Knit for the Codebreakers this Winter
Bletchley Park will be adding a seasonal feel to the dressed rooms during the festive period and your knitting could play a part in bringing the wartime winter to life. The men and women here had to wrap up warm for their shifts because it was so cold in their offices. Often they huddled in their woollens while the fires filled their offices with smoke, necessitating the opening of a window to make the atmosphere bearable.
To keep the rooms in tune with the time of year Digitisation and Exhibitions Officer, Sarah Kay, will be introducing hats, gloves and scarves to the set dressed rooms. Keen knitters can see their 1940s style creations as part of the office scene. Sarah will also be adding period or imitation winter coats and umbrellas to the rooms.
Sarah said, “We will add some light set dressing to what’s already in the Mansion Library and Denniston’s Office. These items can be very expensive to buy and people then would probably have just sat and knitted. Christmas during wartime was all about making things. There are nine desks in the library, which is nine imaginary Codebreakers, so I need quite a lot.”
Bletchley Park is also actively seeking 1930s and 1940s style Christmas decorations to add to the rooms over the festive period, as well as post war antique books. These will be used to build a Christmas tree of books among other things.
Donated items will be used for set dressing and therefore subject to wear and tear. If you would like to donate to the Bletchley Park Trust for the winter season please send an email with a picture to Sarah at skay@bletchleypark.org.uk They will need to be at Bletchley Park by Monday 16 November.