Uphill All The Way – Pilgrimage to Secret Heroes (Aylesbury to Bletchley)

Published on: 28 May, 2014
Updated on: 29 May, 2014

This is the fourth report on the author’s progress in his bid to cycle from Guildford to Edinburgh. The reports follow: Uphill All The Way – The Idea and Uphill All The Way – The Plan (Part One) and Uphill All The Way – The Plan (Part Two)

All Uphill All The Way articles can be found under the Leisure section heading on the front page, in their own sub-section called Uphill All The Way.

By Martin Giles

Some people say that the good thing about bashing your head against a brick wall is the relief when you stop.

The summit of the most severe hill (I know it doesn’t look it) of another murky day.

This could have described my feelings when I completed my ride today. The good thing about cycling in the rain is finding dry accommodation. Today it was in Bletchley.

In common with millions, I have long been fascinated with the story of the World War Two code-breakers. The debt we owe them is enormous. It could be said that theirs was the single most important contribution to victory.

My visit was made mainly because I was interested in the history of Bletchley Park but I hoped my visit was a way of paying some respect to those (there were 5,000 of them) who worked so hard and ingeniously on the task but who, because of the nature of their work, received too little public acknowledgement in their lifetimes.

So perhaps the poor conditions I had to suffer on my journey, and it was only rain for goodness sake, was fitting. After all, pilgrimages are meant to be difficult and involve some suffering.

Anyway, all suffering soon ended at my extremely comfortable, spacious and well equipped “Bletchley Park B&B”. I arrived early. It had been the shortest leg so far but my difficulty in reading my iPhone in the rain led me to following road signs.

I found the “Welcome to Bletchley” sign but directions to the town centre would have been more useful.

It turned out to be a big mistake – huge. I ended up on a wet dual carriageway with cars and lorries tearing passed. Signs directing me to Bletchley town centre or Bletchley Park seemed non existent but more by luck than judgement I ended up in the right area and recognised the names of some of the roads near to my accommodation.

As it was not even midday yet I tried a phone call to see if they would let me check-in before the normal time. No reply. I decided to risk an early arrival.

My hosts could not have been more welcoming. I was quickly shown to my room. It is actually a small suite with a small separate sitting area and, a few yards away, my own private bathroom with a walk-in shower. I soon made use of it. Showered, watered and changed into dry clothing, the journey seemed worthwhile.

To cap it all, on hearing that I intended to visit the Bletchley Park museum my host offered to drive me there in his Mercedes. I was very happy to accept his offer, especially as the drizzle was still descending.

As soon as I was admitted to the Park (admission is £15 but the ticket lasts all year) I sought a guide.”Where is the canteen please?” I asked. I had had only a light breakfast and was in need of sustenance.

I don’t suppose that is most visitor’s first question and the guide steered me towards an introductory exhibition. It was about Britain entering the war. Frankly I knew this stuff.

I tried again and with some resignation he advised me to walk to the main house and the canteen could be found just to the left.

It was and it still had the air of a government canteen with a rather take it or leave it limited menu but it was not time to wait for something better to turn up. I had a jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise. It was okay.

As I was now close to the house I decided to rebel and visit it first out of the recommended sequence. Some of the rooms have been taken back to their wartime appearance. It has been done very well as has the whole museum. It is extensive and impressive.

One of the rooms in the house furnished as it would have been during the war.

I always like to find original furnishings and fittings and then imagine historic figures seeing them as I can. In this case the codebreakers leaning against a fireplace as they mull over a fresh mathematical problem. It somehow gives a physical link when I can lean against the fireplace too.

One of the exhibits a memo from Churchill showed that not all the challenges they faced were cerebral. A shortage of support staff seriously impeded progress at one stage and a letter was written to the Prime Minister. He replied with one of his famous “action this day” notes.

Churchill’s memo, giving instructions to provide extra support staff.

Close to the house was a small post office, again set up as it might have been in years gone by. I am now at an age when some of the exhibits were still around in my childhood. Do you remember those stamp dispensing machines?

I can remember machines similar to this still in use in the 1960s.

I returned to the main exhibition. It contains some excellent interactive exhibits including one called build your own Enigma machine. It explains the workings as you construct it. They might have been aimed at children but they kept this big kid interested.

interactive exhibits perhaps aimed at children but I wished they would move aside.

As I built my encoding machine on the screen a lady approached and asked pleadingly: “But how did they actually break the codes?”

It was a fair question and although I had a rough idea of how the bombes had automated the search for likely settings I did not feel up to the challenge of answering someone who appeared to want a single sentence answer. Instead I just mumbled: “They were very bright people.” I could see that she remained dissatisfied so moved on around the corner. At least with the admission charge scheme she can return every day for the next year free until she secures a satisfactory answer.

In Hut 6, one of the main codebreaking venues, the rooms were again laid out as they would have been complete with permanent blackouts so no one could look in. Clever use of contemporary furniture and audio visual created an air of realism. The whole museum has been very well constructed and more is being developed.

Inside a gloomy Hut 6 with all windows blacked out.

I do have one reflection on today’s less enjoyable ride: the last few miles were through corn fields. I remembered they had been the setting for a car chase in the 2001 film Enigma starring Kate Winslet. It struck me when I watched it that a car chase through English countryside, with cars of wartime vintage, can somehow never have the menace of a chase through the Bronx or even south London. It was a good try though.

And before I sign off, an update on the folk at my Aylesbury stop. It turned out that of the two couples also in the house, one couple were the owners, the other were also air bnb guests who I had indeed ousted from their normal attic. Both the women were from eastern Europe, one Polish and one Bulgarian.

We had an interesting chat about finding jobs in the UK and getting on the property ladder. They agreed that the attraction of the South East (which they considered Aylesbury to be in) is mainly the job prospects.

At last some ducks albeit 20 miles from Aylesbury. I am sure that there was some duck talk going on here.

Tomorrow it is one of the two long legs on the journey 42 miles to Market Harborough so you might get a shorter report. It would be so good if I can escape the rain.

28.05.14 UATW computer data:

Miles cycled: 17.99 miles

Average speed: 9.4mph

Cycling time: 1 hour 54 minutes.