Big Poles Archives - The Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society

6 Jul 2025

Visiting old friends

posted in: Appreciating, Big Poles, Country poles, dropwires, Electricity Poles, New Poles |

And a new one.

There was a wasps’ nest in our local letterbox. So apologies to those folk who felt we’d dallied a little in getting your book and membership orders out to you. I know this sounds a little like “the dog ate my homework” kind of excuse, but truth was our postie refused to collect from it until some young lady exterminator from Aberystwyth had sorted things with a big stick. I did, at one point, poke my endoscope camera down there to see them sitting there. The parcels that is not the wasps – they were too busy asking me if I’d mind awfully going away. Anyway, wasps relocated now and the packages have been delivered.

In an effort to sort my work-life balance so that it weighs almost completely on the side of life, my feet have barely touched the ground this summer. Jollys here, trips away there, pub crawls everywhere. And whilst I was out and about I took the opportunity to visit a few old friends. I don’t have many friends so what I really mean is telegraph poles. And it’s arguably my relationship with telegraph poles that leads to me having no friends in the first place. And the damned “e” key is sticking again on this laptop. And the “a” key.

Little gallery below for you to peruse. You might recognise the first picture – it featured as January in our 2024 calendar. I go this way to walk into the wilderness beyond “Soar y Mynydd” chapel. I keep hoping to be handed some stone tablets with words of wisdom carved on to them whilst I’m up there but so far, nothing. Next up was my favourite, and arguably the world’s best “B” road – the B5105. The lovely little run of vintage poles between Ruthin and Clawddnewydd are largely still there. Some hiding in trees to avoid the poling gangs who would brutally yank them up and replace with a tarry vanilla job. Not unlike that which you see in the next picture. A brand new pole. 9 metre Medium pole preserved in 2025 and, according to the Openreach rule book nailed next to it, was planted just 3 weeks before my visit. This one is at the beautifully named Burlingjobb in Powys. Finally, more wilderness walks – high up into the Radnor Hills, over the delightful but windy “Whimble” and on up to Black Mixen. The Radnors seem to have a monopoly on great names for their hills. Anyway this power pole is the last of the run before the cable to Black Mixen telecom tower goes underground. So windy here it requires 5 stay wires (only 4 visible in this pic). This path, incidentally, borders the Harley Dingle explosive and ammunition testing ground which makes for some interesting flashes and bangs some days as they test out the very latest in Royal Mail Postbox Wasp clearing ordnance.

22 Sep 2023

Poles of the Oban Oblast

posted in: Big Poles, Country poles, Electricity Poles, Found Poles, Gorgeousness, Vintage |

Fresh back from a lengthy return trip for some R&R near Oban, Argyll. Interesting overnight on the way up at the delightfully eccentric Ecclefechan Hotel but did the return journey back to west Wales in one pergatorial go – just stayed in bed the next day to recover. Anyway, herewith a selection of the tall, wooden, sticky-uppy things with wires coming out of the top that I spotted within a small radius of our home for the week – Gallanach Castle (see last pic). Poles here also from nearby isles of Kerrera and Lismore. The two penultimate pictures showing how we subsisted despite having a castle kitchen at our disposal.

27 Jun 2023

Where the hell have I been?

posted in: Adornments, Appreciating, Big Poles, Country poles, Electricity Poles, Found Poles, Gorgeousness, Telegraph Poles |

It’s remiss of me, I know. It’s nearly July already and this is my first post in ages. As I am free between the hours of 2am and 5am each day, my wife thought I ought to take on some more part-time work to make ends meet (they don’t still). I resort now to sleeping on the job during lengthy toilet breaks. An “Out of Order” sign on the door helps here, I find. Consequently, things have slipped a little on this particular desk.

Anyway, I was going to do a Pole of the Month post but I’ve not seen any white smoke arising from the POTM selection college’s chimney so assume the committee have yet to come to a decision. So, in the interests of meanwhiledom, herewith a selection of recent photos, some contenders and some not.

