A vintage cast iron column in Basingstoke! Revo column and bracket/control box but unfortunately fitted with Urbis ZX1, 70w SON. Could mercury lanterns have been fitted prior to the ZX1?

Basingstoke, Philips MA90, 90w SOX with gear shoe on 8m column. Note lanterns in background are the gear in body types. Given the more weathered canopy on this example it is probably original to the column, and the background lanterns are newer casual replacements.

North Baddesley, This 1960's relic - Phosco 152, 35w SOX still survives. Lantern is gear in head. Bowl shows the typical cloudyness of this type of lantern. Note position of tube relative to refractor panels. These are glued on rather than moulded into the bowl.

Note vertical grooves in end of bowl.

The next pole along has a 2nd example. However note how bowl is clear and grooves on end less pronouced. I suspect this is a replacement pattern bowl.

Basingstoke, a string of 6 (although only 5 are pictured) Petit Jean 10m columns and GEC 9554s, 135W SOX, lanterns. All original and dating back to the 1970s. It is rare to find such a sight now without casual replacements of the columns or lanterns. In the background a 7th column has been retrofitted with Urbis ZX3s running 150W SON. Update: Dec 2009, the 3rd column from the camera has now been fitted with twin ZX3s as has the column behind the camera, so this unspoilt view is no more.

Close up, GEC 9554 135W SOX. One lantern has its bowl tie wrapped shut and the galvanising is starting to wear thin on the bracket allowing rust to take hold.

Believed to be the last concrete columns in Basingstoke, these Concrete Utilities Highway X columns were once common on the distributor roads within the town.

Concrete Utilities Highway X column fitted with Philips MA90 (90W SOX), gear in shoe version. Column dates form early to mid 1970s and the lantern may well be original to the column.

Between J7 and J8 of the M27, the Highways Agency are trialling part night operation of the lighting with a view to reduce energy costs. The lighting is switched off from midnight to 5am. This is the view westbound towards J7 just before the switch off. Central reservation lighting is provide by Urbis quad optic ZX4s and the slip road lighting by ZX3, all running 250W SON lamps. After the switch off the only lighting remaining operational is the sign lighting on the overhead gantries.

Looking east towards J8. Quad optic Urbis ZX4s on central reservation and ZX3s on slip road. All of the lighting shown including that on the sign to the left of the picture is extinguished midnight to 5am.

A private installation of Thorn Gamma 5s running domestic CFL in Southampton.

There are 3 such examples on site, but bizarrely they are fitted with GEC refractor rings.

1st column after removal. All 3 columns and lanterns were saved for collectors.

On the A30 through Hartley Wintney is this GEC 5590 running 80w MBF.

Same location, GEC 8591 with glass bowl, 80W MBF.

GEC 8896, 80W MBF on long stayed bracket.

GEC 8896, 80w MBF.

Late 1960s Stewarts & Lloyd column with large base compartment and thin tube. Usually the thin tube columns have a smaller diameter base than this. Fitted with GEC 5590, 80w MBF.

1950 Stewarts & Lloyd column fitted with GEC 5590, 80w MBF. This style of installation but with the similar GEC 5580 lantern was incrediably popular in Hampshire especially in the south of the county before mass conversions to Philips MI50 SOX lanterns in the early 1980s. Note excellent condition of column and fresh "Hampshire Green" paint.

Basingstoke. Concrete Utilities aluminium column, Philips MI50, 35W SOX.

Another example, Philips MI50, 35W SOX.

Close up of column base.

Basingstoke. Early 1960's Stewarts & Lloyd column in the old dark version Of "Hampshire Green". This got replaced with the current lighter shade in the early 1970's. Philips MI26, 35W SOX.