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PGP Leads Corporate Efforts To Save Bletchley Park

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the night-at-the-museum dept.

blake182 writes "CNET reports that PGP, together with IBM and other technology firms, is mounting a fundraising effort to benefit the ailing Bletchley Park, home of the Station X codebreaking efforts in World War II. 'We're calling attention (to the fact that) Bletchley is falling into disrepair, and that, probably, the world owes a debt of gratitude to that place,' said Phil Dunkelberger, chief executive of PGP."

7 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Dunkelberger by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's Dunkin' Donuts answer to the Hamburgler, right?

  2. the big problem by thermian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why do they have so few visitors? Because the site is presented in what I have to say is a very boring fashion. Yes, I have been there.

    If you know your history, and if you can carry your own commentary round in your head, then it rocks seeing a place that's so important historically, but if not then its not even slightly appealing as a location for a day trip.

    When I was there I saw a lot of extremely bored kids. If they'd added in some enthusiastic guides with a flair for storytelling they would have been able to draw on enough information to keep those kids engaged, but there was only a very sedate and, to be honest, bland, tour on offer.

    I'm not denying that its important to preserve this historical location, but what they really need is to make it more interesting to visitors.

    Historical importance alone is not enough, it has to be fun too if they want to survive as a tourist location.

    --
    A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
    1. Re:the big problem by expatriot · · Score: 5, Informative

      I went there recently and I really loved it. My wife however was very bored. She found it more interesting however when there were speakers talking about the history.

      I preferred the really techy stuff - particularly seeing electronic commponents that I worked with when I first started making electronic projects. Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for the exibits) you could not touch them. Probably a good thing otherwise I might have been taking the Bombe apart to get a better idea how it worked.

      Perhaps they need different color coded streams:
      Children, young geeks, wives (or non-geek husbands), old farts.

      I hope they get funding sorted. This place is real history. More than almost any castle or birthplace tourist "adventure".

  3. Re:Ah... The irony of IBM helping Bletchley Park. by thermian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And? There was a lot of this going on, not just IBM. Coca Cola invented Fanta so they could continue to sell soft drinks in the European market during the War, Nissan were working with Nazi Germany to build their own V1/2 rockets. There are no doubt more examples.

    Businesses do this, that's because they are businesses, not governments. To be frank, they probably realise that more than a few wars are started for less than honest reasons, and they likely see no reason to stop doing what they do because of it.

    --
    A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
  4. We can help as well by fyoder · · Score: 5, Informative

    Consider purchasing a pocket enigma, or making a donation (link from their home page or as part of order).

    --
    Loose lips lose spit.
  5. Oh the shame of it .... by Alain+Williams · · Score: 5, Insightful
    as a Brit I feel ashamed that we can let something like this rot. If it had been an arts museum there would have been an outcry in the press, but something technical and the lovies in the media don't understand and their eyes glaze over.

    Little point in asking the govt for funding - they are too busy pouring cash into a 3 week sports festival in 2012 -- a complete waste of money.

  6. Re:How much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's no price-tag because this isn't the sort of thing you buy off a store shelf. The first thing they'll need is a budget to do is a museum-grade architectural survey.

    Have you seen Bletchley Park? It's not just the main building but the remaining temporary WW2 structures.
    http://www.digibarn.com/collections/locations/bletchley-park/bletchlypark-l-lewin/index.html

    The survey can produce a series of restoration & upkeep senarios, based on how much activity & cost can be devoted over what periods of time, and how much each year of delay will add to the costs and losses. Till that (expensive) survey is done, no one can quote remotely realistic figures.

    Another detail: when I was a renovation carpenter it was a firm requirement that any time a project required a wall to be opened, the client MUST have 60% over budget in the bank to deal with unpleasant surprises. Most of the houses I dealt with were less than 100 years old. Even houses built in the 60s regularly had surprise structural problems. About three of those required immediate work that was a good deal more than 60%.

    Getting a complex like Bletchley Park surveyed and a reliable maintenance schedule put in place is going to be a major work in itself. Then the costs and compromises (yes, the sheds will probably have to be let go. or replaced by replicas.) are going to be frankly enormous compared to what the place can draw in revenue. No wonder the usual sources have shied away. A serious influx of cash from special-interest groups as proposed is really the only chance the place has of getting to a (still expensive) maintainable state.