Government Code & Cypher School (and a hidden message)

During World War I the British Army and Royal Navy both had separate intelligence agencies. Military Intelligence 1b, MI1(b) and Naval Intelligence Department 25, NID25, respectively. NID25 was initially known as Room 40, or 40 O.B., with O.B. referring to 'old building'. 

Following the conclusion of World War I the Cabinet's Secret Service Committee recommended that a peacetime codebreaking agency should be created. Lord Curzon, chairman of the Cabinet's Secret Service Committee, tasked Hugh Sinclair, Director of Naval Intelligence, with creating the new department.

Hugh Sinclair merged staff from NID25 with MI1(b), with the new agency consisting of between 25-30 officers, with roughly the same amount of clerical staff. Victor Forbes, of the Foreign Office, chose the cover-name 'Government Code & Cypher School (GC&CS).

The Government Code & Cypher School moved into Watergate House, Adelphi, with the Admiralty's Alastair Denniston, previously an NID25 officer, as its operational head. 

Its public directive was "to advise as to the security of codes and cyphers used by all Government departments and to assist in their provision". However, it also had a secret directive: "study the methods of cypher communications used by foreign powers".

Although officially formed on November 1, 1919, the Government Code & Cypher School produced its first decryption on October 19, 1919.

In 1921 the offices moved to the Broadway Buildings, opposite St James's Park, in the same building as the SIS, and came under the supervision of Hugh Sinclair. At the time Hugh Sinclair was Chief of SIS and Director of GC&CS.

On February 14, 2019, HM Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a City of Westminster plaque to mark the centenary of GCHQ.

However, keeping with the codebreaking, communications and cypher work of GCHQ, the plaque contains a hidden message, which most people don't even realise. 

Can you uncover the hidden message?

If you can't figure it out, there is a clue below. 

Various characters, on the plaque, have a dot or dash beneath them. 

If you find them all it reveals the message... 

Highlight the space between the quotation marks, below, to uncover the answer.

"1 HUNDRED YEARS"

So, did you work it out, or did you cheat?

Fireplace and Alcoves, Vincent Street

Standing alone in the heart of Westminster, surrounded by ivy, a fireplace can be seen on the street. This is a relic from one of many houses that once lined this end of Vincent Street, but were destroyed during World War II.

The building that now stands next to this site is Dean Abbott House, which is a sheltered accommodation and retirement housing complex, with security gates and fencing that stop you from seeing more of the relics of the area.

However, during my visit to the fireplace, I got talking to tone of the residents, Tom, who was returning from the shops. He explained about the fireplace and the houses that had once stood here, before mentioning that there was more to see, if I was interested.

A moment later Tom led me through the security gate and showed me the other alcoves, still in situ. Although not as impressive as the fireplace, it was still interesting to see these remnants from the past.

23-24 Leinster Gardens (False Houses)

A real house (left) and a fake house (right).

Leinster Gardens, Bayswater, is a wonderful place to find mid-Victorian terraced houses, lining the majority of one side of the road. Some of these buildings are listed as Grade II or Grade II*, including the 'Leinster Arms' public house.

However, midway along the western side there are some false houses, which are barely distinguishable from the other homes along the street. It is not until you get up close to them that these false facades are more noticeable.

Unlike the homes either side of numbers 23-24, these buildings have fake doors with no letter boxes and the windows are painted a grey colour. 

The facades match perfectly with the rest of the terrace, including balustraded balconies, above columned porches, that are shared with their neighbours.

Ready Money Drinking Fountain

The Ready Money drinking fountain, also known as the Parsee Fountain.

If you walk along the main Broad Walk, of Regent's Park, you will come across this beautiful drinking fountain, which is situated close to the highest point of the park.

Sir Cowasjee Jehangir, whose nickname was 'Ready Money', a wealthy Parsee from Bombay (now Mumbai), was a well respected philanthropist, funding asylums, colleges and hospitals, in India. He gave the fountain to the British nation as a 'thank you' for the protection his countrymen received by the British, in India.

