OBs, parents, past parents and former staff had a fascinating tour of Bletchley Park, the home of the WW2 codebreakers. Our guide, Eric, gave a full and informative tour, telling how the Park came to be set up and its history as the War progressed, and letting us know just how far from the truth the storyline in ‘The Imitation Game’ was! Alan Turing, whose father and uncle were OBs, was more a mathematician than an engineer. It was amazing to think that with approximately 9,000 people working there it was still the best-kept secret of WW2!
It was also a special trip for some of the party, one OB’s grandparents met and fell in love whilst working at Bletchley and the others from the party had close connections with the working side of the Park .
Following the tour, we were treated to afternoon tea (at 12.30pm!!) and what a tea it was. Delicious sandwiches, and homemade scones and cakes in the Mansion House accompanied by every type of real tea – no teabags here!
The party were then free to explore the rest of the site, with its many displays and their latest exhibition, The Intelligence Factory, safe in the knowledge that if they ran out of time, and there is just so much to see, they had a year’s pass with their entrance ticket so they could return again, and again!
