8 Jul 2023

Poetic poles in Northumberland

posted in: Country poles, Found Poles, Gorgeousness, GPO, Markings, Telegraph Poles, Vintage |

Simon Rushton is a pole aficionado after my own heart. He clearly gets the poetry of their silent sentinel lives watching over us as we scud about our business beneath. Here are a selection of Simon’s photos from overlooked poles in Northumberland. Simon’s own beautiful words are best to describe them:

“Ancient beauty shivering on the edge of woodland in the winter snow at Howick, Northumberland. She’s a toothless wonder, poor thing, with just a couple of insulators left in place, but no doubt amazed to have a new lease of life carrying fibre. There she stands, blinking in the fading light, relieved not to be recycled as gate posts in the local fields quite yet.”

Silhouetted 4 arm pole with screwtop insulators
The doby mnarkings on a 26ft Medium 1957 GPO pole

And there’s more: “Mystery survivors on the road from Hexham to Alston, Northumberland. The wires are ominously down in places but the remainder are soldiering on regardless. Here and there are fresh faces, newly creosoted – the matchstick brigade, lacking those gorgeous double and triple cross-members with insulators…”

One of a run of 2 armed survivors on the Hexham to Alston road, Northumberland.
One of a run of 2 armed survivors on the Hexham to Alston road, Northumberland.
One of a run of 2 armed survivors on the Hexham to Alston road, Northumberland.
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.

  • Dunnet Head Lighthouse, Caithness. With Britain's most northerly pole just in front.
  • Jim Irving with Dunnet Head lighthouse beyond.
  • Danger of Death notice on a power pole at Dunnet Head
  • Inspection placards on a power pole at Dunnet Head
  • Power pole with transformer with Dunnet Head and then Pentland Firth beyond
  • The Doby marks on a power pole at Dunnet Head which read: 9.5m; SPFI, 16, EL, B
  • Jim Irving having a spiritual moment at a power pole at Dunnet Head.
  • Jim Irving, pondering the wonder of nature and telegraph poles at Dunnet Head
  • COBRA preservation placard on a power pole at Dunnet Head
  • Power Pole with Danger of Death notice and a location sign saying Dunnet Heat Lighthouse
  • Close up of a tarry preservation placard on a power pole at Dunnet Head.
  • Mainland Britain's most northerly power pole. Dunnet Head lighthouse behind and Jim Irving trying to remember if he'd turned the cooker off before he left the house.

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
Lots of old markers and tags on DP 397.
The etchings on DP397 pole. GPO, 40ft Medium, looks like 1944 date.
DP 397 stands proud against a blue sky and a brick and stone wall.
Street view of DP397 showing a church, road junctions and housing beyond.
29 Jan 2021

World’s busiest pole – contender?

posted in: Appreciating, Different Uses, dropwires, Electricity Poles, Markings, Photos, Telegraph Poles, Things on poles |

Alan Brown wrote to us this week from Teignmouth in Devon. Firstly, he congratulated me on a “gripping programme on Radio Wales on Saturday morning”. This raises two questions: what the hell are you doing listening to Radio Wales all the way from Devon? But then I looked and it’s actually not that far – if you’re a crow. And secondly, the use of the word “gripping” to describe my interview with Oliver Hides at 7:15am, which is effectively the middle of the night – the only thing I might grip at that time on a Saturday morning is the top of the cistern to steady my aim as I relieve nocturnal pressure thus facilitating a further hour or so in slumberland.

Anyway, Alan’s felicitations were merely a polite opener to an email extolling the virtues of a telegraph pole he had found in the run down (his words) left-hand side Dawlish road as it approaches Teignmouth.

This pole, he points out:
* carries a large number of phone lines
* carries 3-phase power
* supports a street light
* supports a road sign
* has Welsh included in one of it’s notices.

“What a performer” he rightly concludes and yes, it did indeed brighten our day. Not so much that I may choose to holiday there, or even ever consider a traverse of the A379. But having a bit of God’s own language on its sign puts this pole right up there with some of our favourites. What Alan neglected to mention was that this pole also has sea views. Yes, really, see pic #1

#1 World’s busiest pole… for now? …

  • Pergyl of Marwolaeth here, watch out, falling Z’s.

30 Dec 2020

Finally, Finials from Auld Reekie

posted in: Adornments, Big Poles, dropwires, Engineers, Gorgeousness, Markings, Photos, Telegraph Poles, Vintage |

Neil Bell sent us these photos of a fabulous phlogistonically finialed pole that he can see from his living room window. This has allowed me a few firsts: (i) The use of the term “Auld Reekie” – an affectionate term for the fair city of Edinburgh; (ii) the use of the term “phlogistonically” which at first sight would appear to be an adverb – i.e. turning an adjective into a verb with the suffix “ly”. But then the word phlogiston would be a noun, so here I’ve invented a whole new type of word which I will hereonin call an adnoun. Not only that but phlogiston is itself a made up substance in use before they discovered oxygen; and finally (iii) an extremely elegant and aging finial amid the rooftops of Connaught Place (EH4). You don’t get all this on the Cloud Appreciation website.

