ON February 6, 1904 it was CLANG, CLANG, CLANG went the trolley as the first electric trams ran in Worcester.

Over the previous nine months, starting in June 1903, the city centre streets had been turned to rubble as the 3ft gauge horse tracks were relaid with a 3ft 6ins wide system with pylons for electric trams.

The operation became dubbed the Worcester Tramway Siege.

In all, a new five-and-a-half-mile network of tram lines was laid through the city centre and out along the main approach routes, such as New Road, Bath Road, London Road, Rainbow Hill, Shrub Hill and Barbourne.

The horse tramway depot at St John's also needed to be extensively altered to accommodate a fleet of electric tramcars.

At the official launch of the new system, operated by the Worcester Electric Tramway Company, the Mayor and Corporation took a ride from Worcester Bridge to Barbourne on the first tramcar.

There were eventually 17 electric double-decker tramcars operating in the city in their Brunswick Green and Light Buff livery.

Sadly, the life of the electric tramways in Worcester was comparatively short, only 24 years.

By the mid-1920s, they had become an "obstruction and nuisance" to the fast-expanding new mode of transport, the motor car.

At the end of May, 1928, the trams ceased operating and made way for Midland Red's fleet of motor omnibuses.

The electric tramcar saga gets a mention in Worcester’s History and Heritage calendar and here are a few more local landmarks from Februarys through the centuries.

In February 1908 the Scout Movement began across the UK driven by an inspired idea from its founder Sir Robert Baden Powell.

Within a short time troops began springing up all over the country, one of the first being in Malvern, which is still going today as the 1st Malvern Link.

Down the A449, Claines Boy Scouts was founded in 1913 as the Worcester “Y” Troop with the founding objective listed as providing for “the instruction of boys of all classes in the principles of discipline, loyalty and good citizenship”.

The group was originally tied to Claines Church (St John the Baptist) and met at a wooden scout hut on Vicarage Lane, later to become Cornmeadow Lane.

During both world wars the Boy Scouts were expected to perform a civic duty to help civilians in a time of need and one of the photos shows Worcester Boy Scouts and Claines Wolf Cubs collecting waste paper.

It was taken just 10 years before a huge modernisation scheme across scouting that resulted in new uniforms with berets instead of “lemon squeezer” hats and new names of just Scouts and Cubs.

In 1967 Claines Scouts also became separate from Claines Church and was renamed “4th Worcester Scout Group”.

That name was short-lived as in 1969 “Claines Scouts” joined with St Georges Scouts nearby (founded in 1911) to create the new bigger 8th Worcester Scout Group, with 61 Scouts, 98 Cub scouts, 7 Venture Scouts and 18 Leaders.

The final chapter was born when a major project secured funding to build the current brick headquarters building which opened in 1974 as probably the largest in the county.

By this point Claines Scouts had also joined with Claines Guides to form the “Claines Joint Scout and Guide Group”.

Other February happenings have included: February 5, 1414: Henry V issued a Charter to Worcester which is held by Worcestershire Archives still with its seal attached showing the armoured King on horseback.

Henry was preparing an expedition to France to claim back the French Crown and at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 the Bowmen of Worcestershire fought under their Flag of the ‘Pear Tree laden with Fruit’.

February 10, 1241: King Henry III met the Jewish Parliament in the Chapter House of Worcester Cathedral to allow the Crown to assess their worth for taxation. Jews had arrived since 1154. Henry confirmed the right of Jews to live in Worcester. But in 1219 Bishop of Worcester William de Blois imposed strict rules. In 1275 they were expelled from Worcester and all Jews were expelled from England in 1290. In 1941 the community was re-established in Worcester.

February 10, 1685: The passing of the City Charter in 1685 was aimed at benefitting the King and cost the City the huge sum then of £217.9s 2d (modern money £217,000) and established the City with a Mayor but was to allow the King to veto members of the Council. Local Tories favoured the King while Whigs in Parliament and Worcester did not want the restoration of Catholicism. In 1688 Worcester-born John Somers joined others to invite William and Mary to replace James II.

February 20 1577: William Cove was hanged at Castle Street. For capital crimes there were two gallows, one between the Gallows Pools, almost opposite Shrubbery Avenue in Barbourne, and one at the castle. In 1577 “William Cove a felon was this year February 20th hanged at the castel gate because hys frendes wowld not have hiym executed att Barbon.” Castle Street was originally called Salt Lane but had a name change in 1814 when a new County Jail was built there at a cast of £20,000.

February 29, 992: Oswald Bishop of Worcester was buried in the Cathedral and locals who had gathered were very sad at his loss given his pastoral work. During his life he built St Mary’s Cathedral and introduced a monastic community. He was regarded as a Saint after his death.