Discussion on the following administrative areas: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, County Durham. Please check out the related gallery too.

I live in Consett in County Durham. The lighting here consists of mainly SON on main roads except a few. SON lanterns used are the Thorn Alpha 8 (GRP version), MRL6, Iridium and Sapphire. The ZX3 has also been used in a few places as has the Alpha 2000 in the town centre along with decorative post tops and metal halide Thorn Areaflood floodlights.

Side roads are mostly still SOX, but SON and compact fluorescent are taking over as concrete columns with Beta 2s and MI26s are getting replaced with post top urbis ZXU1 running 70w SON-T. No cosmo is used yet but metal halide is used in the town centre and in Shotley Bridge village in Urbis Albanies. There is no mercury and the only main road concrete columns are in Shotley Bridge Hospital these are fitted with Alpha 8's but were previously Revo Daleks. These still exist on the old hospital site now demolished awaiting redevelopment only 2 remain in tact and all others smashed to bits. There are few main road post tops but they are starting to creep in. Most lanterns are mounted on the overhead electricity supply.

Welcome Scott! Very interesting description and in my opinion it is a shame that your local area is so SON dominated!

I can't get your link to work properly. Would you be able to re-enter the link by editing your post? Cheers

Lots of the older SON lanterns are in very poor condition. Lots of Alpha 8s are without bowls or have thier bowls taped up, some of the MRL6s bulbs have came loose and are burning holes in the bowls a large number of bowls are like this and some of the recently fitted Phillips SGS203s canopies and bowls are looking scatty with a few being taped up. Hopefully the Durham PFI will see some new light sources brought in.

Welcome Scott!
I know what that area up there is like for lighting, not exactly ideal. I was up that way (Stanley) for doing some electrical work with a family friend - and having set off at 4.30am on a november morning, I saw all the lights still lit until sunrise at about 7.30... pretty much just Alpha 8's, with the hills in the background in SOX glow.

If that old hospital site you mention still has in-tact Revo Daleks fitted, then it may be an idea to try and find out who owns the site or to enquire about recovering the lanterns.

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Yes Stanley is about 20 mins drive away from Consett. The Hospital site is currently owned by Storey Homes, redevelopment is planned to start this year so i will keep an eye on the site and see if there is any action as i live just around the corner from it. The concrete columns that support the lanterns are badly spawled, with the bracket even dropping off one, smashing the lantern to bits.

Given the condition of the brackets, then possibly an enquiry to the owners could be done before the columns are brought down... because otherwise they may just use a bulldozer on the columns (or something else like it) which will just smash the lanterns.
If you can offer them something for their trouble then they may be able to get the lanterns safely... access vehicle, scaffold platform, something like that.

There aren't that many Daleks around now in good condition (and that includes those that have bowls without holes in). About 5 mins cycle from my house are two Daleks on a main road, which may get replaced sometime this year, and at least one of them has a hole or two in the bowl.

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I will keep an eye on the columns and my next door neighbour works at the hospital, prehaps she will be to help me, I'll try and catch her soon.

In Blanchland, Northumberland I have found 2 MBF Beta 79's. These are the old metal canopy versions. The bowls are starting to yellow, although they contain no water or dirt ingress. One is on the wall of a buildings mounted at a very low heigh and the other is on a wooden pole, lighting the entrance two a car park. I believe that all the lighting is privately owned by Blanchland parish council. Although all others have been replace with heritage lanterns running SON.
First One ~ http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 93,,0,12.1
Second One ~ http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 3,,3,-3.68

Aluminium Beta 79's are not exactly common as it is, but mercury versions are even more rare. The fact they're parish-owned will be why they survive - but it's a good find though... you never know, if you go past at the right time then you may end up with them in your house!

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