Tipton, West Midlands, May 1984 Ocker Hill Power Station viewed from Gospel Oak Road. It was opened in 1902 by the Midland Electric Corporation for Power Distribution Ltd.(MEC) and supplied electricity at 7000volts two phase 50 Hz to much of the Black Country. At the time of its building it was stated that it was planned to be the largest power station in England. In 1927, ownership passed to the new West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority (WMJEA), and with the building of the National Grid in the early 1930s it became a "selected station". In 1948 it became part of the newly created British Electricity Authority (later to become, by reorganisation the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and then the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). It closed in 1977 and was demolished in 1985. The two narrower cooling towers date from 1946, the larger diameter cooling tower was added in 1956. [Sources: Wikipedia & David J. Hayes.]