It was built in 1869 and cost £1,400. It is made from 10 tonnes of Sicilian white marble and 4 tonnes of Scottish pink and grey granite. It was designed by Robert Kierle and constructed by the sculptor Henry Ross.

There are carved busts, in the gables, of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and Cowasji Jehangir, with the the fourth gable containing a clock.

Below each of the four basins are small apertures which allowed dogs to drink at the fountain, too.

It became Grade II listed in 1970 and was fully restored, thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, between 1999-2000.

Between 2016-2017 further restoration work was carried out.

Household Cavalry Museum

Keilyn ready for sentry duty.

Saturday October 7, 2023.

Once again Keilyn wanted to go for another walk, back in London. 

Knowing of her love for all things military, (she wants to join the Army Cadets when she is 12), I booked us some tickets for the Household Cavalry Museum, which is a place that neither of us had visited.

A few issues with planned closures, on our normal train route, saw us take the London Overground to South Hampstead from where we walked to Swiss Cottage and continued, via the Jubilee line, to Green Park. From there we took a leisurely stroll along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade. 

I could see on her face that she wasn't impressed, as this was a place that we had visited many times. When I told her where we going her face lit up.

The entrance to the Household Cavalry Museum.

After showing our tickets we began our exploratory of the museum, which we found we had pretty much to ourselves.

The uniform of The Blues and Royals.

With its glass cases housing uniforms, weaponry, medals, historical artefacts, maps and much more, we were both fascinated. 

The uniform of a Life Guard.

After seeing the first few display cases, which were predominantly filled with uniforms, we made our way through to the stables. The wall to our right was tinted glass, as beyond were the stables where horses and guards where busy going about their preparations. To our left were stalls with various interactive screens, colouring and information sheets. There were also uniforms from various regiments, along with gloves, helmets, cuirass and more. Keilyn and I couldn't wait to try some on.

Keilyn in camouflage fatigues.

Sergeant Morrissey ready for duty.

From here we made our way though to the next part of the museum, which ran through the more than 350 year history of the Household Cavalry. From its humble beginnings to its current place in the British Army. Many of their exploits, achievements and characters adorned the walls, cabinets and interactive displays.

A Napoleonic soldier.

River Thames Tide Gauge Hut

River Thames Tide Gauge Hut.

If you were to leave Westminster Station via the Westminster Pier exit, or made your way down the north steps from Westminster Bridge, you will quite possibly have walked by this odd little green turret without giving it a moment's thought.

However, this copper turret houses some important scientific equipment, which you can see if you peer through one of the two small windows in the door.

Home of the Thames Tide Recorder instruments.

The Tide Recorder measures the depth of the River Thames at Westminster Bridge, or more accurately the mean sea level rather than the river bed, which it then sends to the Thames Barrier Control Room every fifteen minutes. This information is then published online.

Westminster City Council look after the upkeep of the exterior, while the tide reading equipment is maintained by the Environment Agency.

I have yet to discover when it was installed, but it has been in situ since the 1930's.

If anyone can find more information about its construction or when it was installed, I would be most grateful.

Tothill Fields Bridewell Gateway

The Old Stone Gateway.

Sunday July 30, 2023.

It was while walking through the City of Westminster, on a Sunday afternoon with drizzle falling from the leaden sky, that I passed by this odd little stone gateway.

It is not completely out of keeping with the area and fits nicely with the building behind which it stands, but I was still unsure as to what its purpose was.

The engraved stone above the gateway states...

“Here are several Sorts of Work for the Poor of this Parish of St Margaret’s Westminster. As also the County, according to law. and for such as will beg and live idle in this City and Liberty of Westminster, Anno 1655.”

This didn't exactly clear up the matter of the gateway for me, but rather made its purpose more confusing.

The Mall

Looking west towards Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial.

The Mall has to be one of the most popular places for tourists to visit, in London, and is open to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Whether it is to see Buckingham Palace, Admiralty Arch, Horse Guards, St James's Palace or either of the two parks, Green and St James's, it is always busy.

