The boy's in training.
Travel courtesy of Virgin Trains on a Brit Rail. 1st class pass includes full trolley service and wi-fi.
Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
During WWII, Bletchley was the site of the UK's main decryption establishment the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). Known as BP to those who worked there. All staff had to sign the Official Secrets Act (1939) and were instructed that they should never discuss their work outside
their immediate section. A May 1942 personal security form stated:
- Do not talk at meals ...
- Do not talk in the transport ...
- Do not talk travelling ...
- Do not talk in the billet ...
- Do not talk by your own fireside ...
- Be careful even in your Hut .
The lands of the Bletchley Park estate were formerly part of the Manor of Eaton were included in the Domesday Book in 1086.
The architectural style is a mixture of Victorian Gothic, Tudor and Dutch Baroque. It is a real mix of styles but nevertheless is very interesting . Apparently the style of the main house was the subject of much bemused comment from those who worked there or visited during WWII. The estate covers 581 acres, of which Bletchley Park occuped about 55 acres.
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A bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the main room of the house. Note the stained glass ceiling.
The main office at Bletchley occupied by Commander Alastair Denniston who was the operational head of GC&CS.
Who is Alan Turing? Well, a bit of legend actually. 23 June 1912 - 7 June 1954. A British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist. Developed the Turing machine which can be considered a model of a general purpose computer. Widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
A map of Bletchley Park and the surrounding buildings
A sepia shot of BP to capture that 1940's feel.
A very interesting visit. If you're familiar with Enigma, computing, science, codes, cypher's this would interest you. A timely visit as Alan Turing had only received a royal pardon the week leading up to Christmas.
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