THERE were no correct guesses over the identity of last week's Craven Curiosity.

One reader suggested that the items could be tachograph discs used for recording lorry driver's hours and distances.

The objects were, in fact, nuclear effect calculators used by the Royal Observers Corp (ROC) during the Cold War, which ran from 1947-1991.

Experts from Craven Museum and Gallery tell us: "The ROC manned a national network of bunkers equipped to determine the position and power of a nuclear explosion; the calculator would then assess the damage it was likely to have caused. This information was then reported to a government central command site.

"The information on the computer shows the many environmental factors associated with nuclear detonations that represent a potential hazard to man. The calculator was effective in determining initial nuclear radiation, thermal radiation, levels of biologic trauma, structural damage and probable medical effects.

"The separate Air-Burst Effects Computer focused solely on the effects of a nuclear explosion occurring above the ground. Air bursts are more effective over larger areas, such as cities, as the energy from the explosion creates a shockwave more powerful that an explosion detonated at ground level, causing it to spread more evenly over a wider area."

All items featured in this column will be on display when the museum - located in Skipton Town Hall - reopens in the spring.

Meanwhile we are inviting guesses about this week's mystery item. Suggestions can be emailed to news@cravenherald.co.uk