Our first couple of days we relaxed and
played a few games and planned out what we would do while in this area.On 28th we decided to use the Park and
Ride bus service to head into town. Our first stop was the Botanical
Gardens. After a stroll through here we walked into the City along the
River Cam. It was really sweet, as we spotted a mummy duck with her
ducklings. They were very tame and got our of the river and came over to the
boys and pecked at their hands, just like Orville!
We just wandered in and out of shops
and took in the buildings including the Corpus Clock. This clock is a large
sculptural clock and was given to Corpus Christi College and installed in 2008.
After wandering we visited The Eagle
pub, see information below for details on the significance of this pub.
The 29th was the day we had booked to visit Bletchley Park. See below for details regarding our visit here.
On our drive back to camp from Bletchley, we stopped at Cardington Studios. We had noticed these huge hangars on the way to Bletchley, so decided to pop in for a look on our return journey.
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Botanical Gardens
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| Botanical Gardens |
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River Cam
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| River Cam |
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Boys with the ducklings.
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| River Cam |
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| River Cam |
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Corpus Clock
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| Corpus Clock |
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Cambridge City
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| In 1583, opposite this site, the first book was printed by Cambridge Press, in a line of printing which ran unbroken until 2013. This also has been the longest continuously operating bookshop site, where books were first sold in the 1580s. |
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Cambridge City
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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| Cambridge City |
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Cale and Nico bought some sweets here, and Cale managed to pick up a few Harry Potter items too!
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Inside the sweet shop. Mask allowed off for a quick photograph!
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The Eagle Pub
The Eagle pub, which was frequented by
staff from the Cavendish Laboratory, located on nearby Free School Lane for 100
years from 1874-1974. These patrons included Francis Crick and James
Watson. On 28th February 1953, Crick and Watson walked into the Eagle and
announced "we have discovered the secret of life", referring of
course to their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.
Throughout the years they dined together here six days a week!
Aside from the announcement of the
discovery of DNA, the Eagle is perhaps best known for its RAF bar. The ceiling
is covered in the graffiti of British and American WW2 pilots who burned their
names and squadron numbers here using cigarette lighters and candles.
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| Graffiti on the ceiling |
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| Graffiti on the ceiling |
Bletchley Park
Home of the code breakers during WW2
Bletchley Park was the top-secret home of British World War Two codebreaking; a place where technological
innovation and human endeavour came together to made groundbreaking
achievements that have helped shape the world we live in today.
This
unique site was previously a vast Victorian estate, where parts including the
Mansion still survive, expanding during wartime to accommodate Codebreakers
Huts and Blocks.
During
World War Two, the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), now known as
the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), was based at Bletchley Park.
It grew from a small team of specialists to a vast intelligence factory of
thousands of dedicated women and men. This extraordinary combination of
brilliant and determined people and cutting-edge technology contributed
significantly to Allied victory. In tough conditions, they provided vital
intelligence and developed pioneering technological innovation that had a
direct and profound influence on the outcome of the war.
The
site continues to reveal secrets and tell fascinating stories of our national legacy.
For detailed information on Bletchley Park visit www.bletchleypark.org.uk
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The Mansion at Bletchley Park
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Inside the Mansion
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| Inside the Mansion |
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Garages
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Stableyards
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| Stableyards |
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Some of the wheels from an Enigma machine
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Wheels and other parts from the Bombe machine
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Model of the Bombe
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The Bombe Breakthrough exhibition in Hut 11A, tells the story of the Bombe machines in the actual location that housed the machine which broke Enigma.
The Bombe Breakthrough explains in detail the challenges posed by Enigma and explores how Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and others devised a machine to help solve it. The exhibition also considers how this contribution to the success of Allied signals intelligence had a significant impact on the course of WW2.
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Parts of the Bombe machine
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Alan Turing's office
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Cardington Studios
Bedford
These absolutely huge old airship hangers, are now home to Cardington Studios. Host to many blockbuster movies, and one of the largest indoor spaces in Europe, the huge scale of these studios makes it a top choice for film productions and stadium tour rehearsals. They have been used for filming Harry Potter and Star Wars movies, concert rehearsals, along with many others!
The incredible height of 55m (180ft) floor to top of the
roof pitch allows designers to build in a space not restricted in any way.
Awesome. I started typing on a typewriter like that in your photo. You had to have good muscles to press the keys in those days!!
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