97FF. Smithfield Rise, Stowe, Lichfield, Staffordshire With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Installed on the communal parking areas behind each block of houses are 5 m tubular steel columns supporting Atlas Gamma 6 / AC Ford AC 762 post-top lanterns. The two designs are very similar in appearance, despite catalogue images of the Atlas version showing a less flared base casting than production versions had. Although the lamp types used by these particular lanterns is unknown, given Lichfield's frequent use of SOX (low pressure sodium) equipment, I would suggest that such lamps may be present here too.

This example is at the end of the first parking cul-de-sac on Smithfield Rise.

One possible argument for these lanterns being the AC Ford version is that the architecture of the surrounding properties looks slightly too modern to use Atlas versions of the Gamma 6 - by the 1970s, the lanterns were sold as Thorn products, and the Gamma 6 of that era was closer in resemblance to that of the later Gamma 6 of the 1990s.

The underside of the lantern's canopy features mild signs of corrosion.

This example is near the start of the second cul-de-sac.

Unlike any of the Thorn versions of the Gamma 6, the Atlas versions always had the lamp control gear housed remotely, allowing for the narrow base casting seen here.

Also of note is that only the wide-brimmed canopy seems to have been available at this time, with the narrow-brimmed canopy arriving later.

The final example was to be found on one of the footpaths upon which the houses front - Mallard Croft.

As well as having a slightly dented canopy, this example has also undergone a bowl repair using a length of insulation tape.

A GEC Z5713 served as a past replacement lantern in the final cul-de-sac.

This too has the lamp control gear installed within the column base.

As this is also probably a SOX lantern, the actual part code would be Z5718.

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