A Government Secret In Plain Sight

That's the title of my new Mysterious Universe article, which starts like this...
 
"Sometimes, as I know from experience, the world of officialdom goes to great and extreme lengths to ensure that something of a secret nature remains a secret. On other occasions, however, the situation can be very different. A secret can be hidden in plain sight, with very few people having any awareness of it at all. Even though they might see it on a regular basis. All of which brings me to the photograph directly below. No, it’s not the entrance point to the legendary Hangar 18 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. Nor is it the the doorway to some underground section of Area 51, Nevada. It’s something very different, but still intriguing in its own right.

"The photo shows my father, Frank Redfern, pointing at one of a number of large, thick, tall doors at the Chase Leisure Center in the town of Cannock, Staffordshire, England (which has since been dramatically refurbished – this photo was taken back in the summer of 2000). You may well wonder, why on earth would the below-ground level of the center – which is dedicated to providing the people of Cannock access to exercise machines, a swimming pool, etc. – need such vast and powerful doors made of solid, thick wood and metal? They look like they might be able to withstand an earth-shattering explosion, right? Yes, that is exactly what they look like! And there is a very good reason for that."