First off, there’s these from Ian Stokes (#1134) who tells us that he can’t help feeling there’s no place for AI in Wales (see previous post) but there is one for AA and it’s on the A40 just west of Crug Hywel (Crickhowell). “A beautiful vision of two old friends”, he says, “untroubled by the passage of time and touchingly colour co-ordinated”. Ian used the salution “Hello Butty” in his covering letter. A quaintly south Wales term for friend or pal. Being a “gog” though, (a north Walian), I know Butty better as being a soggy sandwich, likely with shrimp paste, otherwise a pint of “Butty Bach” a fine ale from over the border into Hereford. But enough of that.

Power pole and AA call box on the A40 near Crickhowell

Danger sings on a power pole near Crickhowell

Next in my deep in-tray was this lovely specimen from the Isle of Mull taken by Roger Boulton. Roger was unaware of TPAS until today (a week or two ago). He took these whilst on holiday and said it was the combination of pole and scenery that made him stop. We’re glad you did Roger. The skidmarks are still there by the way.

A fine 3 armed pole beside a sea loch on Isle of Mull

A combination of telegraph pole and scenery on Isle of Mull, Scotland

This next pole is a contender for Pole of the Month (Whenever we get around to doing that again). Not because of any particularly fine aesthetics but mainly because the sender, Trebor Snobbig, asked us so nicely. This pole, is situated close to a not so tall sticky-up Trig Pillar (Grid Reference SJ4859 9086) in Rainhill, Merseyside. Trebor, whose name is probably an anagram, says he consulted all his friends about this pole’s selectability, but he has no friends so sent it anyway. Good luck Mr Snobbig, let’s see what the white smoke bringeth.

Power pole with barrel transformer. Don't know where.

Well that’s all for now folks. But rest assured, I’m going to start smoking soon so that I can take some cigarette breaks and use them to come and post some more photos.

27 Feb 2023

From our Idaho correspondent

posted in: Big Poles, Country poles, Electricity Poles, Foreign ones, Oddities, Telegraph Poles |

Nathan Unruh is not going to believe me when I write this: Nathan, member #1050 first wrote to me with a photo of a totem pole thingy back in October last year. And then just two days ago I thought to myself “do you know what, you’ve not posted that Nathan Unruh’s photo yet. He’s going to think you’re a miserable git who doesn’t answer emails.” Which is only partially true – I am often miserable, and I don’t always answer emails, but I am not 100% a git*¹. Anyway lo and behold just one day after thinking about Nathan, a further email arrives not at all calling me a miserable git. In fact, this one contained another photo of a power pole in Washington (USA, top left) but with dramatically fewer words. So clearly Nathan was already suspicious that emails to telegraphpoleappreciationsociety.org were falling off the end of a wire somewhere and so was saving his fingertip effort and keyboard wear and tear. But they got through Nathan, they got through.

So photo #1 has an impressive power pole with happy buzzing transformer photo-bombed by a totem pole (tall, wooden etc. but no wires coming out the top) with all footballer’s heads on it. We could get into my feelings about Shrewsbury Town FC players’ heads being stuck on a pole/spike here but that’s for a different website. Anyway, this totem pole is called The Old Codger. And it’s in Colfax, Washington (USA, top left).

The second photo, received only the other day is of a versatile mid-country pole in Rosalia, Washington (USA, still top left). So there we have it. Emails to TPAS don’t necessarily disappear into the ether and you should never lose hope

My final point here is why Idaho correspondent when these two photos are from Washington (USA, top left)?Well, Nathan’s address is in Potlatch, Idaho. and surely, like all distances in the USA measured in light years from Washington? But now that I’ve had a look at Google Maps I can see it’s almost right next door. Blimey! I also did a bit of zooming around Nathan’s area on StreetView. And I’d just like to add, at this point, wow !

*¹ The true figure is about 93.7% git

23 Dec 2022

Most Northerly Pole in Mainland Britain

posted in: Appreciating, Big Poles, Electricity Poles, Found Poles, Markings, Photos |

I was getting worried. It’s been so long since I posted on here that I wondered if something might have happened; maybe I’d “moved upstairs” or something. But given the lack of sympathy cards on our mantlepiece and that Mrs. TPAS seems to be cheerfully going about her business I’m probably not meeting my maker and so nothing for it but to get on here and catch up with some emailic inboxing.

