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Showing posts from January, 2015

Bletchley Park - Home of the Codebreakers...

Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes England was a secret for over 30 years. Once it was Britains best kept secret. The Enigma cipher machine was developed and used here during the second world war to break the German codes. It was very successful and believed to have shortened the war by around two years, saving countless lives. Today the park is open to the public as a heritage site and museum, and Marilyn and I explored the wide range of exhibitions and learnt how its codebreaking successes worked. More incredible than fiction, the story of Bletchley Park was a desperate race against time. The mission of codebreakers like Alan Turin, was to crack Germany’s coded communications, such as those sent via the German Enigma machine. Bletchley Park was Churchill’s secret passion; he called the codebreakers his “Geese that laid the golden eggs but never cackled” 8.500 people worked at Bletchley Park during the war and all done with amazing secrecy.

Forgotten British Films...

Climbing High 1938  A situation comedy that perhaps could be called something of a love triangle. It features Jessie Mathews and Michael Redgrave as Diana and Nicky who meet at a modelling agency. Nicky is a wealthy young man calling himself John Smith and takes on extra modelling work to be near Diana who at first wants nothing to do with him. Also in the frame is Lady Constance played by Margaret Viner and she simply wants to marry him for his money. There are some very funny moments in the movie as when the custard pies start flying around in the agency. An amusing film for its age. Also features Enid Stamp Taylor in a lesser role.