A trip to Bletchley Park and a late cruise towards Bedford

Great Barford to Goldington, River Great Ouse, 4 miles 2 locks

We had a great day out today with thanks to friend John who is a volunteer at the Bletchley Park Museum.. a wonderful place full of wartime memorabilia.  Here are the magnificent early mechanical and computer machines that broke the German message codes which probably shortened the second world war by a good two years..

I left my camera at home today as I wanted a ‘carry free’ day out, but there are plenty of pictures on the website of the various computers and machines, and if you are around the Milton Keynes/Bletchley/Fenny Compton areas then a visit there would be a good day out.

I think it is dreadful that there is no Government funding for this most important place, nor is there any lottery funding yet.. I was disappointed in the upkeep of the place, although there was a small mower doing its best to keep the undergrowth at bay, a lot of the park was overgrown and unkept.

The various huts that the thousands of people worked in during the war breaking these codes are in a very bad state of repair, and with leaking roofs it is threatening the displays that are housed in some of them.. well housed in those that are in the best condition.  I do hope that some funding from somewhere can save this place as it is a heritage site for sure.

John actually volunteers in the Computer section within the Park.  It has it’s own website.. link here .. I was amazed by this place with its huge array of bygone computers and the like.  Although it was not open today, being friends with John meant that he could take us on a grand tour..

A lovely day out.. thanks John

So, back to No Problem late afternoon, and after a quick cuppa the pins were pulled for an early evening cruise to get closer to Bedford.. Daughter Jennie and the family, Phil, and grandchildren Jessica and Molly are coming aboard tomorrow for a few days ..

Now this is a deep lock.. you can see the river levels are normal for the summer months with the wetness of the lock walls.. you can imagine how high this must be when in real flood.  The water fills this lock from the side, see it has gone under No Problem, hit the other side and pushed the narrowboat hard into the right hand wall.  I hate that happening, with memories of 2005 when our former No Problem got caught on her base plate sitting on the bolts that hold these chains to the wall.  On that occasion No Problem listed right over before ‘falling off’ the bolts, giving me an awful fright.  There is no way in this lock that you can push away from the wall or chains such is the force of the water..

But not stuck today, and we continued upstream to moor at the GOBA moorings at Goldington close enough to the Marina to pick up Jen late morning..