Secret wartime role of St Albans nursery (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Secret wartime role of St Albans nursery

9:45am Monday 26th July 2010

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THE manager of a St Albans nursery is to speak on the radio about how the building played a crucial role in countering enemy spies during World War Two.

Michelle Simpson of Busy Bees in King Harry Lane will feature next month on BBC Three Counties Radio alongside Pamela Shields, whose book Hertfordshire’s Secrets and Spies explains how the building, known as Glenalmond, was used by MI6 for counter espionage.

Ms Simpson said: "At the time, MI6 was the most secretive organisation in the world. Section V of MI6 used the building on King Harry Lane in 1944 to sift, assess and distribute decrypted German communication in their attempt to impede German espionage, long before the building was converted into a Busy Bees Nursery.

“We were very excited to hear more about the history of the nursery’s building, especially one so interesting. The children are very impressed that real-life James Bonds used the nursery for their covert operations."

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