Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

I realised as I logged on, that I had published the pictures before I added the writing.   In other words I pressed 'publish' rather than 'save draft' after I uploaded the photographs.   A senior moment.

We spent a lovely weekend with Donna, Patrick, Lucy and their dog, Poppy.   We were intending to go for a couple of long walks in the lovely Hertfordshire countryside but instead focused on computer history, and shopping.

On Bank Holiday Monday Donna took us, and Lucy, to Bletchley Park, home of the code breakers who decyphered German codes cyphers during World War II, thereby shortening the war by two years.   Bletchley Park was also significant in being instrumental in developing computers.

I found out about Bletchley Park, when I undertook a 10 week course on 'Computer History, Technology and Safety' through Coursera, which is run by the University of Michigan.  A free course.  And very interesting.  Fascinating in fact.  I learnt a lot about the history of computers and the internet.

But back to Bletchley Park.   Interestingly there are two organisations at Bletchley Park.  There is the house, plus grounds, and outlying buildings, which is where it all happened from 1938 until 1945.   Then there is another building, once part of the park, which houses the National Museum of Computing, which contains the most famous computer of WWII, Colossus.  Separate entities, and very little co-operation, it would appear.  And two entry fees.

The British Government bought Bletchley Park in 1938, to house a secret code breaking team, in a rural location, within easy reach of London, Cambridge and Oxford.   In fact, the grounds are opposite Bletchley railway station.  Huts were built in the grounds to house the different components of the code breaking organisation.  By 1944 there were 10,000 people working at Bletchley Park, all sworn to secrecy.  It was not until 1974, when a book was published, that word leaked out about what had happened at Bletchley Park.   In 1992 the Bletchley Park Trust was formed, to preserve the buildings for the nation.

The magnificent mansion in Bletchley Park, which served as the headquarters of the Government Code and Cypher School.   As time went on it also became the recreation centre.

The beautiful ball room, which on Monday was set up with activities for children.

This room set up as an office, with two actors in full flow, discussing their social life at Bletchley.

The original Bombe machines, developed by Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman, to break the German Enigma, were housed in this hut, as well as other huts.  These macbines worked day and night, with teams of women (WRENS) operating the machinery.   Apparently this room, which housed the main Bombe machine, was hot and noisy.  Not great working conditions.   The machines in this photograph are imitation, and do not work.

The idea of the Bombe machines orginated in Poland, and the concept and plans were brought to England by three Polish men who escaped the German invasion.

There was much more to see in the park, but we needed to head off to the museum, before it closed.

The world's oldest original computer, called the Witch (Wolverhampton Instrument for Teaching Computation), was built and used in 1951.   Luckily it was not the Birmingham ITCH.

Hitler started to use a more complex cypher machine called the Lorenz cypher machine to send messages between him and his senior staff.  The Codebreakers called this machine Tunny and the coded messages Fish.

A mistake was made during the sending of a message from Athens to Vienna, in that the message was sent twice, so two codebreakers, Tutte and Tiltman, were able to crack the new code.

Then new macbines were developed by Dr Max Newman and Tommy Flowers, to aid in decoding of the Lorenz codes, which had become too difficult to do by hand.  But all the machines ended up being too cumbersome or kept breaking down.

The line up of machines that were developed after the Bombe machine.

Then finally a new machine was developed, called Colossus, which could read paper tape at 5,000 characters per second, the paper tape in its wheels travelled at 30 miles per hour.   It meant that the huge mathematical work that needed to be done to break Lorenz could be carried out in hours, rather than in weeks.   A very impressive machine.

By 1945 there were ten Colossus' working in Bletchley.  Hitler was sent a deceptive message about the D Day landings.  And of course the landings occurred in Normandy instead of Calais (the deceptive message).   Very clever.

Then we were off to other parts of the museum, to look at the very old, the old, and not so old computers.

In the section (photograph below) the guides must have tbought we were super intelligent, as they kept plying us with information and asking questions about memory and disc space in comparison to modern mobile telephones.  Donna, thank goodness, made a reasonable stab at the answers.

