Never having been to Bletchley Park before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. With an estimated travel time of three hours, it was further than Omnibus trips usually go. Would it be worth the journey and would there be enough to keep us occupied for the six hours we had planned to spend there? I needn’t have worried. The place was absolutely amazing! Twenty-seven acres of land packed with artefacts, interactive displays and exhibitions. After a quick stop for refreshments, we made our way to the first exhibit which was how codes were broken during the First World War. I was particularly intrigued by the gentleman who used to crack codes in the bath while he was at work! Following on from that we took the excellent free audio guide and explored the grounds, mansion and huts. There was something for everyone – I particularly enjoyed listening to the accounts of people who worked there, while my son was fascinated by the Enigma Machine and the Bombe machine. The number of different possibilities for the codes, and the lengths they went to in order to crack them, was just mind-blowing. After a quick bite to eat we went into some of the huts that were reconstructed to be just how they were during the war effort, including Alan Turing’s office. Each office in each hut had a different story to tell. We even found out about the pigeon decorated for bravery! Suddenly the day had slipped away – a quick visit to the D-Day exhibition and the gift shop and it was time to go back on the coach. We felt that we had hardly skimmed the surface! Other Omnibus members told tales of an excellent walking tour, the museum in Block B and the National Radio Centre. Luckily the tickets we have will allow us a return visit for free, so we plan to go again with Omnibus next year. If you are interested in going before then, please let me know as we have two spare tickets that weren’t used on the day.
Read next
-
Karen Toogood11th May 2023
Day out to Slimbridge - Saturday 13th May 2023, 9.30am to 5pm
Omnibus, the staff society, organises various trips throughout the year. Friends and family are welcome to join. Next trip : Slimbridge Saturday 13th May. Cost £26.50 for adults; £22 for children Slimbridge is a world famous wetland centre established by...
-
Karen Toogood1st April 2023
Footprint Lunchtime talk
What a fascinating talk from Jeremy Key-Pugh of Bath Abbey’s Footprint project (Monday 13th March 2023). From hearing about the headless bodies buried under the ledger stones, filling the 6ft gap, created when the Abbey was rebuilt in the 1500s,...
-
Ann Linfield8th February 2023
Trips and events in 2023
We are pleased to announce our new programme of events. Monday 13th March, 13:15 - 14:00, 3E3.8. Hear about the Bath Abbey Footprint project. Jeremy Key-Pugh from the project will talk about management of the project, the archaeological finds and...
It certainly was a fascinating, mind blowing and thought provoking place, there was plenty of talk on the coach on the way home. I'll keep hold of my ticket for our next trip there!