Once upon a Battersea skyline, it towered –
this powerhouse of electricity, for over 40 years
till 1975. A Grade II listed building; the largest
brick-built structure, in Europe, of its kind. Within
its marbled walls, boys grew into men... at 21,
indentured apprentices all. Hogweed and Hemlock,
the only things grow here now. Gone, most of its roof,
and the four, historic chimneys – in jeopardy. Resigned
to history – Art Deco, stained-glass windows, once
graced the Great Turbine Hall, where generators
whirred and whined for the National Grid...Today,
the cawing of crows, and the slip and the slap
of the Thames, sound a poignant homily.
An iconic flagship of its time, left to rot –
reduced to rubble, for as long as it once stood,
whilst developers argue the toss; a theme park,
a shopping mall, or another gallery. It deserves
far better than this; best it fades in a haze of dust...
retains its dignity to leave me with my memories
of how, as a lad, beneath shady, cloistered arches,
I longed for the siren at the end of every shift,
but not half as much as I long to hear it now.
The end of an era – that coal-fired generation;
the name of the game, so the government says,
is nuclear and wind-power. But what do we do
when the wind doesn’t blow, and we’re sick
to death of radiation, and the lights are off,
but everybody’s home?
Comments
Highhat | August 27, 2011 - 06:16
I can just see this beautiful old building Tina- what a shame- it should be conserved!
;)Pia
Silver Spun Sand | August 27, 2011 - 07:58
I quite agree, Pia.
My husband served his apprenticeship at Battersea Power Station in the early nineteen-sixties, and was indentured six years later...we were just married then, incidentally. I was totally in awe of the building when I went with him to collect his certificate. A beautiful building indeed, but the Great Turbine Hall, was very, very noisy. He often tells me many stories of his time there...this being one of them.
Thanks so much for reading, and for your lovely comment;-)
Tina
L G Meadows | August 27, 2011 - 08:45
Lovely... I hate seeing old, beautiful buildings go to rack and ruin. It should be a crime! Enjoyed the read.
Silver Spun Sand | August 27, 2011 - 10:56
Thanks, LG. Much appreciated;-)
Tina
Silver Spun Sand | August 28, 2011 - 14:10
Pleased you enjoyed this, and 'Rock Around the Clock'. I bet I would have loved it too.
Have a good Sunday yourself, despite the showers;-)
Tina xx
Cavalcaderl | August 28, 2011 - 16:48
new Silver-Spun-Sand
Congrats: on the cherries! (IP)
It is a great shame like your poem
states pull down power stations, so many many memories years gone by. As your poem explains so well. We also had one at Southwick where I was brought up. Few years ago, in paper one,two,three blown up? Awful take away our heritage like this, but had photo one birthday, in a victorian dress present, then with the Power station behind, paper's
stated,then didn't want as far too early.
Have a good bank holiday.
I know you would have love, the Rock A Round The Clock show, now gone onto Grimsby,Dundee,and Glasgow.
Still getting over it. Tired.
Have a good day. Finals of bowling, rain and sun mine
has got a 2nd. Just corrected spelling.
Sending you sun shine. (:-
julie xx