Now we were on familiar ground, machines that have been used in the past thirty years.   This was also a hands on area.  We were a little overwhelmed at how much there was to see, and time was running out.  But Lucy managed to play a few games.   However we remembered the games on the machines.

Remember typing the instructions?

Early laptops!

And the school BBCs!

Bletchley Park is such an educational place to visit, and a must for anyone interested in technology, which is everyone of course.   The museum is fantastic for children because more than half of the museum is hands on, and also includes a Lego room.  And it is worth noting that the museum is not part of Bletchley Park, and is considerably cheaper too, £2 per adult, and free for children.

However we certainly will make a return visit to Bletchley Park, to look at the house again, plus the huts, the National Radio Centre, and anything else that we missed on Monday.   Our tickets cover us for the year.

Ipswich

On the second  day, we travelled to Ipswich to have a look at two attractions, Christchurch Mansions and park, and the museum.   Ipswich is the County Town of Suffolk, on the River Orwell.  It was once a main shipping port, and has been used for trading since the 8th Century.

Our first stop was Christchurch Mansion, situated in Christchurch Park, and now owned by the town.   Since 1895, it has been part of the two museums of Ipswich.  As well as being a very interesting house the mansion contains collection of paintings by Constable and Gainsborough. 

There was once a priory here, which was dissolved during Henry VIII's reign, and then purchased in 1548 by Sir Edmund Withipoll, who built a mansion here.   Over the years the building was altered and added to, until it was acquired by the Ipswich City Council, from a wealthy landowner, on condition it was used for art exhibitions and that they purchase the surrounding parkland for the people of Ipswich to use.

The church tower rising above the trees and parkland.   Sorry no information on this church.

The rooms are preserved as past inhabitants would have known them.   Very realistic.  And a very comfortable house.

The Great Hall.  Very imposing.

And downstairs, the hub of the house.

The house sits within a 70 acre park, with rolling lawns, ponds, trees and a large playground.   We sat on the bench to eat our sandwiches, with a view down the hill, towards a memorial, and a park full of families enjoying the school holidays and the sunshine.

Ipswich Museum, a registered museum of culture, history and natural heritage.   Plenty of preserved animals in their collection, and a really good description of historical events, and ecological developments, over the last few thousand or so years.   There was a famous uncovering of Saxon treasures, in Sutton Hoo, excavated in 1939.  It was a ship burial site.   Many of the treasures were displayed in the museum.     Sutton Hoo is not far from Melton and Woodbridge.   I was fascinated by the collection of rocks on display, even though I have no geological training, but the explanations of the different types of rocks was excellent.

Ipswich was heavily bombed during WWII, due to its importance as a shipping port, and on the English channel.   Now it is a large city, full of haphazard development, and I think a large focus on social housing, from the number of seemingly umployed people on the streets.  We also felt the city centre needed sprucing up, with benches, trees and planter boxes, to enhance the area.   At the moment it is very drab, but I guess money needs to be spent elsewhere.

The city centre has many beautiful old buildings, such as the old town hall below.

A delightful narrow side street.

After spending many hours in the mansion and museum, and a look at the main shopping area, we found our cars, and drove happily back to Woodbridge/Melton, feeling very happy.   It was also Walter's birthday, so we finished the day with a delicious pub meal in Woodridge.

Southwold

Last week we enjoyed a lovely few days with Emma, Steve, Jackson and Isabel.   We were lucky to be able to use a very comfortable holiday house in Melton which is on the edge of Woodbridge.  The towns are on the edge of the River Deben in Suffolk.  Gainsborough, the portrait painter, and John Constable, the landscape painter, lived and painted in Suffolk.  A very picturesque area and lots of history.

The weather was very kind to us! Although there was a chilly wind, the sky was blue and there was plenty of sunshine.   Glorious spring weather.