A gun salute in Green Park.

Then there are the events that take place along its length, such as Changing the Guard, Royal processions including coronations, state openings of Parliament and state visits.

Changing the Guard always draws the crowds.

Although vehicles are allowed to travel down it, scheduled bus routes are forbidden, unless permission is given by the monarch. This has only been granted twice and occurred in 1927 and 1950. 

Leicester Square

Empire, Leicester Square.

Leicester Square has been a busy hub for tourists and those visiting the area to watch films and shows for many years. The square is used for exhibitions and events throughout the year and is always bustling with a palpable energy.

William Shakespeare fountain.

With the Empire Leicester Square and the Odeon Leicester Square, on two sides which are used for film premieres, and more restaurants than you can count and pubs on the other, it is a magnet for anyone heading to the West End. 

Lumiere Festival, 2016.

To the north is Chinatown, the east Covent Garden, south lies Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus is to the west, making Leicester Square a true hub in the West End.

Enough said.

It is possibly because of how busy the area gets that I prefer walking around other areas of London.

m&m's World.

However, every once in a while, I do head here, especially if there is something worth seeing.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Over the years I have seen many changes to the square and its surroundings. Statues have come and gone. Fountains and water features have been rebuilt and installed. Paving and seating has been improved. Theatres, cinemas, shops and restaurants have come and gone, too.

Celebrity handprints, 2010.

But the atmosphere has always remained.

RAF Bomber Command Memorial

It was on my first visit to the memorial that I began to write more about London and its history, which led me to create this blog. 

The memorial, itself, is an amazing piece of work that inspired me to write a number of pieces about it. That is how much of an impact that it had on me.

Should you find yourself in London's fourth largest Royal Park, then you should definitely take in this huge memorial.

Trafalgar Square: Fourth Plinth

Nelson's Ship in a Bottle.

Ever since Trafalgar Square was opened, in 1844, one of its plinths, situated in the northwest of the square, has remained empty. The other three plinths have statues of King George IV, General Sir Charles James Napier and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock.

It was supposed to have a statue of King William IV affixed, but a lack of funds left the plinth unadorned.

In 1998, the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce commissioned three contemporary sculptures to be temporarily displayed on the plinth. 

Shortly afterwards the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioned a report to seek public opinion on what should happen with the fourth plinth.

The report recommended a rolling programme of temporary artworks rather than a permanent figure. 

Ownership of Trafalgar Square was transferred from Westminster City Council to the Mayor of London, in 2003, which marked the beginning of the Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth Commission.

'Little Ben', Victoria

Little Ben.

Standing outside Victoria Station is a 30 foot replica of the Queen Elizabeth Tower, which is colloquially known as 'Big Ben'.

This replica has been used as a meeting place, since 1892, when French people caught their trains to the English ports. For almost all of this time is has stood where it was erected, except for being removed for a road-widening scheme and also when refurbishments took place at Victoria Station.

It is a wonderful little gem that, unless you are visiting the Victoria area, many people miss.

Needle of Thutmose III

 

A piece of Egypt in London.

As you walk along the Victoria Embankment, outside of the quaint Victoria Embankment Gardens, there stands an Egyptian Needle made of granite. 

It is flanked by two bronze fake Egyptian sphinxes, which stare towards the needle, rather than having their backs to it in a typical guarding posture. This, apparently, was due to an error when they were installed.

My eldest, Alysha, sits with the undamaged sphinx.

On close inspection you can see shrapnel damage, in one of the sphinx, from when a bomb was dropped during a German air raid, in 1917, which detonated close to the needle.

Shrapnel Damage.

Also, the benches along the Victoria Embankment have winged sphinxes as armrests, which adds even more of an Egyptian feel to the area. 

One of the Egyptian styled benches that can be found along Victoria Embankment.

This bench uses Camels as the armrests.

Parliament Square: Statues

Parliament Square is a historic and symbolic garden area to the west of the Palace of Westminster.

