Back row (L to R): PC Thonemann, WP Grove, WG Marley, EH Cooke-Yarborough, AS White, JF Jackson, NF Goodway, WS Eastwood, RM Fishenden, E Bretscher, TB Le Gren, BH Flowers, TG Pickavance, HK Grout
Front row (L to R): HM Finniston, GW Dolphin, DW Fry, BFJ Schonland (Director), R Spence, DR Williams, JV Dunworth
DIDO, a high-flux heavy-water moderated, enriched uranium fuelled reactor for research and isotope production started work at AERE Harwell in November 1956. Five similar reactors have been built; they are DMTR (Dounreay), PLUTO (Harwell), HIFAR (Lucas Heights), DR3 (Riso, Denmark) and Julich FR2 (West Germany).
BEPO is a natural uranium fuelled graphite moderated reactor with a horizontal lattice which can attain a power of 6000 KW and is cooled by air. It has a medium neutron flux and is used for the irradiation of materials and production of isotopes. When built in 1948 BEPO was Europe's most powerful reactor.
At Harwell studies are made on the chemistry of the heavy elements (uranium, neptunium, plutonium etc). The work is done in glove boxes -- completely closed boxes with transparent Perspex windows. Instruments and chemical apparatus are manipulated manually through neoprene gloves sealed into "ports" in the Perspex windows.
Photos of the Library in 1960 (from a relative of David H) plus some modern-day photos (from Nick P) of a model of the Library which, until mid-2024, had been on display there until it was moved into DIDO.
These photos are from an old photo album -- the sort where you peel back a clear film and place photos on the sticky board beneath. The photos have probably been in there since shortly after they were taken so it is too dangerous to attempt to free them in case they rip.