Each year, I try to organise a staff trip somewhere with a meaningful connection to AJR’s work and the community we support. In 2026, the choice was an obvious one: the newly opened House of Secrets at Trent Park.
We were particularly fortunate to be joined by broadcaster and writer Robin Lustig, whose father was one of the German-speaking refugees recruited to work as a secret listener at Trent Park during the Second World War.
As a large group, we were warmly welcomed by Giuseppe Albano, Director of the museum, who began by giving us an introduction to the history of this extraordinary house.
From grand country house to wartime intelligence centre
The ground floor of Trent Park is magnificent. The restoration has brought the house back to its original character, with beautiful furnishings and interiors that give a real sense of the world of those who lived and socialised there before the war. Many belonged to the British aristocratic and royal circles of the time.
But behind this glamorous setting lies a very different story.
Moving through a hidden door, we began to discover how Trent Park was transformed during the war into a secret intelligence centre. German prisoners of war were brought to the house, where conversations were secretly recorded using listening devices installed throughout the building.
Down in the basement, a series of small rooms reveals how the secret listeners worked, monitored conversations and recorded what they heard. Seeing the spaces for ourselves brought this extraordinary chapter of wartime history to life.
A remarkable connection to AJR
The connection between Trent Park and AJR is particularly poignant. Around 100 of the secret listeners were recruited from the German refugee community – people who had themselves fled Nazi persecution and ultimately played a role in helping Britain defeat Nazi Germany.
For an organisation whose history is so closely intertwined with the experiences of Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe, this made our visit especially meaningful.
For the AJR team, it was a fascinating and memorable day – combining history, our own organisational heritage and the personal story of Robin Lustig’s father.
A huge thank you to Robin for sharing his father’s story with us, and to the team at Trent Park for bringing this remarkable history to life.
Now, the question is: how are we going to top this next year?
Karen Markham – Head of HR & Operations
