Industrial, Historical and Social Context
The history of Worcester’s Electric Story can be put into a wider national context.
Queen Victoria was on the throne when public demonstrations of electric lighting took place across the country. One of these being at the temporary illumination of Clifton Suspension Bridge in December 1864 to mark its opening.
Artist illustration of gas lighting
In the 1900s Electrification began in earnest. Companies like Edison and Swan Electric Light Company played pivotal roles in manufacturing carbon filament bulbs. The UK saw rapid growth in municipal electricity supply, with local acts of Parliament enabling new power stations and appointed Electricity Commissioners to provide central coordination, regional organisation and to centralise generation in large power stations owned by joint electricity authorities. This was a period of social change and the beginning of reforms that shaped modern Britain.
Image of Worcester from Explore The Past
The end of the World War One to the beginning of World War Two was a period of great Infrastructure and Innovation. The UK continued its own industrial development while the new Labour Party and the call for Women’s rights and powers for Trade Unions changed workers' rights. This was a period of contrast with new freedoms for some but hardship remained for many with the threat of war constant.
Lighting on The Sabrina Bridge, Worcester for the coronation of King George V1 1936 from Changing Face of Worcester
Image from Worcester News Archive
From the 2000s to the present there was a shift toward renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydro). Industrial heritage sites like old power stations and substations are sometimes now protected or repurposed (e.g., Battersea Power Station). We wonder what will mark our Power Stations in Worcester.
​The Post War period saw considerable changes and expansion.
The onset of Atomic energy from the 1950s looked set to revolutionise energy consumption while energy consumption grew.
​The Government of Margaret Thatcher privatized Electricity in the late 1980s, reshaping ownership and operations while the rise of digital control systems and automation in power generation and distribution changed old systems. Decommissioning of older coal-fired stations began, with heritage sites preserved for historical value.