I have walked around it on many occasions and have looked at the various statues, that peer down onto the tourists and passersby, but never really grasped the full range of people immortalised in the square.

Below are the statues, currently, spaced around the square.

George Canning (Foreign Secretary 1807–1809 and 1822–1827; Prime Minister 1827) 
by Sir Richard Westmacott.

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (Prime Minister 1852, 1858–1859 and 1866–1868) 

by Matthew Noble.

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (Prime Minister 1855–1858 and 1859–1865) 
by Thomas Woolner.

Blue Plaque: 'Danger Mouse'

"He's the greatest, he's fantastic, wherever there is danger he'll be there. 

He's the ace, he's amazing, he's the strongest, he's the quickest, he's the best."

The home of Danger Mouse.

Friday June 24, 2022.

I had heard rumours that a Blue Plaque had been affixed to a pillar box, in London, showing where Danger Mouse lived. So, off we went.

Danger Mouse's Blue Plaque.

Channel 4 Headquarters, Westminster

 

Big 4.

Wednesday October 27, 2021.

It was a beautiful October morning as my youngest, Keilyn, and I made our way around London. Having stopped to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, we decided to go for a stroll in which Keilyn would be the navigator.

We headed south down Buckingham Gate and on to Artillery Row, before turning westward towards Great Peter Street. The smell of street food emanating from Strutton Ground was intoxicating, but it was the giant number '4', off to our right, which had Keilyn's attention. So, we crossed on to Horseferry Road to investigate. 

Channel 4 HQ.

Keilyn had soon put two-and-two together and realised that this was the home of Channel 4 television. We took some photos, trying not to get passers-by in the images, but, as it was close to lunchtime, this proved difficult.

We then headed up to Strutton Ground and enjoyed some street food, before continuing on our walk around London.

Westminster Station

 

Walls like catacombs.

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Most of the Unfinished City's underground stations have unique features or something that stands them apart from the others. The surface stations are different as they were all built to the same standard, although some, which were added later, were designed to stand out.

Supports, staircases & escalators.

My favourite underground station, from the extension of the Jubilee line, is Westminster, which has a uniqueness to it that I have not seen at any other subsurface station. From the giant box that you descend into, to the staircases, escalators and elevators all supported from giant steel pillars, it is like descending into the bowels of the Earth.

Structural supports.

The lighting is just right to show off the skill and workmanship that went in to constructing this behemoth of a station and, considering the depth to which you descend, this station only has four platforms: Circle & District line eastbound, Circle & District line westbound, Jubilee line eastbound & Jubilee line westbound.

'Station Box'

Brydges Place

 

Brydges Place, Bedfordbury entrance

Brydges Place is an odd curiosity, that I stumbled upon quite by accident. It has the distinction of being London's narrowest passageway, being just 15 inches at its narrowest point.

It was during one of my meandering strolls around the West End that discovered this entrance on Bedfordbury, Charing Cross. I decided to wander along it, to see where it took me.

The entrance was of a typical width of about 6 feet and about 80 feet along another entrance appeared, on my left, which leads to Chandos Place. This entrance was considerably wider and was obviously built to allow vehicles to enter for loading and unloading. 

Continuing along Brydges Place, which runs for roughly 280 feet, the only people I saw were restaurant staff exiting the rear of their premises to place rubbish in the bins. It did make me wonder if, besides those who work along its length, anyone does use this alley as a shortcut.

A sense of unease started to plague me as, slowly, the walls appeared to be closing in on me. By the time I reached the end of Brydges Place, my shoulders were almost touching both sides of the alley. 

Brydges Place, from St. Martin's Lane.

London is full of alleyways and narrow streets, some of which hide hidden gems like pubs and old shops and building. Brydges Place is not one of them. Instead, it is, quite simply, a straight walkway between one place and another. Its only saving grace, is its ability to make you feel uneasy as the walls start to close in on you. Obviously, if you entered from St Martin's Lane the opposite would be true.

A comparison of both entrances.