Anyway, I wanted to know how old this pole was – I see it has six notches for long-removed crossarms – these arranged four facing, and a further pair at 90 degrees. Neil couldn’t find any information in the vicinity of the doby mark other than those seen here – which I will now identify for his and posterity’s benefit. 61 is the pole number (plastic tags and also an iron 61 lower down) – a DP judging by all the subscriber dropwires radiating from near the crown. It was inspected in Feb 2017 by D.E.K. on a 6 yr periodic; but then again on 3rd October 2019 by the engineer with the evocative ID # 612026689. This visit we know from the new annotation method of hammering in a small white plastic tag at the foot of the pole. This particular pole tester thought it was still Monday and their appalling error of chronology is recorded forever not only at the base of the pole but also now on this website.

If anyone can tell us what the little gate hook is for in picture #5 then we’re all ears.

28 Oct 2020

Poetic Circles

posted in: Adornments, Country poles, dropwires, Engineers, Maintenance, Markings, Telegraph Poles |

I move in some interesting circles, me. I know a man who spends his time counting ants, for instance. I’m on a nodding acquaintance with someone off a TV soap* and I once overtook Olympic swimmer Duncan Goodhew on the M6 near Walsall. All of that and I also count among my friends one of Britain’s brightest contemporary poets – Gareth Writer-Davies.

What the hell has any of this to do with telegraph poles? I hear you ask. Well GWD, as we call him, showed me this photo of a pole at Cilcennin in Ceredigion, and wondered would I be able to translate the stapled-on note. Not being averse to completely lying to look clever I said, “Of course… it’s a note from engineer CFSW etc. to pole visitors of the future that the wire needs to be upgraded to 0.6mm and that the other numbers are the eBay order codes and some pole sequence numbers.” Then, lying considerably less, I told him that this was a BT (Openreach) 9 metre medium pole and that it was creosoted by Burt Boulton & Haywood at Alexandra Dock, Newport in 2004. Er…. in April I think

I think I might just have made it on to his Christmas card list.

* Pobl y Cwm on S4C

The chiselled ID marks of a telegraph pole near Cilcennin, Ceredigion.
13 May 2020

All new conspiracy theory

posted in: Big Poles, Conspiracy Theory, Country poles, Electricity Poles, Markings, Things on poles |

Sally Crook spotted something rather intriguing on her lockdown, once-a-day, within-a-mile-of-home perambulation. In a field by the railway crossing in Brockhampton Lane, Cheltenham she noticed firstly the magnificence of these telegraph poles.  Sorry, Sally, but the more, ahem, traditional browsers of this site won't allow me to call them telegraph poles.  For although they fit the criteria 100% i.e. tall, wooden, sticky-uppy, got wires coming out of the top etc. (T.W.S.U.W.C.O.T), they are in fact power distribution poles.  There is probably an even more industry-specific name for this type of TWSUWCOT.  Anyway, I digress from the brand new conspiracy theory I am about to let you in on.

"Look closely," she said, "and you'll see little sort of playing card placards stuck to the timbers approx 8ft above the ground."  On the left leg, a red triangle (could be mistaken for a diamond by someone who didn't ever see a set of playing cards) and the other leg carried a black ace of clubs.

Right, well what is a red triangle? Let's break this down.  Red is a warning colour.  No ifs or buts there.  And a triangle, in the form of  a tetractys is a way of displaying four rows of numbers which add up to 10.  It's true this, I found it on Wikipedia.  And I sent them a £2 donation not long ago so, you know...  Anyway, October is the 10th month.  The Hunt for Red October was a 1990 film with Sean Connery that was exactly 135 minutes long.  135 is CXXXV in Roman.  You see, it's all starting to add up.  So the other pole leg has an ace of clubs on it.  Well ace is someone who is a sharpshooter or good at something.  But that's a red-herring, designed to throw you off the scent.  On the 17th page of a google search I find ACE cleaning products.  And why would you need cleaning products?  That's right, blood stains.  Club is a place where you go to get fleeced, have a dance or be sick in the toilet.  But it is also a weapon.  A silent weapon.  The kind that an assassin might use.   Precisely !  You heard it here first.

Anyway, Sally just asked if we or any of our readership might know what the signs all mean.  I've thrown my four-penn'orth in.  What do you think dear reader?  Go careful out there.