Regular visitors to these sage pages will know that we are frequent visitors to the far north (and west). You only have to look at our outstanding 2023 calendar to know that (a handful left for £9.99). Now, I’ve been past it on my way to Orkney several times, but never quite got around to visiting Dunnet Head in Caithness. Turns out I didn’t need to as Jim Irving, who, I think, might be from Glasgow, has been there for us. His penchant, however, is for lighthouses – which whilst being tall and sticky-uppy are only 50% of the way to being tall, wooden, sticky-uppy with wires coming out the top. Anyway Jim got to service both fetishes*¹ with this visit.

He travelled north with his colleague and current wife who pretended to be asleep the whole journey to avoid the nerdic conversation emanating from the vehicle’s male occupants. Apparently, their excessive enthusiasm for the poles began to scare all concerned by the time they had finished taking the photos you see below.

Anyway, for clarity’s sake, the pole with “yours truly”*² in it and with the lighthouse and buildings directly behind is THE most northerly pole.

For more clarity, yes, we know these are power distribution poles rather than telegraph poles per se and we refer to paragraph #2 above which contains a mashed-up version of our society mantra.

Jim says he might be back for a TPAS Mug for his mate at some point. Well if even further clarity is required, he hasn’t yet done so – our order clerks are on standby. And we have a few calendars left too. Have I said that already?

*¹ Need to find a better word than this
*² I always thought “yours truly” was me. Turns out it’s Jim Irving.

31 Oct 2022

Common or garden pole

posted in: Appreciating, Big Poles, Found Poles, Gorgeousness, Telegraph Poles, Vintage |

An idiom if ever there was. This complex beauty is anything but common. Garden it is though. That of Jon McCollum in Nottinghamshire, actually. Jon had a hunch we’d appreciate this weathered old thing but I don’t think he knew quite how much. No engraving with a date he says, but reckons it was probably erected around 1896. This, to pole watchers, is perhaps what an Iberian Chiff Chaff might be to birders (A venn diagram I also find myself within). I can only wonder at how much a pole like this must add to the value of your home. I’d move to a house with this in the garden. Never mind where it was or how many sheds it had.

An elderly double five-armed pole replete with insulators sprouting from a garden hedge in Nottinghamshire.

4 Oct 2022

Pole of the Month – September 2022

posted in: Big Poles, Gorgeousness, Markings, Pole of the Month |

Hey, I know we’re four days into October already – but our adjudicating team can’t be rushed on decisions as important as P.O.T.M. So here, I give you, courtesy of veteran pole-climber and Honorary member of this sage society #0469H John Brunsden, Pole of the Month for September.

This lovely 1940s double header DP397 can be found at Stapleton near Bristol. Closer examination reveals and ageing and faded D plate and also the remains of an A1024. Plus any number of previous annotations as per its DP designation.

DP 397, a tall, double headed pole from the 1940s

23 Mar 2022

Cold war turns hot. In Denbighshire

posted in: Big Poles, Country poles, Nothing to do with Telegraph Poles, Villainous behaviour, Vintage |

Finding the mood to conjure up some whimsical guffery – as is my wont and forte – has been difficult of late. Given the rather nasty goings-on in the area north of the Black Sea. I’ve doom-scrolled the news posts until I can’t sleep any more and refreshed the headlines on my browser to a standstill. All the time hoping for some cessation of hostilities.. I’ve seen the film “Threads” for goodness’ sake. And a (much) younger me – a mere lance corporal*¹ – was once responsible for patrolling a tiny stretch of our side of the rusting iron curtain as the cold war simmered and seethed between the two Germanys.

