BBC television series is looking for people who remember early days of the National Grid - can you help?

Following on from the success of The Secret Life of the Motorway and The Secret Life of the Airport, BBC Four are making a new series paying evocative homage to another one of Britain's engineering masterpieces: The National Grid

The series will chart the history of the grid, the power stations that supply it and the impact that electrification has had on Britain. Besides being a three-part social history of how the grid came into being, the series is also an entertaining look at how Britain got used to living with it and the ways in which it changed us. A crucial part of this story will be the role of the men and women who have worked on the grid, as well as the power stations that supply it, at key points in their history. As part of their research the BBC would love to speak to retired employees with stories to tell. They are particularly keen to hear from people who...

* Were involved in the design, construction, erection or running of the original 132kV grid and its control centres before WWII

* Who worked on the grid, control centres or power stations during WWII

* Who were involved with the grid and control centres during the 'Big
Freeze' of 1947 and the associated power cuts

* Who worked in the electricity showrooms of the 1950s and 1960s
promoting electrical goods

* Who worked on the grid or in power stations during the coal miners'
strikes of 1971/2 and 1973/4 and managed the power cuts.

* Who worked at the following power stations: Battersea before WWII;
Calder Hall in the 50s; Staythorpe (A or B) in the 50s or 60s; Rugeley (A) in the 50s or 60s.

* Who repaired weather damaged lines in the 40s, 50 or 60s.

Jennifer Forde can be contacted on jennifer.forde@bbc.co.uk or 020 8008 0025 and would be absolutely delighted to hear from past employees happy to share their memories. The series is due to be broadcast on BBC Four in autumn 2010.

National Grid is helping the programme makers with their research and
many of the modern day aspects of running the grid will be featured in the programme. We will be marking the 75th anniversary of the grid in 2010 and the series should provide some interesting reminders of how far it has come.