Shell and Remove Johnians visited Bletchley Park, the home of codebreaking in World War Two. With many having previously seen the feature film “The Imitation Game”, the students were excited to learn about how Bletchley Park was instrumental in winning the war for the allies, as well as being keen to understand the mathematics of the codes that were being deciphered to crack the Enigma. The students enjoyed a guided tour of the grounds in which the story of the history of the top-secret institution was explained, as well as having time to visit the “huts” where the codebreaking took place, including the office of Alan Turing.
The highlight of the day came when the students participated in a codes and ciphers workshop and were able to use (and take a selfie with) a genuine Enigma machine (insured to the value of £400,000!). There was far too much to see and take in for one day, and many of the students said they would like to visit again in the near future to delve into the history even deeper, so watch out parents as you may be asked to facilitate another visit soon!”