This talk of hostility brings me to this photograph of a fine, wide, four armed vintage pole just south of Ruthin in N. Wales This pole, you may remember, was one of those discussed in our fabulously famous film “Telegraph Poles on the B5105“. Mrs TPAS was camerawoman that day and after we’d finished filming this particular pole we walked back up the lane opposite to our car. Therein we were accosted by an irate lady who lived along said thoroughfare and considered our car’s position as a violation of her right to exist as a human being. My wife – practised in these things – did all the arguing for our team: that we were on a public right of way; that we were parked in a layby; that we were 300 yards beyond the end of her garden and jurisdiction. Mrs Angry was having none of it and harangued to the point of amusement for some ten minutes or more. I was carrying the camera at the time and had sneakily pressed the record button as her first salvos of red-faced vitriol rained in upon us. A ceasefire was only called when the husband of the house called his wife off us and we (mentally) signed a peace accord to the extent that we would never film there again. My ears ring to this very day.

I still have the ten minutes of footage if Mr Spielberg/Coppola/Tarantino might like to dramatise the whole conflagration.

A wide, four armed telegraph pole with 18 insulators stands tall amongst the trees on the side of the B5105 in Denbighshire. Two cars passing below.

*¹ Should, by rights, have held the rank of Captain only I filled in the wrong form at the recruitment office.

24 Nov 2021

Erection

posted in: Big Poles, Country poles, Engineers, GPO, Hardware, New Poles, Telegraph Poles, Vintage |

I came this ‘ ‘ close to deleting an email I received this week with the subject line as above. I used to receive many such messages. Often accompanied by words like dysfunction, failure, problems etc. All the while extolling the virtues of some wonder pills guaranteed to make my wife happy. It’s well known in this household that a long trawl around a garden centre is far more likely to lighten Mrs TPAS’ countenance than anything I could swallow. I think. I hope!

Anyway, I have the curiosity of a small, hungry cat called Brian, and I noticed that this particular email also had a photo attached. So it is by the skin of all our teeth that I present to you this delicious telegraph pole courtesy of Euros Jones.

Euros is not one to waste words and the photo came with the simple caption:

“Went through Aberangell last week and saw this pole being replaced.”

Aberangell is a village deep within the stunning gorgeousness of the Dovey hills, N.E. of Machynlleth. And just think what a coup it would have been had we also a photo of this old pole coming down and the new one going up as witnessed, alas uncaptured, by Euros. If I won the lottery I suppose I could always get them to re-enact it just for my not-at-all-obsessive benefit.

Anyway, I doff my cap firmly in Euros’ direction. He saw a pole being replaced and somehow managed to put his hands on the photo of it going up in the first place decades ago. I certainly couldn’t do that. And I don’t know many who could. Actually, I say I doff my cap, but truth is, the only headwear I ever wear is an Aberystwyth Town FC bobble hat. So next time I’m at the footy Euros, it’ll get doffed your way.

Black and white photo of a street scene in Aberangell, mid Wales, showing a GPO team putting up a four crossarm pole with great effort.

10 Mar 2021

An Exhibition of Pole Photos by Member #0985H

posted in: Big Poles, Broken Poles, dropwires, Found Poles, Oddities, Slideshow, Submissions, Telegraph Poles |

Welcome to the TPAS virtual gallery. Wayne Firth is an honorary member of this society. He didn’t become such via the usual vulgarity of a cash donation delivered personally to my doorstep. Nor did he offer me a non-executive seat at some dubious investment company. And he didn’t marry my sister either.*¹ Whilst these are all perfectly valid means of suffixing your membership with the esteemed “H”, Wayne went one better and used his position within the echelons of Openreach to access photos of poles of great interest. These he then sent to us under plain cover.

I’ve been hanging on to these for a while with the intention of spreading them out over a year. Truth is, my email inbox stretches off for over a mile now and so if I left it any longer then they may be lost to the silt at the bottom. (Apologies to those still waiting a reply from me for anything at all – don’t lose hope).

Anyway, thanks to Wayne #0985H for all these fabulous pole pics. Click a pic for full sized gallery.

*¹ All are also valid, and oft used, means of acquiring peerage and/or PPE contracts.

_{PS the descriptive captions whilst seemingly blooming obvious… to the sighted, are from the alt text which we include with each image so as not to exclude so to speak…}

The view from the top of a BT pole. A suburban street. Plus some bird poo very much in evidence.

A telegraph pole burning from top to bottom in a suburban street.

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