General Information
During the year 2000 D J Clark built a visual record of the Lancaster &
Morecambe district using photographs and information submitted by those that
feature in the pictures. The project was conducted in association with Lancaster
Museum and has been archived for future generations to look back at the district
at the turn of the new Millennium. For more information on the project visit
the information page. If you find a caption is
wrong or there is a fault with the page please e-mail D
J Clark.
Date:
October 20th, 2000
Location: Heysham
Photographer's Diary
Friday 20th October - Heysham Nuclear Power Station
This was to be the climax of months of preparation and the one subject I thought
impossible. This was not the case. One letter sent to the director found it's
way to the visitors centre who in turn made arrangements with me for a guide.
On arrival I was told the visitors centre was to be closed, a great shame given
its exhibits but there just was not the audience it needed to justify an existence.
"OK, so I start with the visitors centre in that case". I did and
then with my guide Bob headed off for the Heysahm 1.
The power station was spilt into two self contained units creatively named 1
& 2. My guide or I had no clue why I was visiting 1 as I was continually
told how much better 2 was, but these were the instructions given. As we passed
through the first gate, I was introduced to what was to be a series of gates
and forms. Essentially we only visited two parts of the station. The turbines,
a huge loud space where the electricity was generated from the steam that came
out the reactors. I was told each of the two reactors could produce enough electricity
to feed one and a half times a city the size of Manchester, that to me seemed
astounding.
After a brief person less tour we went on to the controlled zone. More security
gates and on to a security manager. Almost in, Bob found his film badge (an
electronic method of adding up radioactivity received) was missing, so we tracked
back through the gates to another office. There I was questioned again, but
this time more doubts were raised as to my ability to enter the zone. Some pieces
of paper later and a phone call to get my national insurance number, I was given
the go ahead and we made our way back to the controlled Zone.
Picking up a gigo counter on the way in we made our way onto the floor of the
reactors. I was there right next to it, touching it, this enemy of all men and
potential destroyer of the human race. We walked up some stairs to the top,
walking over the reactors as if if it were a pavement below. Finally I found
some people to photograph at work on the floor. It somehow seemed disappointing.
Like a James Bond badies secret factory, men with white coats and clipboards
strolled the corridors, and odd rooms appeared with huge numbers of buttons,
but there was nothing visual that appeared extraordinary.
Getting out was another obstacle course of scans, and paper forms. "Take
this to that office to get this persons signature before going to that office
to have it counter signed". We got out and I thanked my guide before returning
home.