The West Winford Incident (24 page)

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The main theme of ‘The West Winford Incident' – the turbine failure – is based upon the failure of a steam turbine which occurred at Hinkley Point ‘A' Power Station in 1969. Unlike the fictitious Winford incident, the management and execution of the Hinkley Point inquiry was a credit to everyone involved. The former Central Electricity Generating Board and the turbine manufacturers mounted a huge investigation and both the publication of results and adoption of remedial measures were accomplished with commendable efficiency.

I have been fortunate to receive the help and guidance of many folk through the ups and downs of this adventure. My particular thanks to Edward Fenton for his insightful assessment of the draft manuscript, Tony Baker for his encouragement to persevere, Mike Sadler for his advice on various aspects of power plant water chemistry and of course, the folk at Troubador.

The onerous task of proof reading, computer advice and general support was undertaken by, the ever willing, Mike Parker.

Finally to my wife who, in addition to encouraging and sustaining me during the hours of toil, coped admirably with the mood swings and was a tremendous help in the last vital final stages of manuscript production. Despite the help from those mentioned and others, errors and omissions will have intruded for which I accept full responsibility.

A Note to the good folk of North Wiltshire.

The portrayal, in this fictional story, of Wiltshire locals as a sad, unadventurous lot living in the past, is merely a literary device. On our arrival into the real Wiltshire, 25 years ago, we were received warmly into the community. Having retired, we were particularly pleased to find a wide variety of activities available to make life stimulating and pleasant. Thank you all.

Poem: (Chap 20) – extract from ‘A Sunday with Shepherds and Herdboys' by John Clare.