11/10/2026
From Soviet Spies to Schoolrooms: Help Us Bring Alresford’s Cold War Secret to Life! 🔎🚂
Hello! I am Daniel Ball, the Education Coordinator for the Watercress Line.
Did you know that in 1961, the public toilets on Station Road in New Alresford were a secret "dead drop" for the infamous Portland Spy Ring to pass stolen nuclear submarine blueprints to Soviet handlers?
The Watercress Line Heritage Railway Trust is bringing this incredible local history to life with "Spies on the Platform"—an interactive living history experience and school workshop series. We are also building mobile, vintage-style "Spy Kit" trunks to take these multi-sensory history sessions directly to isolated older people’s groups in rural village halls.
To stretch our £5,000 project budget and make this a reality, we urgently need your help with props, materials, and community connections.
🧳 How You Can Help
• Donate 1960s Props & Materials: We are seeking upcycled 1960s costumes, vintage suitcases, old-fashioned cameras, magnifying glasses, trench coats, hats, mid-century stationery, or any objects that scream "Cold War spycraft."
• Connect Us with Funding: We want to partner with Wi******er district councillors, community grant leads, or local business sponsors to help get this off the ground.
• Recommend Community Groups: Tell us which rural older people's groups or local schools in your ward would love a free visit from our mobile spy trunks.
✉️ Get in Touch
If you can donate props, sponsor our materials, or want to tag your local councillor to get this on their radar, please leave a comment below or email me directly at [email protected]
From Soviet Spies to Schoolrooms: Help Us Bring Alresford’s Cold War Secret to Life! 🔎🚂
