The

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

Welcome to the May 2023 episode of the Bletchley Park podcast, Stored Secrets.

Like many heritage organisations, Bletchley Park Trust holds a collection within its storerooms,

and we're always seeking how to improve how it's managed and taking care of.

Now, due to the support of foundations, trusts and generous individuals, we've created a new collection centre.

Once the building had been refurbished and kitted out, the curatorial team had the mammoth task of moving and rehousing the collection of over 400,000 items,

from intelligence reports to teleprinter components, clothing to coded messages.

The new collection centre was completed in October 2022 and boasts first-class storage and preservation facilities.

There's also a brand new reading room, allowing researchers and academics

to access our archives and objects

for their publications or teaching work.

The Bletchley Park podcast went for a behind-the-scenes tour

with head of programs Nicola Ayrton

and sat down with museum archivist Dean Aniston

in the new reading room

to explore some of the collections treasures from the stores.

I'm Nicola Ertson and I'm the head of programmes here at Butchley Park, so that means I'm responsible for collections,

exhibitions, learning and research. Now, we have a new facility here at Bletchley Park. Last year,

we saw the conclusion of the renovations to Block A. Visitors to the Blacksley Park will know that

Block A kind of sits on the edge of what we used to call the teleprinter hall.

Now, behind that were, for years, areas that were used by local businesses, weren't they?

...