Museum appeals for memories of first nuclear power station

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 06:08 · Archive

The Beacon Museum is inviting people to share photographs and memories of Calder Hall, the world's first full-scale nuclear power station, as it marks 70 years since its opening.

Calder Hall at Sellafield, opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 October 1956, was the world's first industrial-scale nuclear power station to supply electricity to a national grid. The station operated for 47 years before closing in March 2003. Its four cooling towers were demolished in September 2007, and the station's four reactors were completely emptied of nuclear fuel in 2019 as part of Sellafield's ongoing decommissioning programme.

The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven is launching a free exhibition titled 70 Years of Calder Hall, running from 19 to 25 October between 10am and 4pm. The museum is inviting people to share their memories of the pioneering station as part of the exhibition, which will celebrate the people, memories and stories connected to the station and West Cumbria's nuclear heritage.

Visitors are encouraged to bring along photographs, memorabilia and personal recollections to help create a living archive of Calder Hall's legacy. The exhibition will also feature two free talks entitled Demolition of an Icon, delivered by Jason Bone, senior project manager at Sellafield Ltd, on 20 and 22 October at 2pm. Booking for the talks is essential. Admission to the exhibition is free.

How it is being reported

• Why memories of a nuclear 'icon' are being sought 70 years onAn appeal has been launched for photographs, memorabilia and memories of the world's first full-scale nuclear power station as it marks its 70th anniversary.Whitehaven News · 16 Oct, 05:00
• Why memories of a nuclear 'icon' are being sought 70 years onAn appeal has been launched for photographs, memorabilia and memories of the world's first full-scale nuclear power station as it marks its 70th anniversary.Cumberland News · 16 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Calder Hall · Sellafield · Queen Elizabeth II · The Beacon Museum · Whitehaven · West Cumbria · Jason Bone · Sellafield Ltd

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem