Power
Long before petroleum. Long before electricity or coal power, our forebears learnt to harness water power. They were very ingenious. This city - Sheffield - well-known for its metal trades - became important because of water power. There was an industrial water wheel here in 1180 AD - down on The River Don. In fact, this city was built on five rivers - The Don, The Rivelin, The Loxley, The Sheaf and The Porter. In history, these rivers drove dozens of water wheels that transferred power to grindstones and belts making metal industries and craftsmanship possible - often in little workshops that were naturally sited close to the waterwheels. Scythes and knives were sharpened. Blades of all descriptions. The first bowie knives were made here and then exported to North America. This city taught the world about steel way before Pittsburgh became America's "Steel City". Anyway this is all mere preamble before I tell you that I walked out of this house at eleven this morning ...