Codes, computers, chums and collars.

We had about a 35 minute walk from the boat to Bletchley Park, Home of the Codebreakers. It was easy to find and we were there at 1015. It is a bit steep to get in £15 each but it is a season ticket so you can come back anytime in the year. There is a general introduction film show and then you pick up your audio visual guide and you are off into the grounds. The mansion was built in 1870 and was enlarged by stockbroker Herbert Leon  who bought it in 1883. In 1938 it was bought by the Government to house the Government and Cypher school.

The Bletchley Park Mansion viewed from over the lake.

Over the course of the War the place expanded from about 150 staff to over 9000 at it's peak. From the Mansion it expanded in to an ever increasing number of huts housing the various sections. Radio intercepts were not made here, but they were brought here for them to be cracked and the intelligence disseminated to the right Armed Forces section. The huts have been reproduced to give a feel of the times.

We were lucky that we were on the first free guided tour of the day and our guide painted a very good picture of the place and the people that worked there with plenty of anecdotes to add colour.

One of the huts with audio visual area.

The ball room of the Mansion was used as a film area and other recreational exploits.

The museum was very good at filling out the characters that worked there and the nature of their work. It was amazing that using maths, logic, language and chess they were able to crack what the Germans and Japanese thought were unbreakable code. The fact that there was a great assemblage of people with the best brains for this and the mix was run with a very easy hand meant that the effort bore fruit. Many thought that their efforts shortened the War by about two years, so saving many thousands of lives. Some Germans also thought that by shortening the War meant that the atom bomb was dropped on Japan and not Germany!

Alan Turing, 2007 statue.

There were many characters that worked at BP and made a massive contribution to the war effort. Alan Turing was one of the most important as not only did he have a great skill in cracking the codes of the Enigma and Lorenzo machines he was important in developin the 'Bombes' that helped decypher the Enigma codes but also develop the Colossus that was the start of computing and speeded up the rate of the work. He has also become a cause celebre for gay rights.

We arrived at 1015 and left at 1710 after a very full day, and actually we didn't see three or four things. We may well go back on the way back north in September. On our way out this morning we noticed 'Gulliver' just up from us. We had met them several times last year. As we came back we bumped into them and that was enough for us to end up in the Red Lion just by the lock. I had a Keltek Brewery from Redruth Cornwall, Magic that went down well. It was great to catch up with them and swap our news over the last few months and we will see them again on our way north.

Macy the cats collar was showing signs of wear and we didn't want her collar coming off. We bought her a new one and have put it on her for the first time today. The diamontes stand out well on her grey fur so that she cuts a dash. She has three bells, her name and contact tag and her electronic tag. No she hasn't been ASBO'd but it means that we can find here if we can't see her. So far we haven't needed it as she doesn't go far away at all.