THOUSANDS TURN UP FOR NPL’S BUSHY HOUSE OPEN DAY (PHOTO SPECIAL)

13th September 2025 Stuart Higgins

**The NPL choir and band played under cover in the grounds of Bushy House**

**Perimeter signage highlighted the historic achievements of the NPL including fixing Big Ben and weighing the supersonic Concorde**

**Alan Turing worked on the world’s first Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) in 1946 and the metric system was established too**

**Kids were able to enjoy pony rides provided by Park Lane Stables during the open day**

Thousands of visitors turned up at Teddington’s world famous National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to mark its 125th anniversary as a centre of science, innovation and research.

As well its well-known history and role in the development of the first computer with code-breaker Alan Turing and the crucial part it played in developing the bouncing bomb, lesser known achievements were showcased.

**Bushy House in Teddington’s Bushy Park today**

**Bushy House was a social hub in its historic heyday as the original home of of The Duke of Clarence**

**Alan Turing worked on the world’s first computer, the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE)**

**Filming of The Dambusters about the Bouncing Bomb took place at the NPL**

**The NPL was called into weigh the supersonic jet Concorde. It weighed 78.700 kgs – about 86.000 tons**

For instance, how it invented radar, helped Big Ben keep time, weighed Concorde and now helps detect earthquakes from underwater cables and made a significant contribution to developing low-cost ventilators to support the Covid emergency.

The NPL and is scientists and mathematicians were pioneers in the development of the chip and pin system so widely used now and the biometric passport which is scanned at border force checkpoints.

As well as various historic museum items, there were short films detailing NPL’s expertise in the scientific fields of time, measurement and balance as well as contributing to medical and cancer breakthroughs and climate change and space research.

Fortunately, the rain held off for the annual Bushy House (once the home of the Duke of Clarence) Garden Party to allow guests to enjoy performances from the NPL band and choir and for kids to experience pony rides, courtesy of Park Lane Stables and the popular liquid nitrogen show.

For more information go to: https://www.npl.co.uk/about-us/history/famous

https://www.npl.co.uk/getmedia/698e3fc8-c89b-4af4-b613-601378576a7a/11408-History-of-NPL-Aug-2025-sml.pdf

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