Several days before the recent Deep River Triathlon, Jim Ungrin, Artifacts Chair of Society for the Preservation of Canada’s Nuclear Heritage Inc. (SPCNHI), received a telephone call from former long-time resident and local artist Sheila Fletcher (nee Simpson). Her son was participating in the race and she planned to come to Deep River from her home in Renfrew to watch. Sheila had an interesting book dated from 1950 she was willing to donate to the Society. Jim expressed interest and they agreed to meet at the race finish line; however, both had concerns regarding recognition since they had not seen each other for about 35 years.
The meeting was successful and Sheila carefully unpacked her bag to reveal a 1949 issue of Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. The reader may question why this might be regarded as a “interesting nuclear history artifact”. The answer is revealed on the flyleaf page within the book.
While in Deep River, Sir John Cockcroft had initiated a book prize, namely a new dictionary, to be awarded to the top Grade 8 student at the school (now apartments) named in his honour. Young Sheila Simpson was the winner of the award in 1950. By that time, Cockcroft had returned to the United Kingdom to lead their nuclear program. This did not, however, end the awarding of the book prize. After it was awarded to Sheila at the 1950 graduation ceremonies, the book was shipped to Harwell in the U.K. On return the flyleaf bore the following message in Cockcroft’s handwriting: “Congratulations on your good work in Literature and Science and best wishes for the future. John Cockcroft. Harwell, October 1950.” Written below the message from Cockcroft, in pencil, is a note in Sheila’s handwriting “Sir John died in 1967”.
The Society was very happy to accept the donation from Sheila and the dictionary is indeed a “historic nuclear artifact”; it has found a place in one of the Society’s display cases along with other artifacts. The Society continues to seek further donations of this kind – anyone with similar historic artifacts they would be willing to offer the Society as a donation or allow the Society to photograph is asked to contact the Society at info@nuclearheritage.com.
Footnote: Although Jim and Sheila had not met for about 35 years, they had connected when Jim was researching the house where Bruno Pontecorvo and his family had lived. Sheila Simpson served as a baby sitter for the family and was able to confirm that the Pontecorvo’s lived at 6 Alder and not at any of the several of the other addresses suggested by others.
