Atomium (EXPO58), Brüssel, den 24. Oktober 2010.
On October 17th 1956 the Queen opened the world's first
full-scale nuclear power station, at Calder Hall in Cumber-
land. A crowd of several thousand people gathered to watch
the opening ceremony, which was also attended by scientists
and statesmen from almost forty countries. Her Majesty the
Queen gave her speech in the shadow of the massive chim-
neys of the Windscale plant, where explosives were made
for Britain’s first atomic bomb. She gave a timely reminder
of the more sinister origins of the technology.
“This new power, which has proved itself to be such a terri-
fying weapon of destruction,” she said, “is harnessed for the
first time for the common good of our community.”
At 1216 GMT, she pulled the lever which would direct elec-
tricity from the power station into the National Grid for the
first time. The town of Workington, 15 miles up the Cumber-
land coast from Calder Hall, became the first town in the
world to receive light, heat and power from nuclear energy.
Within four hours, the first nuclear-powered electricity was
reaching London.
full-scale nuclear power station, at Calder Hall in Cumber-
land. A crowd of several thousand people gathered to watch
the opening ceremony, which was also attended by scientists
and statesmen from almost forty countries. Her Majesty the
Queen gave her speech in the shadow of the massive chim-
neys of the Windscale plant, where explosives were made
for Britain’s first atomic bomb. She gave a timely reminder
of the more sinister origins of the technology.
“This new power, which has proved itself to be such a terri-
fying weapon of destruction,” she said, “is harnessed for the
first time for the common good of our community.”
At 1216 GMT, she pulled the lever which would direct elec-
tricity from the power station into the National Grid for the
first time. The town of Workington, 15 miles up the Cumber-
land coast from Calder Hall, became the first town in the
world to receive light, heat and power from nuclear energy.
Within four hours, the first nuclear-powered electricity was
reaching London.
