Bletchley Park vs the Museum of Computing

22-03-2014

Bletchley Park vs the Museum of Computing
-----------------------------------------

SIR – The Bletchley Park Trust ( BPT ) says it “bent over backwards to cut 
the struggling computer museum a good deal” in a joint-ticketing proposal 
for the National Museum of Computing.

At first sight, single-ticketing seemed to be a major step forward in 
relations between the two, but the offer included a section implicitly 
questioning the ownership of the Colossus Rebuild.

The National Museum of Computing could not accept a deal with such an 
unnecessary and provocative statement. The working rebuild of Colossus, 
the world’s first electronic computer, which cracked the most complex 
cipher of the Second World War and altered the course of the war, is the 
highlight of most people’s visit to Bletchley Park. The Colossus Rebuild 
has been maintained and displayed by the museum for many years through a 
long-term agreement with Colossus Rebuild Limited.

The “good deal” also failed to recompense the museum adequately for making 
the Colossus Rebuild available free of charge to Bletchley Park Trust 
visitors for many years despite calls by the museum since 2008 for fair 
recompense in the form of a rent and utilities discount. The Computing 
Museum faced an annual bill of more than £100,000 in rent and utilities 
from Bletchley Park Trust.

We hope that the Board of BPT will agree to an independent review so that 
the full facts can be addressed by third parties and the situation finally 
resolved so that a globally important heritage site can be an inspiration 
for future generations.


Tim Reynolds ( Chairman )
Kevin Murrell ( Deputy Chairman )
Andy Clark
Matt Crotty
Margaret Sale
Bob Willett
Kevin Murrell
Trustees of the National Museum of Computing


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/10715325/Water-cannon-ban.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10690205/Why-Bletchley-Park-is-at-war-again.html