Bletchley Park, the National Codes Centre, provided the setting for a Year 8 ICT trip. Our guide demonstrated a German Enigma cipher machine and, although the trials of Common Entrance Examinations were firmly behind Year 8, the challenge was on to make and crack codes using the techniques of this wartime machine.

The principles behind the Bombe machine were explained and how it was developed at Bletchley, by Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman, to decipher Enigma codes. We also saw a rebuild of the code-breaking Colossus, the world's first practical electronic digital information processing machine, which is often credited as being the forerunner of modern computers.

The Computer Museum proved a popular part of the day, giving an opportunity to see and discuss a variety of small early computers and the chance to try out some classic early computer games! A gallery of Second World War bunkers and domestic interiors added further period atmosphere to a day spent amongst the huts which had witnessed a great deal of top secret war effort.

With thanks to Bletchley Park: