maintains the pages relating to the county of Devon, and has transcribed and made available online many documents of genealogical interest. Notes See also Analytical engine ALGOL ALGOL 68 Colossus computer Dependability Fault-tolerant system Friedrich L. Bauer National Programme for IT Publications Randell published several articles and books. A