20 years ago, following a period of rapid growth in demand in the UK for electricity, the UK cable makers were world leaders with major installations at 275 kV and 400 kV. In parallel with significant improvements in manufacture, forced cooling of cables had also been introduced. It was forecast that a 750 kV grid would be needed in the future. Both of these latter factors led to extensive research into all types of low loss, high-power cables including superconducting cables, the possibility of which was first demonstrated in the UK in 1967 with a small-scale superconducting link. Progress made since is reviewed and it is found that the UK has lost the lead in all areas of high power cable technology except for paper insulated oil-filled cables. Activities during this period are summarised with special regard to superconducting cables where the recent discovery of high-temperature superconductors has stimulated interest again. The future prospects for the UK high-power cable industry are analysed in the light of the downtrend in the UK in both the supply of research and development staff and of research funding from both industry and Government sources.