Last updated at 12:03, Tuesday, 30 October 2012

A SELLAFIELD worker has been named the best young speaker in the nuclear industry.

PRIZE: Nick Thorley, 23, civil engineer at Sellafield, won the Young Generation Network’s best speaker competition. Norman Harrison, president of the Nuclear Institute, hands over his award SUBMITTED

Nick Thorley, 23, was up against representatives from other major companies including Rolls Royce, Atkins, Imperial College and the Atomics Weapons Establishment at the final held at the Birchwood Centre in Warrington.

To clinch the top spot in the country, Nick spoke about “Mountains, Atomic Power and Modernist Architecture”.

Leanne Hodgson, vice-chairwoman of the Young Generation Network, said: “Nick gave an insightful, original and amusing presentation about Sir Basil Spence’s vision to make Trawsfynydd power station, a beautiful ruin, with a tour de force of the atomic art revolution of the 1950s – a clear hit with the audience.”

Nick said that the competition was a great opportunity to improve his public speaking.

“I was pleased that the audience responded kindly to my polemic,” he added.

“I find the future of Britain’s first fleet of commercial reactors an interesting subject as unlike technology from the Industrial Revolution such as mills, warehouses and railways, they won’t be conserved as historical artefacts. This is a shame, especially in Trawsfynydd’s case as it was designed not only by innovative scientists and engineers, but leading building and landscape architects too.”

Norman Harrison, president of the Nuclear Institute, praised the competitors, saying it was an honour to be part of the event.

He said it had been “almost impossible” to separate the talks.

First published at 11:43, Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk