Many UK CMLers have strong feelings about this disaster and the fact that it may have effected them. Should be worth viewing.
'On October 10, 1957, fire began to spread through the core of the structurally volatile Windscale nuclear reactor, part of the present-day Sellafield site, releasing radioactive dust into the skies of Britain. '
This link gives more info
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7030281.stm
Pennie.
Not knowing much about this I tuned in and it was a typically good beeb type documentary...
understanding the politics of the time around some of the decisions that where made, made for interesting viewing. Also knowing how close to something like a chernobly catastrophe happening is very sobering.
No mention of any after the event impacts to people or the environment was made, but it didn't sound great..
I watched this programme and as someone who may have been affected by the fallout (as my aunt and uncle lived in Cumbria I spent a lot of time during summer holidays througout the 50's and 60's in the area south of Windscale) i was shocked at the real catastrophe that 'nearly' took place. our family was aware the official story of the accident at the time and the need to throw cows milk away, but it was frightening to learn of what really had happened.
if it wasn't for that one guy (forget his name) who shut off the air that was feeding the fire, the 'core' would have continued to burn and would have exploded. we still would be suffering the dire consequences to this day.
sandy C ;o)
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the programme was the stuff that wasn't said. Like Sandy I was in and around the area in the 50s and 60s. My brother, who was born in March 1958, had a very rare bone cancer when he was 3. At the time my parents were told this was caused by a particular form of radiation, and the cancer was most usual in Japan. As a family we have always wondered just what went on at windscale, and how far the pollution cloud spread. Perhaps even now things are not fully open?
pennie
I didn't watch the programme but have been wondering about links between CML and AML and their causes. The reason being... a friend of mine's Dad died last year suddenly and within 4 weeks of being dx with AML. They lived in the house which is now opposite our house but when we were at school together back in the 1980's. They moved from this road and we moved here in 1999. Gary was dx with CML 3 yrs ago. Any suggestions or just a horrible coincidence??
RACHEL
