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Further reading □ Jack Howlett □ Gerry Pickavance □ Percy Bowles □ Godfrey Stafford □ Jim Valentine
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    CHILTON CATALOGUE
⟶ Chilton Catalogue ⟶ Correspondence
CHILTON CATALOGUE
⟶ Chilton Catalogue ⟶ Correspondence
Further reading ⇓

□ Jack Howlett
□ Gerry Pickavance
□ Percy Bowles
□ Godfrey Stafford
□ Jim Valentine

Notes, papers and correspondence from Chief Engineer Percy Bowles

A variety of correspondence and papers from the files of the Chief Engineer, mostly associated with the Rutherford Laboratory Building Committee.

1958
Machine tools for the Proton Synchrotron (Note from Bowles concerning need for a local Engineering workshop in Arcon building 470.8, 22 March 1958) Minutes regarding building progress including siting of Industrial Staff accommodation (between Arcon building 470.8 and Office Block 470.1) and switch gear, alternator house drawings, building estimates, floor finish and schemes for Control Room lighting (19 April 1958) Minutes written by GL Cooper, B412 of a meeting to discuss Library Services for NIRNS shared with the AERE Library (22 April 1959) Minutes regarding building progress including shielding blocks, cooling toe4rs and cranes (21 May 1958) Minutes regarding building progress including alternator design and work by Building Research Establishment (19 June 1958) Minutes regarding building progress including allocation of work and contracts (11 July 1958) Minutes regarding selection of contractor for the control system (28 July 1958) Minutes regarding building completion dates (29 July 1958) Minutes regarding the programme for civil construction and handover dates (30 July 1958) Minutes regarding draft invitation to tender document, accommodation for Contractor's staff, canteens, transport, working hours and timescales (19 August 1958)
1959
Letter from JAV Willis to RE Reynolds, B329 with approval to place an order with Edwards High Vacuum Ltd for the Nimrod vacuum equipment at the tender price of 53,378 pounds (7 January 1959) Letter from CR Macdonald, Central Council of the Federated Superannuation System for Universities to JAV Willis concerning FFSU membership (12 February 1959) Letter from JAV Willis to Prof Massey, UCL concerning continued funding for the design of the Heavy Liquid Bubble Chamber (15 May 1959) Memo from Pickavance setting up Building Committee (17 July 1959) Memo from AJ Trew, AERE to Willis concerning demolition of the inversion tower (14 October 1959) Memo from AJ Trew, AERE to Willis concerning an additional piece of land for NIRNS (14 OCtober 1959) Memo from Snowden to Bowles concerning accommodation requirements (2 November 1959) Note from Snowden concerning accommodation requirements (presumably 2 November 1959) Letter from Bowles to Cuthbert regarding drawings by English Electric for Nimrod alternator foundations (3 November 1959) Memo from AL Cuthbert to Bowles concerning extension to resident Engineer's offices (3 November 1959) Note from A Miller to L Phillips, Risley concerning modifications to Coseners House and acceptance to tender (3 November 1959) Memo from Pickavance to AL Cuthbert concerning temporary accommodation for Southern Works Group design staff (3 November 1959) Minutes regarding recently-formed Southern Works Organisation for Phase I (Nimrod) and Phase II (Rutherford Laboratory) (10 November 1959) Note from A Miller to L Phillips, Risley concerning prefabricated office accommodation (12 November 1959) Note from M Snowden to JC Louth concerning R10-series building numbers linked to Nimrod, suggesting that the R20-series be used for the PLA, R30-series for general engineering buildings and R40-series for offices (This scheme was not adopted, 27 November 1959) Note from A Miller to L Phillips, Risley regarding North Car Park work (16 December 1959) Phase II Building Estimates (note from GN Venn, 21 December 1959) Letter from CJ England, Reactor Division to JAV Willis on the future of BEPO (30 December 1959; supports continued use by universities of BEPO more than DIDO or PLUTO but this may be tempered when university reactors come into operation) Note concerning contracts for proposed plant stores building (1959 presumed)
1960