Our first trip out was to the seaside town of Southwold, a pleasant place with plenty of grassed areas alongside the beach, cafes and little shops on the pier.   Other than a very small amusement arcade on the land side of the pier, the most noticeable absence was the tattiness of many English seaside towns,  namely large amusement galleries, fairground rides and terrible fish and chip shops adorning the street which runs alonside the sea front.

The pier, with space to walk amongst the little shops, and plenty of seats (with shelters) to sit on, and soak up the sunshine, when there is sunshine, of course. So pleasant and relaxing.

Jackson and Isabel loved chasing the waves, or more correctly, seeing how long they could stand still before the wave got them.  And by the look of their trousers and shoes the waves did get them on many occasions.

The water was very brown, which was understandable considering the muddy bottomed rivers that flowed into the sea close by the town.   At this point I did have very nostalgic thoughts for the white sand and clear water of Aldinga Beach, South Australia.

The beautiful old buildings and grass that borders the beach.

We ate our sandwiches in the sunshine sheltered by the Lifeguards' building.

The colourful beach huts lined up along the shore front.  So full of character.

A lighthouse amongst the houses.   No doubt it was there first.   Southwold is home to Adnams Brewery, an old brewery founded in 1872. and still operating.  

The lineup of the Palmer family.

The beautiful old Southwold Church, very bright and airy inside, and with a beautiful wooden screen behind the altar.

And a short play in the playground, enjoyed by all the Palmer family.

A lovely day.

A trip to Tower Bridge

A trip into London to visit Tower Bridge.  A great way to spent a Sunday afternoon in London with Jackson and Isabel.  But wait, it was also the London Marathon. And Tower Bridge was being used for the route for the marathon.  We had visions of huge crowds, as we attempted to enter the entrance to Tower Bridge.  So undeterred, we set off, on a crowded train.

We arrived at London Bridge Station, and fought our way to the exit, and then along the street. This arcade used to be a dock, with water, and warehouses on both sides.  Now it is a trendy arcade bordered by shops and cafes.

The view from the restaurant where we ate a very relaxing lunch.  The London skyline certainly has changed during the past few years.   Notice the bright blue sky and sunshine.  A glorious day.

The fountains on the South Bank, beside the Mayor's Office.  Jackson and Isabel loved dodging around them, and would have been happy to spend all afternoon there.

Ah, here is Tower Bridge, the beautiful bridge that an American thought he was buying when he bought London Bridge.  Not the same!  There were stalls selling food, drinks and clothes.   There were also two bands, and lots of people sitting and enjoying the sunshine.  Fantastic atmosphere.

Walter taking a moment to soak up the atmosphere or check up on me, to make sure I had not become lost in the crowd.

South Bank.  The Shard standing tall and sharp against the blue sky.  The rounded shape of the Mayor's Office dominating the front of the photograph.

By the time we walked up onto the bridge, the road was being cleaned up.  The last of the runners had passed by, and the crowds had gone.  We entered the tower, paid our money, went up in the lift, and arrived in time to watch the explanation of the building of the bridge.   An engineering feat, without a doubt,  started in 1886 and finished in 1894.

The walkways at the top were designed for people to walk across when the bridge opened up. This did not prove to be popular, people preferred to wait until the bridge was lowered again, rather than face the stairs. Now the walkways are enclosed, and the passageways have exhibitions to look at, as well as fantastic views of the Thames River.

A view of one of the towers, and it was high up at the top.  And many, many steps to walk down.

We then looked at the old engine room, which was included in the ticket price.  This was a beautiful piece of machinary, so well maintained that it moved noiselessly.

After a  very interesting visit to the South Bank and Tower Bridge it was time to join the after marathon crowd, including a few very tired and sore runners, on the train home.

Home

We have been home for two weeks, and now fully recovered from jet lag, and for me, the tummy bug.   We have been busy though, a massive clean out of clothes and old toys, plus some scrubbing, and we managed a trip up to Woodbridge but more of that later.

Patrick has been very busy in the house.   There is now a new ceiling, with spotlights, in the bathroom.  Unfortunately the bright light showed up all the dirty tiles, which then had to be scrubbed a few times.  The advantage of a gloomy room is the grime is not noticeable, therefore less cleaning is necessary.  But the bathroom gleams now.

