My husband and I watched the film "The Imitation Game" this past weekend. It is the amazing story of Alan Turing and the work done by Mr. Turing and the codebreakers at Bletchley Park during World War II. The movie is very well done but it is also very sad. After viewing it, I wanted to know more about the Bletchley Park codebreakers. I found an article in The Telegraph. You may read it here.
I found it interesting to read about each of the characters in the movie. I especially wanted to know more about Joan Clarke (the role played by Keira Knightly). Amazingly, this woman was a part of the team and if you think of the sexism during the 1940's, it is incredible that she was allowed to participate at all.
As was typical for girls at Bletchley, (and they were referred to as girls, not women) Clarke was initially assigned clerical work, and paid just £2 a week , significantly less than her male counterparts.
Hey! Guess what! I just saw...and this is just one of those little coincidences of life that tickle me...Keira Knightly just had a baby today!
"It's always a happy time when babies come".... Anybody know what movie that comes from? I am from GEORGIA, if that gives you a hint.
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One of the men at Bletchley once spent a sleepless night and came up with a long and amusing palindrome:
DOC, NOTE: I DISSENT. A FAST NEVER PREVENTS A FATNESS. I DIET ON COD.
(Remember, a palindrome is a word or sentence that reads the same forward and backwards.)
Ha! I love that! I will never eat fish & chips in England without thinking of that!
This is photo of the Fish & chips that Richard had in England, the owners of the Fish & Chip shop made this without any breading...but it is still cod and it was very good!
Here is a small photo of Bletchley Park from Wikipedia. It has become a popular tourist spot, about one hour north of London. I am not likely to see it, for all the visits I have made to England, the furthest north I have been is...London!
I think "The Imitation Game" is a stunning movie and Benedict Cumberbatch was robbed, ROBBED, of the Oscar for Best Actor.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW, he did a fantastic job! I could hardly recognize that it was him, but that is British acting for you!
DeleteI am going to have to watch that! Sounds like a GREAT movie.
ReplyDeleteI always think of the palindrome : Able was I ere I saw Elba. lol xo Diana
You would like it, I think.
DeleteI like that palindrome but I always think of this one:
A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.
Wonderful! :-)
I loved The Imitation Game and always been fascinated by the Enigma story. But I would watch anything with Benedict Cumberbatch, really :-)
ReplyDeleteCouldn't guess the quote.
Amalia
xo
I am fascinated by most anything that is a true story but especially those that are inspiring or those that make such a difference in the world in a positive way!
DeleteThe quote is from....no, wait...I will tell you in a future post! xx
Sounds that The Imitation Game is a good movie. Fish and chips tempts me to eat them. Colorful header...
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you for your comment. Please stop by again!!
DeleteI think you would like that movie.
My husband takes the BEST photos, he took that Fish & Chips photo but he wasn't with me when I took the poppies photo next to the old sharecropper's house, but I bet HIS would have been better!
I've read a few articles about the Bletchley Park people, Alan Turing and Enigma in my weekly paper over the past years, but have not yet seen the movie. You certainly make it sound well worth watching.
ReplyDeleteThose fish & chips look great!
Just as in my book reviews, I never want to say TOO much and therefore, I hardly say anything! I was a good movie but it left me wanting to know more so that is why I was pleased to share that article from The Telegraph!
DeleteAh, fish & chips...just give me COD! xx
Hi Kay...the quote is from Steel Magnolias I think? Love that movie. And The Imitation Game was incredible, I agree. We live very close to Bletchley Park...and amazing story of those brave and brilliant young people who changed the course of the war, really. Alan Turing's story is a terribly sad one...the waste...and all because of something that's really so trivial. Very glad you reminded me of the film which we saw a while ago. I must watch it again soon. Sending love x
ReplyDeleteAh, I wonder...perhaps one of the characters might have said this in "Steel Magnolias" but if so, they were quoting from a much earlier movie!!
DeleteOh, how lucky you are to live so near to many interesting places!!
Love to you, Rachel! So happy to see your comment here! Hope you are doing well and enjoying your lovely English garden! xx
I haven't seen the film, but will look out for it. That is a great palindrome isn't it! A very long one to work out!!!! xx
ReplyDeleteIt just goes to show how those brilliant minds were...how much their minds much have been racing that it was hard to switch off at night!
DeleteMe, I just drop right off! LOL. xx
I used to eat fish and chips all the time when I lived in San Francisco. They wrapped it in newspaper would you believe. So good.
ReplyDeleteSo VERY GOOD! Yum!
DeleteI have been fascinated by code breakers most of my life. It is like playing a game. I was also surprised to learn that people did not know about the Indian code talkers. I learned about them as a child. After the movie Windtalkers most people now know that the Navaho were instrumental in keeping military plans from the enemy. However several other tribes were also used in the same way.
ReplyDeleteHardly anyone knows about the Indian code talkers.
DeleteI find true stories like this fascinating! Of course, it is hard to compete against the important question of what will you do when the Zombies try to take over! (????!!!!!!!!)
Palindromes and code breakers have always gotten my attention!
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of the brilliant minds that were able to accomplish the breaking of the Enigma code machine!
DeleteMy first thoughts went to "Steel Magnolias". I love that movie.
ReplyDeleteI've yet to see "The Imitation Game"...but I will do so. It is such a sad story...particular what happened to Turing after the war; after his very important, brilliant contribution. He should never have been treated the diabolic way he was...causing him to commit suicide. So very wrong!
I love "Steel Magnolias" too...but that's not the movie! :-)
DeleteI hope you will see the movie, it is one that everyone should see!!
Not seen the film yet but there was a TV series on here a while ago called the Bletchley Circle about four women code breakers who turn detective after the war.
ReplyDeleteLike the fish and chips photo. Can almost smell the salt and vinegar.
You are so lucky, you do have better TV there, that is a FACT.
DeletePerhaps they will show that here in a few years, I will look out for it!!
Yes, Richard took that photo of his fish & chips, he was so happy to be able to have them!
Was reading your linked article over at the Telegraph. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the movie, and will have to watch it sometime.
You always find the best on history, Kay. Keep up the good blogging!
So glad you read that article!!!
Delete"The best on history"....I love that!!
Thank you!
I went to Bletchley Park last month. It's a spooky kind of place and what struck me was just how advanced a lot of the mathematics was in the thirties and forties. I suppose arrogantly I feel that all clever thinking and science must somehow be the product of our current technological age. And then it occurs to me that quantum theory appeared first in 1927, before we even had transistors or antibiotics. Quite why I choose these milestones I am not quite sure. But they seem to signify the main advances of the 20th century. In the film, I found it hilarious to see some of the depictions of AT's Aspergers traits and my son, who has more than a touch of it did cast a wry look at me over the lunch scene; A type of exchange which is not unfamiliar to us. A sad tale with a tragic end, but the brilliance of the people, especially AT, is portrayed beautifully. That homosexuality was only decriminalised in the 1960s dismays me. Thank goodness we are living in (at least in the West) more enlightened times.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that we are living in more enlightened times and we may be in some ways but there are some very dark days now, very sad and depressing.
ReplyDeleteI also found some of those scenes very familiar. Best to surround yourself with bubbly, positive people-that is the best way I have found to handle it.
Thanks for your comment, I was very pleased to see it here.