The

The from the home of the codebreakers and the birthplace of modern computing, this is the Bletchley Park podcast.

Welcome to the October 2020 episode of the Bletchley Park podcast, a historian for the future.

GCHQ has a new historian. In podcast episode 98, we had the honour of being able to reveal his

identity when we met him at the

GCHQ Centenary celebrations at the National Memorial Arboretum in November 2019. We promised then that we

catch up with him again and this month we're doing just that. Podcast producer Mark sat down with

Dr David Abratat, the recently avowed departmental historian at GCHQ to find out what he's been up to.

I'm sat in the archive at Pletchy Park, which seems the most appropriate place to bring you an interview.

We're recording specially today, socially distance interview, shall we say, because sat opposite me, the other side of the room, in fact, is the new GCHQ historian, Dr David Abratat.

David, welcome to the podcast. Now, it's not the first time you've been on it, is it?

It isn't, Mark, but good morning, and it's a pleasure to be here, as always.

A long time listeners will remember that last November we were really privileged to be invited to the centenary celebrations

for GCHQ at the National Arboretum.

And GCHQ gave us the opportunity to introduce their new historian David.

So David was with us on that show, but we were kind of focusing on Tony Comer, the previous

historian and his work with us and how much help he's given us over the years.

And I said to David that day, we'll have you back on the show soon and we'll get a bit more detail about you.

And that's what we're going to do here today.

Because I think you've had quite a fascinating life, really, David.

Just the more things you tell me, I think you probably see a more shocked look on my face.

Because let's just start with, what did you study at university?

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