Of course we now have a new roof on the conservatory.  The previous roof had been damaged in the storm in December.   And there is also a new tile effect floor, all very smart, but of course we need new furniture to match the new floor.  One thing leads to the next thing.

Due to a very wet and mild winter, the grass, and weeds have grown unbelievably high.

And of course the moles are out in full force, busily spring cleaning their tunnels.

Last year when we returned, at the same time of year, there were no leaves on the trees, no growth in the grass, no weeds.  Even the daffodils were reluctant to begin flowering.  This year the daffodils were well and truly finished.   Amazing.

All the rubbish from the renovations, ready to go to the tip.

The back patio ready to go.  We have already been outside to have our morning coffee.

The stick holding our garden shed up.   Obviously storm proof. No strong winds blew it over.

And finally, the best news for me, the splinter came out of my hand.  Just slid out when I pushed against it.  After six weeks.   This was a 2 cm splinter, wedged in the fleshy part of the hand, which became infected and necessitated a visit to a medical centre in Euchuca, and a course of antibiotics.  It was so badly infected that the doctor could not see the splinter.

The moral of this story.  Always wear gloves when raking up lawn clippings with an old wooden handled rake.  I suppose I should have been thankful it was not a red back spider bite.  It happened in Adelaide.

And now that we have a sparkling clean bathroom with bright lights, and a lovely conservatory, it is time to spend time on the lounge and hallway.   Badly needed.  Peeling paper, faded paintwork, and an old lounge suite looks very depressing in the bright Spring sunlight.

But it will require some work and motivation on our part. There is always a down side.

Kuala Lumpur

We are, in fact, back home in the UK.  It is lovely to be back, and to see Donna and Emma and families again.  We really missed them.  And to see our revamped conservatory, with its new roof and floor.  We also have a new ceiling in the bathroom. They looked fantastic.  Thank you Patrick.

I have now recovered, both from jetlag and the tummy bug I picked up at the end of the trip.  Best not to go into too many details about my last six hours on the plane, but let us say that I spent them close to the toilets at the back of the plane.  Very unpleasant.  But top marks for the staff of Malaysian Airlines for their care and attention.

But back to our last two days of the trip, spent in our lovely hotel, Melia, opposite the Times Square hotel and shopping centre.  Such a comfortable and relaxing area of KL, with a shopping centre opposite, the monorail running above the street and the station two minutes walk away.   And for some exercise there  was a half hour easy walk to the Petrona Towers, via a covered footpath for ten minutes, and after that it was in airconditioned comfort for the next 20 minutes or so, depending on how many stops were made, to have coffee or look at photos or take in the views of buildings being demolished.  This part of the walk took us along a street of cafes and bars, all under cover, and then to an above ground walkway, and finally through a very long tunnel. 

The hotel had a wonderful lounge area at the front of the hotel, which overlooked the street.  Always something to see when relaxing in the comfortable armchairs.

Our trip was not complete without a visit to the markets in Jalan Pettalang to purchase fake 'big name' bags at what we hoped was a good price. Lots of fun.

The Petrona twin towers.  We have been up to the top, with Scott, but not really my idea of fun, especially walking across the walkway between the towers. Lots of metal in these towers. I wonder who polishes them.

The Grand Prix had taken place on the weekend before we arrived.  Walter standing underneath the racing cars in the huge foyer of the Petronas Towers.

And then it just poured and poured as can only happen with torrential rain. So we had to make a dash, under the cover of one small umbrella, between the airconditioned comfort of the cafe and bar street and street with the overhead cover.  We had not noticed that this area was unprotected.  And one does not when there is no rain.

And so after two days of resting, shopping and eating delicious local food we headed off for the hours journey to the airport and the flight home.

And Walter stayed on his feet this time.  No sudden falls onto his chin.  Definitely good news.  Huge black and blue chins are not attractive. And very painful.