Memo from RD Oliver, SWO concerning costs for Ancillary Maintenance Services building (6 January 1960) Letter from JAV Willis to HC Hudspith, UKAEA concerning the revised cost of the Heavy Liquid Bubble Chamber (11 January 1960) Note from JC Louth concerning Laboratory Boundary Fence changes (2 February 1960) Note from Bowles to Pickavance concerning the naming of buildings (R1, R2 etc) and roads (east-west Ways named after famous laboratories, north-south Streets named after hills in the British Isles) (The building numbering scheme was adopted, the road naming scheme was not, 10 February 1959) Reply from Pickavance to Bowles agreeing to his scheme for the numbering of buildings but deferring the names of roads (12 February 1960) Notes from a meeting to discuss the proposed new canteen and lecture theatre in the south-east corner of site (12 February 1960) Cover note and initial design by KJ Thornton of Canteen and Lecture Theatre (29 February 1960) Paper by Bowles reassessing the construction programme following difficulties with the vacuum vessel and alternator foundations, the lack of availability of labour, and scarcity steel possibly caused by the US Steel Strike (2 March 1960) Report from MW Shaw, Marston Excelsior Ltd on the issues and development work for the synchrotron vacuum chamber (18 March 1960) Progress of plant construction (Note for Nimrod Project Committee by JA Mott, 28 March 1960) Notes by GW Dixon from a meeting to discuss additional work for NIRNS and financial and contractual implications (status of various projects with costs and expected completion dates, 1 April 1960) Memo from JB Worts to P Bowles concerning costs for Inflammable Store Building 470.16 (4 March 1960) Nimrod Project Committee meeting 19 (Chairman's brief by FM Telling, 8 April 1960) Memo from JB Worts to P Bowles concerning costs for Ancillary Maintenance Building 470.13 and Inflammable Store Building 470.16 (11 April 1960) Note from P Bowles to GW Dixon concerning the form of the building "R" numbering scheme, including a list of corresponding AERE building numbers (13 April 1960) Memo from HM Peskett to M Snowden concerning the extension to the Control Building 470.18 (14 June 1960) Letter from Bowles to Ashley, Chief Engineer, UKAEA, Risley concerning construction difficulties including copper liner held up by strikes, and development of vacuum chamber (1 July 1960) Minutes of a meeting concerning the reallocation of office space made vacant by the move of staff to R20 from R15, R16 and R12 and to estimate future requirements (15 July 1960; the R1 Link and extension buildings are not yet available so additional Terrapins for R20 should be erected as they become available from AERE) UKAEA letter of appointment to Dr JAV Willis; salary 3,000 pounds, annual leave allowance 30 days (18 July 1960) Note from A miller to L Phillips, Risley concerning construction the new computer building for 39,000 pounds (extending the Phase II Office Block for Orion, 19 July 1960) Minutes of a meeting concerning the reallocation of office space made vacant by the move of staff to R20 from R12 (412.10), R15 and R16 (18 July 1960) Note from AG Hewitt to JK Thornton, SWO concerning tank room visibility (3 August 1960) Letter from JAV Willis to JK Thornton concerning the development of Fermi Avenue (12 August 1960) Note from A miller to L Phillips, Risley concerning the extension to PLA buildings; Treasury approval has been received for 200,000 pounds (22 August 1960) Note from A miller to L Phillips, Risley concerning the Liquid Hydrogen Target Building; Treasury approval has been received for 3,500 pounds (22 August 1960) Cover note and summary from JB Worts concerning construction and costs of additional roads, car parks and fences (21 September 1961) Note from LB Mullett from JB Worts concerning the Arcon extension and approval to spend 140,000 pounds; something simple and cheap is required with a number of cranes (23 September 1960) Letter from RM Simmons(?), UKAEA to A Miller requesting additional information about the Arcon extension (20 October 1960) Letter from Geoffrey Jellicoe to GW Dixon concerning procedure for work on the Harwell Hill, and expressing nervousness about the task (7 November 1960) Note from DA Harrison to P Bowles concerning temporary office accommodation (7 November 1960) Note from JC Louth to GW Dixon with comments on the plans for the Lecture Theatre plus initial outline requirements (10 November 1960) Note from WD Allen, Electrostatic Generator Group, B10.30 concerning a proposal for the Oxford machine for a new type of Van de Graaff accelerating tube using tilted electrodes (6 December 1960) Note from GW Dixon to L Goodall, SWO concerning the Nimrod spoil heap; Lord Bridges requested they employ Geoffrey Jellicoe (9 December 1960) Note from A Miller to L Phillips confirming receipt of Treasury approval for 75,000 pounds for the Restaurant (15 December 1960) Letter to John Cockcroft from WD Allen reporting on the HVEC tandem programme (22 December 1960) Use of the Rutherford Laboratory PLA site for a National Nuclear Structure Laboratory (Paper comparing costs of extending the PLA building vs the Daresbury proposal; WD Allen, CJ Batty and JB Marsh, late 1960s)
