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Duchess of Cambridge opens restored Bletchley Park | Duchess of Cambridge opens restored Bletchley Park |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The Duchess of Cambridge has arrived at the newly restored Bletchley Park where she will meet a codebreaker who worked with her grandmother. | The Duchess of Cambridge has arrived at the newly restored Bletchley Park where she will meet a codebreaker who worked with her grandmother. |
The home of the Government Code and Cypher School in Buckinghamshire cost £8m to restore and was mostly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. | The home of the Government Code and Cypher School in Buckinghamshire cost £8m to restore and was mostly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. |
The duchess will officially open the restored centre later. | The duchess will officially open the restored centre later. |
Her paternal grandmother, Valerie Glassborow, worked at Bletchley's Hut 16. | Her paternal grandmother, Valerie Glassborow, worked at Bletchley's Hut 16. |
Former colleague Lady Marion Body is due to meet the royal later. | Former colleague Lady Marion Body is due to meet the royal later. |
The duchess' visit marks the completion of a project to return the buildings to their World War Two appearance and create new visitor facilities. | The duchess' visit marks the completion of a project to return the buildings to their World War Two appearance and create new visitor facilities. |
During the tour, she tried her hand at being a codebreaker, sitting at a desk and attempting to intercept radio messages. | |
Putting on a pair of headphones, and turning the dial in front of her, she managed to decode a message. | |
Bletchley twins | Bletchley twins |
Ms Glassborow, who married the duchess' grandfather Peter Middleton, was a civilian staff member at the centre where her twin sister Mary was also employed. | |
Documents dated October 1944 show she was probably a duty officer and worked in Hut 16, now restored Hut 6, where it is thought she chose which intercept stations staff should listen to. | |
The success of the centre's codebreakers in breaking the German cypher systems Enigma and Lorenz, are credited with shortening the war by two years. | The success of the centre's codebreakers in breaking the German cypher systems Enigma and Lorenz, are credited with shortening the war by two years. |
But the site fell into near-dereliction after the war. | But the site fell into near-dereliction after the war. |
Plans for complete restoration began at the end of 2011 when the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the trust a £5m grant and work began in 2012. | Plans for complete restoration began at the end of 2011 when the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the trust a £5m grant and work began in 2012. |
Veteran Lady Marion recalls working with the twin sisters on 15 August 1945 when they heard that the war had ended. | Veteran Lady Marion recalls working with the twin sisters on 15 August 1945 when they heard that the war had ended. |
The three were on shift when their superior officer told them a signal had been intercepted between Tokyo and Geneva that the Japanese were surrendering. | The three were on shift when their superior officer told them a signal had been intercepted between Tokyo and Geneva that the Japanese were surrendering. |
"We just sat there in complete silence," she said. | "We just sat there in complete silence," she said. |
"Commander Williams then just told us to get on with our work and we all laughed. | "Commander Williams then just told us to get on with our work and we all laughed. |
"It's something I could never tell anybody about because we were sworn to secrecy but it was a great moment to feel you were perhaps among the first people who knew the war was at last over." | "It's something I could never tell anybody about because we were sworn to secrecy but it was a great moment to feel you were perhaps among the first people who knew the war was at last over." |
She will be among other former codebreakers set to meet the duchess, who will also be planting a tree to commemorate the visit. | She will be among other former codebreakers set to meet the duchess, who will also be planting a tree to commemorate the visit. |