Farewell then, British industry

So that's it then? It's gone. Gone to the great big graveyard in the sky. I'm talking about ICL of course, or International Computers Limited as we used to know it. Fujitsu has decided to stop frightening off punters and dropped the name from its computers. And who'd blame it?

It was in the name all along - I often wondered if anyone was knowingly responsible for the exquisite irony of International Computers Limited.

Reverse it and you get Limited Computers International and that about sums it up.

I, as anyone who owns up to knowing me will attest, make no secret of the fact that I worked for ICL. It was, easily, the most fun I ever had in my non-journalist career and for that very reason I'm not surprised it has finally bit the dust. I used to work on the old 1900s - which was as close to a wind up mainframe you can get without actually infringing Babbage's Analytical Engine patents. It wasn't like working for a high-tech company (as I discovered when I worked for other high-tech companies) just like a bunch of people wandering around London fixing mainframes with 5lb hammers.

And while I think it is an abomination that the only way to keep ICL on peoples' lips is if Chris Evans talks about 'ickle' chairs and 'ickle' tables on TFI Friday, it comes as no real shock to find that it's folded.

I mean, it was only the British computer industry wasn't it?

We didn't want one of those - they're boring, we wanted to turn out cars that rusted away before they went on the road, that's what made Britain great. (Don't forget that as a TR7 owner I speak with some knowledge of this.)

Can you imagine the US government letting Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Coke, Ford and McDonald's float off to never never land? All those companies are effectively synonymous with America and yes, the fundamental difference is they are all successful. But, do you think the US government would let Microsoft, IBM, Intel and the rest of the computer industry sink if they start shipping water? I mean would the US government wave goodbye to the entire industry?

No, of course it wouldn't. Only the British government would let our computer industry go to Japan and then let the Japanese close it.

Even Apricot, which hardly was a computer industry, slipped away. And yes I know we still have Acorn, but hey, you want to run your business on a BBC that's your call, but don't forget that care in the community is being phased out and the social service will know where you live.

So there it is, we have no British computer industry to speak of and the last vestige of it - its name - has been dumped by its foreign owners.

So, how long before BMW drops either the Rover or Rolls Royce names?

And if your answer is 'never', where the hell were you when we were selling off our computer industry?

Chris Long is a freelance IT journalist.