 

 

The words STOP PRESS in dotted text font

Rob Fuller wrote in to correct us on the a/m story:  "You will notice the overhead line carries two 3-phase circuits, so when work is being carried out on one of the circuits, the other circuit will usually remain live. The distinctive symbols are there as an extra identification system where the linesman climbing the pole will be issued with a wristlet corresponding to that particular symbol designation, and also you might notice that there is a metal bracket near the triangle/club symbols with an arrangement of pegs, which are both different on each side. These brackets allow a green flag to be fitted to that particular bracket, 'keyed' by the arrangement of holes in the flag, and pegs on the bracket, which will only fit the correct side of the pole on the 'dead' circuit, and this unique flag will be issued with safety documents by the engineer responsible for setting the linesmen to work.
As you can probably tell, this system has been in use for a long time, and is still in use to this very day."

A likely story...

11 Jan 2020

Wales’ newest pole

posted in: Country poles, Markings, New Poles |

Much excitement down our lane this week.  So much so that a statistical blip of reduced-productivity appeared, albeit briefly, on national audit spreadsheets calculating GDP.  This is a story of a pole replacement operation.  The twin poles of the bend by the lake are, alas, no more.  The fine gentleman crew of this contractor lorry told me, via Swansea accent interpreter, that these poles was buggered, see, and he sells 'em, makes a tidy bit an' all.

The pole being removed is/was quite dear to this society too  - as can be seen from our P.O.T.M. entry for October 2017.

This pair of gentle, unassuming 24ft Light poles, have stood steadfast since 1958 have now been upgraded to 8 metre Medium poles - this to take the extra weight of the great fat fibre broadband cables that run past my house and yet still refuses to stop off here FCS!  Nice to see they've got proper numbers now though: DP20 & DP 20/1.  But I'll be cold in my cryonic deep freeze by the time they turn that lovely verdigris of the original poles.

Anyway, to celebrate this renewal down our quiet cul-de-sac valley, a book of condolence to POTM 10/17 (DP20+) has been opened at Capel Bethel, and Aberfrwd Ladies Guild are organising a tea party on the lawn in front of Statcraft visitor centre - at a date and time to be notified.

4 Jul 2018

In search of the holy grail

posted in: Found Poles, Markings, Vintage |
I’ve categorized this post under vintage.  You see, it’s about our Honorary Technical Adviser Sir Keith S**** H.T.A. T.P.A.S (Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 prohibits me from printing his real name).  But anyway, what we do know about this mysterious Rochdale-based former pole inspector is that he used to be a pole inspector and is from Rochdale.  By pole inspector we don’t mean the jolly BT chap who knocks the base with a hammer to see if it’s rotten or not – no, Sir Keith, before retirement, travelled the northern hemisphere inspecting entire forests in sub-arctic arboreal landscapes in order to select timber suitable for making into telegraph poles.
These trees once harvested and cut to length had the initials of the inspector chiselled into the butt of the, by now, preserved pole.
And so Keith wrote this week to tell us of his eternal quest to find just one such retired telegraph pole somewhere that has his initials on the butt.  For it his plan to take off a slice and make into a display for his not inconsiderable mantlepiece.  He has scoured the internet, and wrote to Kilgraney (it wouldn’t send) and so appeals to us to send out an SOS appeal to all BT & telegraph pole contractors to check their stack of recovered poles for one bearing the initials K.S.  To help you identify a pole butt with KS here is an artists impression of a pole with KS on it, yesterday.  Come on pole gangs, let’s make his day.
The butt of a telegraph pole bearing the initials KS
2 Jun 2015

Pre-climb test labels

posted in: Markings |

Proof positive if ever ’twere needed that the machinations for keeping this website updated are ponderous at the least.  We move in geological timescales here at Telegraph Towers.  This next urgent bit of information came in last August.  David P. Salt wrote to us to tell us about the new labels BT are employing on their poles.  In his words:

Hi,
Don’t know if you’ve noticed but BT poles now have a new label at the base of the pole (started in the last couple of years. It’s a white label the information is written in pen, it’s an engineers pre-climb test label. The engineer has to do a hammer test around at least three quarters of the base of the pole this involves hitting the pole and listening for a solid sound which indicates no decay at the base then a label has to be applied approx 4 inchs from base with the date and an ID.

A new fangled BT pre-climb test label.

What David didn’t mention is that to apply this label, 4 inches from the base of the pole, BT’s Health & Safety (gone mad) regime insists that the engineer must don safety harness, hi-viz, helmet, goggles, tipped boots AND get mummy or daddy to help him (or her) when using the hammer or any scissors or pointy things.  You couldn’t make it up!

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