I wrote to the Trust last month about the "Disneyland" orientation and the problems with the Museum, and here is the answer I got:
Many thanks for taking the trouble to write to us. I am very sorry that you were upset by the reports carried in the media which I hope to reassure you were largely false.
I am sorry that the highly inaccurate and misleading report carried by the BBC caused you such concern. In particular, the very selective extracts from Iain Standen’s interview created a completely false impression of what is occurring and, more importantly, why.
Volunteer tour guide Tony Carroll has not been sacked. He continues to be a valued volunteer at the Bletchley Park Trust. He was asked to stop giving public tours as he been unwilling to deliver the shorter revised tour. He continues to work voluntarily for the Trust in the Education department, providing tours for school groups.
The Trust is enormously grateful to its army of volunteers, without whom it could not offer a personal, knowledgeable service to visitors. The Trust is currently investing in high quality training to further improve visitors’ experience as the huge, much-needed, Heritage Lottery Funded £8 million restoration project approaches completion. This project will bring many historic buildings on the site back to a state of good repair and create an inspiring experience for its ever-increasing numbers of visitors. This will create a world class museum and heritage site which is a fitting memorial to the heroic Codebreakers of Bletchley Park making the site much more sustainable and accessible to growing numbers of visitors.
It should be made absolutely clear that The National Museum of Computing remains available to any visitor to Bletchley Park who wishes to visit it. The story of breaking the German’ Fish’ Ciphers, which includes the story of the birth of Colossus, is one that is told in the Bletchley Park Museum, and visitors are encouraged to visit The National Museum of Computing to see the replica Colossus and Tunny machines.
In 2012, in response to adverse visitor feedback, regarding the number of different charges levied within Bletchley Park, the Bletchley Park Trust proposed to The National Museum of Computing a single ticketing solution whereby the Bletchley Park Trust would charge an admission fee, which would be uplifted to include the Colossus gallery charge (£2 for adults and £1 for concessions and groups). This uplift would have been paid directly to The National Museum of Computing for every visitor (without any administration or handling charges) so that The National Museum of Computing would have been able to glean a substantial income from visitors to the Bletchley Park Trust Museum.
This offer resulted in lengthy negotiations which ultimately proved inconclusive, and both sides agreed to operate independently. Operating independently means that The National Museum of Computing continues to occupy Block H and develop its own Museum. It has its own opening hours, continues to charge its own entry fees and conduct its own marketing activities.
The new visitor centre on site will help receive all visitors and allow them to consider how they would like to see the site, and which areas to visit. It does not replace the museum or any of its exhibits. I hope you will come and see for yourself that the site is being restored faithfully as a fitting memorial to the heroes of Bletchley Park.
Please see our updated official statement here.
h ttp://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/news/v.rhtm/Statement_of_Facts-757580.h
Yours sincerely,
The Bletchley Park Trust
Biting the hand that feeds IT
