Pye can be considered as one of the founding companies of the Cambridge Phenomenon. This is the story of how Pye grew from a start-up in a garden shed in Cambridge in 1896 until it became one of the leading UK technology companies. At its peak in 1966 it consisted of more than 70 UK companies and around 15 overseas. It had over 30,000 employees world-wide, around half in East Anglia and 7,000 in the Cambridge area. The story will describe some of the key people who drove the company and give an overview of the innovative technologies and products that the company produced. Finally, the fall of the company and how it was taken over will be presented.

The talk will take place in the Pye Building at Cambridge Museum of Technology.  Entrance on the night is via the Museum’s Cheddars Lane gate.

Booking not needed. Free entry but donations welcome.

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The Museum is best served by bus # 3 (direction Fison Road or Whitehill Estate if you are travelling from Cambridge Station or the city centre), bus # 11 (direction Newmarket if you are travelling from the city centre), or bus # 12 (direction Ely if you are travelling from the city centre). The closest stop is ‘Cambridge, River Lane’. Bus # 2 also stops nearby, an 8-minute walk across the river (direction City Centre from Cambridge North Station). The closest stop is ‘Chesterton, Chesterton Road’. Please see the Stagecoach website for timetables and maps.

If you prefer to walk from the station, it takes 30 minutes from Cambridge Station or 20 minutes from Cambridge North Station.

PARKING

There is lots of street parking within a few minutes walk of the Museum. This includes free parking on Cheddars Lane and Stanley Road, and pay-and-display parking on Riverside. The Museum is also on the bus route from the park and ride Newmarket Road site.

If you are combining your visit with shopping, there is three hours free parking for customers at Tesco and four hours free parking for customers at Cambridge Retail Park.