The British Library, as I have mentioned is a neighbor of mine during this London Sojourn (and the past two). This wonderful institution offers evening programs that cover difficult subjects. I previously attended a presentation on Chilean politics on the 50th anniversary of the coup that ended the Allende government and plunged Chile into a period of authoritarian rule. The presentation that is the subject of this discussion was an oral history project to gather the stories of British personnel who were involved in the development and testing of Britain’s nuclear weapons on Christmas Island and off Australia’s coast.

As a retired member of the staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (responsible for assuring the safety, security and the environment in civilian use of nuclear material), I was very interested in this project. In the course of my career I had met American “downwinders” who had been exposed to radiation in the American above ground nuclear testing in the Nevada desert and had many discussions in public forums with citizens concerned about the safety of nuclear power plants, storage facilities, and the transportation of nuclear materials.

If you are interested in this topic, you can find more about the oral history project on the British Library’s website. The centerpiece of the evening, in addition to hearing from some of the veterans in person was the London premier of a short film “The Greatest Force on Earth,”

that told both an overview of the program and the men who, often unwittingly, were onsite when the tests took place, while focusing on the story of one man, Frank Bools, and his family. Mr. Bools ponted out a very salient point. Those that create government policy, without an understanding of the science or technology direct military or civilian engineers, scientists, and others to carry it out. There is often not full and frank communication to the implementors who also do not have the chance to communicate back to those who create the policies. In this case, Mr. Bools and his colleagues were there to carry out their jobs but were also there when the above ground tests occured. Experiencing this had life changing effects on them, including early deaths of many. I would recommend this film to anyone involved in government scientific or technical projects.

The Happier Part of this Entry

Fulham wins 1-0 in a heart stopping end to it match with Leeds. To set the stage, it was another partly cloudy, partly sunny day in London, still dry when I got on the Tube for the long ride to Putney Bridge, the closest station to Fulham F.C.’s home at Craven Cottage. When I arrived, one transfer later and started the 20 minute walk to the stadium, the rain started sprinkly lightly, by the time I crossed into Bishop’s Park, the rain got heavier. I was pretty wet when I arrived. Luckily, only my hat and outerlayer were really damp and I was able to remove them and enjoy the match that was played mostly in the sunshine. The one goal scored in the additional time of the second half (after the 90 minutes of regulation had been played) was deemed a Leeds “own goal” by the referees, but Fulham got the needed 3 points. As always, a match in Craven Cottage is a fun filled experience. Fulham fans are generally a friendly lot and there is always some great sharing of conversations over the course of the game.