Visit to Bletchley Park

The Master continued a tradition from some predecessors of organising a tour to a place of interest in the UK. Whilst not directly linked to World Trade, Bletchley Park is a tribute to British ingenuity, and the recent film starring Benedict Cumberbatch made it topical.

There is a direct train link to the Park, but World Traders and their partners met at Leighton Buzzard Station where a bus took them to the reception centre. The Master had organised the tickets and there is so much to see that a single visit is not enough, so the tickets are reusable for 12 months. Many will return for second dip.

There were special presentations, notably of the workings of the famous German Enigma machines and the methods used by the – mostly very young – personnel to decipher German and even Japanese messages in quick time to allow Allied military to take appropriate action. Bletchley worked closely with the American “cousins” a tradition which continues at GCHQ, Bletchley’s successor, today.

After walking around the residential and office blocks and the main house, we strolled around the lake where people met to think in peace, or to socialise. Some romances definitely began there!

Afterwards, the buses or private cars took us to the Leighton Buzzard rugby club, of which the Master has been President for over 2 decades! The wines were typically well chosen, and the buffet lunch welcome.

Thank you Mark for a brilliant and informative day!

Robert Woodthorpe Browne
Junior Warden