Day trip by train - Bletchley Park, home of the Codebreakers, on 1940's Day!

Come along on Saturday 23rd September to visit the fantastic Bletchley Park on 1940's day!

About Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park Mansion, built in 1883 sits in 55 acres of the park just outside Milton Keynes. The park is best known as the home of the WWII Enigma code-breakers. The house and huts in the grounds had a £25m refurbishment 10 years ago and reopened in 2014.

The mansion and park was bought by the government in 1938 to house the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). The park was conveniently located within easy walking distance of Bletchley station, where the "Varsity Line" between the cities of Oxford and Cambridge – whose universities supplied many of the code-breakers.

The intelligence produced from decrypts at Bletchley was code-named "Ultra". It contributed greatly to Allied success in defeating the U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic.

The staff at Bletchley Park continued to break the German Enigma codes right up to the end of the war. At it's height of codebreaking in January 1945, some 9,000 people worked at Bletchley Park; in the mansion and the huts built within the grounds. Among the famous mathematicians and cryptanalysts working there, the most influential and the best-known in later years was Alan Turing (voted the 20th Century's Greatest Icon a few years ago) who is widely credited with being "The Father of Computer Science".

At the end of the war, much of the equipment used and its blueprints were ordered to be destroyed. Although thousands of people were involved in the deciphering efforts, the participants remained silent for decades about what they had done during the war, and it was only in the 1970s that the work at Bletchley Park was revealed to the general public.

1940's Day

On the day we are going, there is going to be a 1940's day. Around the park, there will be people dressed up in 1940's clothes, Swing dancing, live music of the time and market stalls.

Entry Cost

Entry is £12.75 per person, payable in groups of two people when we enter using the West Midland Trains 2 for 1 entry voucher offer.

I will have the vouchers, all you need to do is fill them in on the train.

Your ticket for Bletchley Park also enables you to return as many times as you wish for the next year (you will need to get your ticket stamped on exit).

Aprox Itinerary

9:49am - catch the train to Bletchley

10:31am - arrive and walk to park (10 mins)

11:00am - collect audio guides and start audio tour of park and get a free ticket for a guided tour

1:00pm - lunch in the park (please bring a packed lunch or buy at the station beforehand, there is a café in the park, but it's expensive)

2:00pm - freetime in the park for self guiding

4:30pm - meet outside the main house to catch the train back (trains going back at: 4:05pm, 4:09pm, 4:35pm, 4:40pm and the same times past each hour)

There is quite a lot to see in the park, so the day will be a mixture of using audio guides, tour guides and self guiding.

Train Tickets

GroupSave 3for2 tickets work out at £15.60 per person. We will purchase these on the day in groups of 3 people when you turn up.

Look out for the red and blue 'London Cultureseekers' Group sign at the station.

Hope to see you there!

Robert

07905 901 834 (prefer text)

On the day, if you can’t make the trip, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it.

Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.

Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478