"Blast!!"

[Richard A Thackeray]

Whilst it may be slightly macabre, this site is also quite educational.

Given the heavy industry that still prevailed in this country throughout the Cold War era, it's interesting to see how various yields would affect the town/city you live in (so long as you have an ide of what was built/constructed there
http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

As an example, Leeds (8 miles north) had Vickers tank factory, large railway marshalling yards, Yorkshire Chemicals, various foundries, local Goverment, etc......

Rather oddly, I found this link, via one of my favourite local history sites; http://www.secretleeds.com/

Some comments are that Leeds is a 'Nuclear Free Zone', so we were safe (apart from re-processing trains heading through to Sellafield very so often)
http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messages.aspx?ThreadID=4719

The smallest tested (US) Bomb would have affected a few streets, but the biggest 100Mt 'Tsar' would have almost reached from coast to coast!



* as a further example, look at a 1960's OS map, I have a sheet for York & surrounding area, & there's no military airfields marked on it (doubtless the Soviets knew where they were anyway)



NB: I haven't put this comment up as an arguement for/against Nuclear power/armament, just for the scientific/historical viewpoint

 

[swee'pea99]

'slightly' macabre?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

But of historical interest, for the reasons given

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

But of historical interest, for the reasons given

 

[Arch]

If you go here:

http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html

you can select your local area, then go to the sidebar on the right and scroll down, you'll find the option for a 1980's Russian map of it!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

The Russians weren't interested in my gaff apparently.

interestingly from the OP, If the French choose to nuke Manchester, I'll have to hope I'm at least half way home from work to survive. That'll be a hell of a tailwind to ride with.

 

[DaveReading]

When Ken Livingstone was asked to explain the GLC's decision to declare London a nuclear free zone, he explained that it meant if a bomb fell on the capital, it didn't count ...

 

[Arch]

A late friend on mine was active in CND in Cheltenham in the 80's. Because of GCHQ, it was a prime target. He told me of his frustration at people from parts of the surroundings who thought they'd be fine, because they had Cleeve Hill between them and the likely Ground Zero.

For one small Bomb maybe, but somehow, I don't think most people expected it to stop at that...

 

[Night Train]

An ex girlfriend and I once found we had something in common. We were both at Greenham common at the same time.

Except that she was outside in the protest camp with her then girlfriend and I was inside with my late brother as roadies for a funk band entertaining the American troops!

 

[Night Train]

I can understand a person being embarrassed about being associated with a funk band.

We were only the roadies and quite nervous driving past the sentry posts, as we also had CND badges on.