1961
Letter to JAV Willis from Lord Bridges, Goodmans Furze, Headley, Epsom concerning various items of administration including assurance that Roger Makins is agreeable to NIRNS continuing to be financed by AEA for another year should there be legislative difficulties from the Minister of Science (20 March 1961) Letter from JAV Willis, R1 to NN Ferguson, B329 regarding the Rutherford Laboratory site and issues with the siting of the contractors road (19 April 1961) Minutes of a meeting between the management and shop stewards concerning bus and cycle shelters, use of B150 canteen, site emergency warning system, form of vacancy notices, provision of soap and towels in R6 and various representations (9 June 1961) Note from JAV Willis to Group Leaders concerning funding issues and economies to be made in stores withdrawals (6 September 1961) Letter to JK Thornton, SWO from JAV Willis concerning drawing SN/E 13423 C: the siting of the Atlas computer building, sub-stations and contractor's area which may impinge upon the PLA (25 September 1961) Draft paper by JAV Willis concerning arrangements for universities to be able to obtain equipment of the same design as that used at Rutherford Laboratory (2 November 1961)
1962
Notes from a meeting to discuss arrangements for graduate recruitment including a brochure and visits to universities (10 January 1962) Notes from meeting to discuss the shaping of the Nimrod spoil heap; Shepherd Hill are the contractors, to finish 15 July; Jellicoe recommends beech trees; Jellicoe will brief the foreman (3 May 1962)
1963
Report by JC Louth on the fire in the R8 resin laboratory on 16 May 1963. Nobody was injured but the damage was estimated to be 2000 pounds; recommendations include extending silent hours patrols and providing illumination for telephones; Mr Hey who discovered the fire should be sent a letter of appreciation (20 August 1963)
1965
Handwritten note from Gordon ? and reply from Peter Bowles concerning the need for increased staffing levels in the Machine Engineering Electrical Sections (11 March 1965) Numbers of staff in-post by Division (1 May 1965) Note from WW Woodall concerning the open day earlier that year which was not entirely successful (5 July 1965)
1966
Paper from JC Louth proposing the purchase of a spare rotor for 70,000 pounds in an attempt to avoid the disastrous effects of another failure of the Alternator set (17 January 1966) Letter from DA Gray, Water Department, Geological Survey and Museum, London to Thomas, RL concerning ground water movements at Mundford (7 April 1966) Note from Bowles to Division Heads concerning financial procedure for capital projects (4 July 1966) Comments on CERN/644 and CERN/485/Rev from Wilson and Gray, Institute of Geological Sciences concerning geological aspects of possible European sites for the 300 GeV machine (30 August 1966) Memo from DA Gray to L Hobbis concerning site security following reports of petty theft (17 November 1966)
1967
Memo from Bowles concerning the accidental release and subsequent ignition of hydrogen from Hydrogen Bubble Chamber (19 October 1967)
1968
Report by FM Telling and GS Grossart from the Fourth International Vacuum Congress, Manchester (17 May 1968) Report by FM Telling on the visit by representatives of the British Nuclear Forum as part of the Laboratory's Industrial Collaboration (19 September 1968)
1969
Paper by JM Valentine concerning financial procedures and practices (17 January 1969)

Some papers from JC (Jeff) Louth, Nimrod Machine Engineering Group.

Draft job offer to JC Louth, Esq (18 July 1960) Memo from EW Revill, SWO in Tadley to JC Louth (included for the SWO postal address, 5 March 1964) Note from JC Louth suggesting a standby Nimrod magnet power supply (3 March 1966) Memo from JC Louth to LCW Hobbis concerning the R2 workshop and office extension, and the unsatisfactory location of the Nimrod Machine Electrical Workshop (25 March 1966) Note from JC Louth concerning security on site and the introduction of extra patrolmen and/or fencing (16 November 1966) Letter from JC Louth to Irvin Polk, Brookhaven with information about the Laboratory's alternator troubles (12 January 1967)

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