183. Blackbrook Avenue (and surrounding streets), Hawarden, Deeside. Located near to the junction with the A550 Gladstone Way are a couple of vintage columns supporting top-entry Thorn Beta 5 lanterns; the older of the two being a GEC concrete column and the newer being a Thorn QC3 aluminium column with a 'Type 2' bracket; much the same as the example seen on page 181. The concrete column may have supported an AEI Amber Minor lantern originally (the forerunner to the Beta 5), although the aluminium column is likely to have supported its current Beta 5 from new.

 

The lantern fitted to the concrete column is in relatively poor condition, with its bowl held in place with a length of wire. To add insult to injury, its canopy is spattered with bird muck. A Royce Thompson P42 two-part detector is fitted, suggesting that the lamp control gear is installed in the column base.

 

What is likely to be the column's original GEC inspection door is fitted to the square-based lower section.

 

The QC3 column is considerably less monolithic in its construction. This Beta 5 is also newer; notice the plastic bowl clip fitted here, instead of the (failed) stainless steel clip seen on the lantern above. My 1998 Beta 5 features the plastic clip too.

An LED retro-fit lamp is employed in this lantern; a replacement for a 35 Watt SOX lamp that the Beta 5 is intended to use.

 

At the other end of Blackbrook Avenue are a couple of other 'interesting' installations; this sleeved Stanton 7 concrete column being one.

 

The close-up reveals that this Amber Minor / Beta 5 has had an LED retro-fit lamp fitted too.

 

This was followed by another Stanton 7 column supporting an Amber Minor that retained its original bowl.

 

When pictured, the lantern was still running a 35 Watt SOX lamp.

 

Neighbouring streets are also home to some notable lanterns; Braeside Avenue having several Amber Minors lighting it after nightfall.

 

GEC concrete columns were, again, the order of the day. Notice the narrow gap between the column and bracket with this example.

 

The next column was another where the original Amber Minor bowl was in place.

 

Sadly, two lengths of wire have had to be wrapped around the lantern, owing to the failure of the bowl clip and hinge.

 

The following installation was much the same.

 

The bowl hinge pin was missing in this example too, with wire again being used as a makeshift solution. A small hole existed on the lower portion of the bowl.

 

Another sleeved Stanton 7 was spotted.

 

The hinge pins must have been a common point of failure on the Amber Minor lanterns, as this example had had to be repaired with wire too.

 

Another sleeved Stanton 7 adapted for accommodating a top-entry lantern was located on Overlea Drive.

 

The phantom wire-applier strikes again - even newer bowls are not exempt from such necessary repairs!

 

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