208A - Thirleby Close, Cambridge

208A. Thirleby Close, Cambridge Attached to the corner of some flats that face onto Carlton Way is a 1960s' Revo 'Junior Sol-etern' lantern designed for running two 2 ft (600 mm) T12 fluorescent lamps - the exact catalogue number depends on whether the lantern is equipped to run 20 Watt or 40 Watt lamps, and whether the control gear is switch-start or Quickstart. The lantern is likely to date from when the flats were built, and is now the sole survivor here; another example having been replaced with a bulkhead fitting.

The lantern's corner position allows it to provide illumination along the footpath, as well as over to the small communal grassed area between two of the buildings.

The lantern is intended to be fully sealed internally, with the front bowl and canopy being permanently stuck together, and having to be slid forward, in order to gain access to the lamps and wiring. The sister Sol-d'Or lantern employed a similar setup.

A large fuse box (possibly also made by Revo) is positioned below the lantern. This may also include a time switch. A length of MICC (Mineral-Insulated Copper-Clad) cable links the fuse box to a conduit connector box attached to the underside of the bracket. Although more laborious than other cables are to terminate, as can be seen here, the end result looks much tidier.

The relatively short outreach of the bracket must have made working on this lantern slightly fiddly, as a thumbscrew on the rear section must be loosened (and the section removed) in order to unlock the front section.

The bracket is shaped in such a way that the lantern has a slight (intentional) upward tilt.

From this angle, the Perspex bowl can be seen to have become slightly translucent through age.

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