Today marks 60 years since the opening of the world's first commercial nuclear power station at Calder Hall in west Cumbria.

The Queen carried out the ceremony on October the 17th 1956. The plant produced electricity for the national grid for almost 50 years.

On that day the Queen announced: "It is with pride that I now open Calder Hall, Britain's first Atomic power station."

It was the first time the immense power of nuclear energy was to be harnessed for a peaceful use - to produce electricity on a commercial scale for homes and businesses around Britain.

The first town to receive electricity direct from Calder Hall was Workington. The opening of the four reactors followed a huge construction process over the previous three years involving thousands of workers.

Now 60 years ITV Border has been shown to the top of reactor one to see how it operated and to see the route the Queen took on her visit in 1956.

Today the power generation has stopped but some parts still look very much as they would have done on that first day.

Not everything was quite what it seemed on that first day though. The large dial apparently showing the electricity current beginning to flow was, it seems, not quite all it looked, according to Glyn Thomas, the Head of Operations at Calder Hall.

"There's a Calder legend that actually behind that big mock-up was a little man in a box which I believe was true and to make the needle move he actually had to turn a handle and he was so nervous because of the Queen and all the people assembled that he actually started trembling and the needle started actually shaking as it started moving across the dial."

As the scientists behind Calder Hall were introduced to the Queen few would have imagined that the site would operate for 47 years. It was expected to work for just 20. Eventually, in 2003, Calder Hall came to the end of its operating life. The huge cooling towers were blown up in 2007.

Now a huge decommissioning programme is underway on the site. Just removing the asbestos was the biggest project of its type in Europe. By 2027 only the reactor buildings should remain, although the site will have to be managed for the next century until it's safe to be re-used.

While for many the opening 60 years ago brought great optimism, for others it sparked huge opposition. A fire at the neighbouring Windscale plant just a year later added to doubts about the industry. Then there were accidents at Chernobyl and Fukishima and the legacy of nuclear waste continues. Anti-nuclear campaigners are convinced the problems outweigh the benefits.

"I don't think it's been good for West Cumbria, I don't think it delivered on its promise," sats Jill Perry, the Secretary of Allerdale and Copeland Green Party. "It was supposed to be electricity too cheap to meter and now the government has just signed a deal on Hinckley which is the most expensive and controversial deal on nuclear power ever and look around at West Cumbria, I don't think it's made us a wealthy area of the country."

But those involved in Calder Hall say it has brought long-lasting benefits.

"I think Calder Hall marked the start of the civil nuclear industry and it paved the way for 47 years of successful generation with no significant events here at Calder and the birth of the civil nuclear industry across the UK." Glyn Thomas, Head of Operations Calder Hall

Whatever people's views Calder Hall put west Cumbria very firmly in the spotlight 60 years ago and will always be remembered as a world first.