69CA. Broadway / Clent Road / Bleakhouse Road, Oldbury, Sandwell, West Midlands With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Yet more Thorn Alpha 1 90 Watt SOX lanterns continued to provide night-time illumination to these streets in August 2023, though as the examples left around here seem rather random, it could be that they are replaced as and when their lamps fail; the Philips Lumistreet LED lantern being fitted to many of the surrounding columns. One column with an especially weathered concrete bracket is due to be replaced completely, however.

This example on Broadway is fitted to a Concrete Utilities' 'Highway-X' column.

A large amount of dirt has gathered in the lantern's acrylic 'Opticell' lamp housing.

Time was nearly up for this Avenue 3DNN column (again, a Concrete Utilities' product) at the junction of Clent Road, as a new 8 m tubular steel column was installed alongside it.

Much of the concrete has disappeared from around the lantern end of the bracket.

The Alpha 1 is filthy, with a large green blob existing on the underside of the Opticell. The proximity of the adjacent tree will not have helped in keeping the lantern clean.

The short outreach Arc 3 bracket shows further signs of decay at its connection to the column.

The height difference between the old 25 ft column and the modern 8 m equivalent is apparent here.

Further along Clent Road, another Avenue 3DNN supporting an Alpha 1 remained.

This too had a slightly contaminated Opticell - the 'dirt' being a large swarm of dead wasps!

This column is in far better overall condition, which is probably why it does not have a replacement installed alongside.

A later Royce Thompson Oasis 1000 photocell switches the lantern on and off, as required.

A very similar installation was to be found on Bleakhouse Road at the junction of Wolverhampton Road.

The concrete collar seen between the lantern and the end of the bracket on some examples is absent here.

A Stanton 1808 column with a long outreach bracket was further down Bleakhouse Road, at its junction with Broadway.

The bracket shows no signs of spalling.

Again, the Opticell was no longer dust tight, although this was the cleanest out of all of the examples seen on this page.

A more unusual view, looking up at the lantern from behind.

The Opticell securing toggle is visible on the underside of the lantern casting.

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