� IN FOCUS l SOUTH OF ENGLAND & ISLE OF WIGHT Warner Bros. Studio Tour showcases artworks


Bletchley Park to open wartime building at Easter


Bletchley Park will open one of its Second World War buildings to the public at Easter, telling the history of the hut that housed the machines which broke Enigma. A new exhibition called Hut 11A: The Bombe Breakthrough will explain the challenge posed by Enigma and explore how Alan Turing and others devised a machine to help solve it. Wartime objects on display at the Buckinghamshire attraction will include original blueprints, decrypted Nazi messages and the WRNS visitors’ book signed by key figures in the Bletchley Park story. Iain Standen, Bletchley Park Trust


chief executive, said: “Our visitors will learn how the ‘Bombes’ helped to break the Enigma cipher in one of the buildings that housed the machines designed by Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and others.” Tourism and heritage minister John Glen added: “The Bletchley Park codebreakers played a pivotal role in the outcome of the Second World War and the technology they pioneered shaped how we live today. Opening Hut 11A to the public will inspire people to learn how their work changed the world.” bletchleypark.org.uk


DID YOU KNOW


The D-Day Museum in


Portsmouth reopens in spring 2018 after a £4.9 million transformation, with new displays about D-Day and the


Normandy invasion. ddaymuseum.co.uk


16 TravelGBI | February 2018


MARWELL ZOO MULTIMILLION-POUND ATTRACTION: Marwell Zoo near Winchester will open its £7.8 million Tropical House at Easter. The Tropical House will be the biggest exhibit at the zoo, and marks the second phase of a £17 million investment programme. It will offer close-up views of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and


insects. marwell.org.uk travelgbi.com


Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will turn the spotlight on the artists who created the world seen in the Harry Potter films (February 9-19). Coinciding with the half-term


holidays, the exhibition will explore the crafts and artistry that conjured Harry’s wizarding world, including technical drawings, white card models and props. Original members from the art department will demonstrate film-making techniques including live wand-making demonstrations. Visitors can also book


Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall (February 9-10). Guests have after-hours access to the Studio Tour, a tankard of butterbeer and their choice of wand. The Goblet of Fire will be


celebrated at the attraction, with the goblet and other props from the Trizwizard Tournament on


display (March 30- September 23). And visitors can discover the filmmaking secrets behind the wizarding world’s Dark Arts (September 28-November 11). The Great Hall set will be


decorated with more than 100 pumpkins suspended from the ceiling and visitors can try their wand combat moves against Death Eaters.


Hogwarts in the Snow


(November 17-January 27, 2019) is the annual festive feature, which sees the Great Hall transformed for the Yule Ball, the Gryffindor common room dressed for the season and a blanket of filmmaking snow covering the Hogwarts castle model.


wbstudiotour.co.uk


Southampton goes full steam ahead for groups


Southampton’s heritage steamship SS Shieldhall has partnered with the SeaCity Museum to woo groups. Group packages with a Titanic theme are available, and include a visit to the museum, a guided walk around Southampton’s Titanic Quarter and Titanic Memorials, and a three-hour afternoon cruise on the Shieldhall. The steamship will also celebrate 30 years of


charitable ownership in 2018. It was in 1988 that the Solent Steam Packet charity


was formed, and now Shieldhall is a regular sight on the Solent during the summer season. Trips for the 2018 season include sailings coinciding with the Round the Island Yacht Race, Cowes Fireworks, the Three Queens in Port, Bournemouth Air Festival and the Southampton Boat Show. ss-shieldhall.co.uk


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