2012

Friday
Private dinner with wine and talk by Dr Mark Baldwin "The Enigma and the Battle of the Atlantic". Mark will bring his own rare four-rotor Enigma machine for guests to examine (April, May, July, October only).
The September talk shall be given by Dr Joel Greenberg, a Canadian mathematician and senior guide from Bletchley Park who will talk about the top secret work carried out at this establishment and the significant role played by code breakers during WWII. He has a unique knowledge of the Colossus computer and will bring an Enigma machine along with him for you to see (September only).

Saturday
Private morning visit to the Intelligence Musuem which was an RAF Y station, intercepting the German Air Force strategic wireless network. Y Stations, many consisting of short wave enthusiasts were the ears of Bletchley Park. In the afternoon we visit Bletchley Park for a light lunch (included) for a talk and guided tour by expert John Pether. Bletchley is the home of the famous Enigma code breakers, who Winston Churchill described as "his silent geese who laid the golden eggs and never cackled".

Sunday
To RAF Tempsford, Churchill's most secret airfield. This was home to the 'Secret Special Duties Squadron' which flew SOE Agents and supplies for resistance forces during WWII. Although Hitler knew of its existence and said, "find this viper's nest and obliterate it" the Germans were never able to find its location in order to bomb it and many of its secrets were only released from the Official Secrets List in 1998. Whilst at RAF Tempsford, we visit Gibraltar Farm which was the Agents final dispatch point. Gibraltar Farm Barn was built deliberately to look like a normal farm barn to fool German air-reconnaissance and was where agents were supplied with their equipment and their poison pills, in case of capture. The barn contains several plaques and memorials to the agents, both men and women who were killed after being captured and tortured. A new small museum is currently being developed by Tempsford that we may be able to view subject to opening in 2012. Then it is on to Shuttleworth Old Warden Collection which has a superb collection of vintage aircraft from WWI and WWII. Whilst here, you will be accompanied by guides who will take you to see the SOE configured Lysander and talk about its SOE usage. There will also be some time set aside for you to view some of the historic aircraft collection in the hanger. Your visit includes a soup and sandwich lunch and tea/coffee. Final visit before returning to your hotel is to Carpetbagger Aviation Musuem, Harrington of the USAAF's 801st/492nd Bomb Group, (the musuem displays and exhibits the history of the airfield and vividly shows the work carried out by the 801st (Provisional)/492nd Bomb Group, especially during Operation Carpetbagger, and their secret missions to deliver agents and supplies to resistance groups in occupied Europe). Other Exhibits and displays include the secret work of the British Special Operations Executive from their RAF based at Tempsford; the cold war roles of the airfield at Harrington with the Thor rockets; and the Royal Observer Corps.

Please note: Extra nights are available at a supplement, please click here or on the availability tab above to select your date of travel and extra night rates

NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour managers discretion

Northampton Marriott Hotel
Located close to J15 of the M1, the modern, 4-star Northampton Marriott Hotel offers a bar, restaurant, indoor pool, gym and comfortable bedrooms with private bath/shower, TV and telephone.

Hilton Northampton Hotel (7 September ONLY)
Located 10 minutes from Northampton town centre the 4-star Hilton Northampton Hotel offers a restaurant, bar, fitness centre, indoor pool, and modern comfortable bedrooms with private bath/shower, TV and telephone. On-site parking is available at £5 per 24 hours which is payable locally to the hotel.