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Street furniture

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
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Viv
According to Richard Oliver's book "Ordnance survey maps" :
FA is Fire alarm, FAP is fire alarm pillar, PCB is police call box , TCB is telephone call box, TCP is telephone call post or pillar or temporary control point,
Tel P is telephone pole, TP is telegraph pole
I assume these would only appear on the 1:500 or similar scale maps.
 
Thanks Mike. I don't suppose by any chance your book tells you how it was decided that a police/fire etc pillar was put in a particular position? I guess not as it was about OS maps. But I'm assuming there must have been criteria used to put one in place. Maybe it was calculated per population in a particular area? Viv.
 
What are the crosses like in the wall of the building on the right, something architectural, I have also seen S shaped ones in very old buildings and barns.
 
V iv
I'm afraid I have no idea
Nico. they were to help hold the walls up. A metal bar was run therough the building and heated, and then the ends, which were usually crosses of S shapes were attached and the bar allowed to cool. It contracted and pulled the walls together and helped hold them up. Or at least that was what I was taught at school, though can't seem to find anything on the internet after a short search
 
As you summise this plates were for internal bracing to prevent potential collapse of the building, used a lot where walls began to bulge. There was some significance from an engineering perspective in the shape of the load spreading plates, circular, X and S seem to have been the most common, but I have seen highly decorated ones that seem to have been for both structural and decorative purposes
 
Thought this was a nice piece iof street furniture. The lamppost has a circular seat and is on an island on Handsworth Wood Rd. Maybe it was a bus terminus? Or just a nice place to rest! Looks quiet enough. Viv.
 

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Sorry I wasn't looking for one, but noticed another mysterious bollard on the corner of Lionel St / Snow Hill and it was there in 1960.
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Click on the pic to see it in it's forum post, it's the 2nd pic there.
 
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They are more common than I thought, Bath St showing St Chads Cathedral 1936 ..... Click on the pic to see it in it's forum post.
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Bristol St ...Jan 1955 ... that looks like a concrete bollard to me. They certainly did not want drivers cutting corners back then.
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oldMohawk said:
Moving on from the 'Bollards' theme, here is an interesting item of street furniture in New John Street West.
New2520John2520St2520West2520corner2520of2520Gt2520Hampton2520Row_.jpg
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The belisha beacon is quite interesting too. It obviously dates to before they were illuminated hence the control box bolted to the pole. These are very rare now. There was one at the roundabout at Yardley Wood Road / Swanshurst Lane until a couple of days ago.
 
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maypolebaz said:
Thanks again for the information roly, I'm impressed.
I suspect I'm older than you, Maypole school ? The only school I can think of in that area was in Druids lane, roughly opposite Crabmill lane. Would that be it ?
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It is indeed. I was there from 1976 -81. Shortly after I left it became Baverstock (South). Baverstock (North) being the old Sunderton Road School. It is now a grant maintained school (One of the first to be so I think).
 
There is a box structure to the left of the lorry in Bloomsbury Street, Nechells 1950s... is it street furniture ... anyone know what was it for ?

 
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Back on the bollard theme there are some down Newhall St, but suspect them to be modern reproductions. If they had grill holes in them I could imagine them being stench pipes to vent the sewers
 
I'd firgotton about those bins (pic #97) that were attached to bus stops Phil. Like mini oil drums. But have no idea what the big box is - maybe something to do with telephones?

Roily, didn't know that all the old Belishas have been phased out, but had noticed the new ones appearing with the lighted zebra poles. Viv.
 
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Well Mike and Paul here are a few anchor plates/wall ties which can be seen in Britain. There are lots around: look at any old building, usually brick, the chances are you will see them. Post 97 shows a 'cross' version. Paul should see them in the Midlands where plenty of old brock buildings still exist away from the shiny city centre and Mike you most likely have many in Cambridge but maybe they are more camouflaged for aesthetical appearances in an ancient college city.

https://www.redgwick.co.uk/

The box, in Post 97. refer erred to by Old Mohawk I have the feeling is a GPO (now BT) box. They are more regular shaped now. Of course, as Truly of the yard might say ' he could be lying' :untroubled: I also am of the view that the lorry, OAR registered, is a British Railways (Midland Region) vehicle. LMS and subsequently BR(M) vehicles were often Hertfordshire registered probably by the Wolverton works. Again the previous disclaimer applies.
 
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Vivienne, in the Goodrington district of Paignton there is a Belisha crossing with lit zebra poles and a ring of small lights encircling the lit orange globe. It is the only one of this type that I have seen, (do not travel far these days) but it certainly catches your attention when driving. It really looks like they should be on a Christmas tree. :biggrin:
 
There is BEacon with little lights on it in Reading as well, though only at one place. Not sure why it is like that.
 
Radiorails said:
Well Mike and Paul here are a few anchor plates/wall ties which can be seen in Britain. There are lots around: look at any old building, usually brick, the chances are you will see them. Post 97 shows a 'cross' version. Paul should see them in the Midlands where plenty of old brock buildings still exist away from the shiny city centre and Mike you most likely have many in Cambridge but maybe they are more camouflaged for aesthetical appearances in an ancient college city.

https://www.redgwick.co.uk/

The box, in Post 97. refer erred to by Old Mohawk I have the feeling is a GPO (now BT) box. They are more regular shaped now. Of course, as Truly of the yard might say ' he could be lying' :untroubled: I also am of the view that the lorry, OAR registered, is a British Railways (Midland Region) vehicle. LMS and subsequently BR(M) vehicles were often Hertfordshire registered probably by the Wolverton works. Again the previous disclaimer applies.
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Yes that link shows examples of the decorative styles I was alluding to. And that big rectangular box at the kerbside does look like a GPO telephones junction box.
 
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Another Police Box in a forum pic on the corner of Ford St / Lodge Rd Spring Hill 1967 - a building seems to have fallen down in the pic !
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In Soho Hill Hockley Brook...Aug 1955 ...there is one painted white. Click on the pics to go to original posts ...
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Junction Albion Street.Powell St
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Would those bollards be used as a mounting block? I have never seen mounting blocks anywhere. No horze troughs here anymore either.
 
Since this thread started I'm seeing police and fire telephone points in many old pics which is not surprising in those days before mobile radios and easy telephone access. Three forum pics I've noticed - click the pics to go to the posts they were in where more information about the locations is given.
A police telephone point on the right corner.


A police telephone point again on the right corner.


Easy Row maybe the late 40s and that could be a fire telephone point on the extreme left. I think I saw them in my young days they were painted red.
 
Those police and fire pillars seem much more common Phil than I'd imagined. The last set you've posted could be mistaken for bollards when first looking at the photos. Something we haven't yet mentioned is clocks. Here's a beauty at Aston Cross in 1900. Think there's a cabman's hut alongside too. Not sure what the feature behind the clock is with the chimney. Viv.

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I like the clock at Five Ways, they've moved it over from it's original place. I used to rely on it on my way to work before I could a afford a proper watch!
rosie.
 
rosie said:
I like the clock at Five Ways, they've moved it over from it's original place. I used to rely on it on my way to work before I could a afford a proper watch!
rosie.
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Think this must have been it's original position Rosie, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. Viv.

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mikejee said:
I think it is a steam tram Viv
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Thanks Mike. Must have been a very busy junction. Glad to see the clock's still there and it's well maintained. And there's the addition of an ornate street lamp too (compared with the 1900 photo). All standing on an island. Viv.
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