Everyone To Their Job...

Going...

Going...

Gone!

Approx a year ago around possibly all of my town but certainly where I live, they started to install new street lighting. I would guess that most if not all of the lighting in my town was at least around 50 years old. In that time most of the lampposts have been modified.

Originally made from concrete with a light that looked like a two legged stool stuck on top of the stump to finally a light that was more open where they sawed off the old light fitting and put the new style lamp over the top of the stump by using a kind of metal sleeve.

They have been like that for years.

Then about a year ago they installed new lightweight metal lampposts with a new light design. they installed more of them. The new lights unlike the previous are nearer the houses rather than at the kerbside. I assume because the light will now illuminate the path(for health and safety of pedestrians and also they are less likely to be struck by a vehicle should it mount the kerb and crash into them)And being lighter less damage will be done to vehicles, people and property if they are knocked down. In some instances being closer to property they may act as a deterrent to burglars too.

In some cases whilst the work has been carried out they have left the old and newly installed lamps next to the old and carried on using the old street lighting but today finally in this area the one across the road was taken out and when the hole in the path is filled in the work is complete though as it is outside of the house that is erecting a fence that work will be about to start as it is a bank holiday and bags of building material appear to have been delivered.

In fact I am wondering as nosy neighbours like me will, and you have seen my comments earlier about the fence and how small the garden is whether what I have just seen is a device to mix cement in or because of it's shape, it is a pond. It may work for them but the land is so small and so enclosed only time will tell if it works. If it does I'll be happy to change my mind but hey, it's nothing to do with me.

There is something about bank holidays that seems to have many people attempting DIY, even our neighbours have been hammering away at something on their walls most of the morning and if you knew in the last two years how much banging has been going on with new heating and electrical systems being installed and much more you'd wonder what else would need doing.

A day or so on from when most of this post was written and it appears that the garden is being paved over and may eventually become a kind of patio area and being so small, it may be very hot in sunny weather reflecting heat and when it rains very wet and possibly the water will lay in puddles.

I have a feeling last evening before the final light was taken away, they were all on and to me it seemed darker outside but this may be because the light is being directed downwards and a different type of bulb is being used. So just maybe this is to reduce light pollution and possibly could mean that the stars can be seen, a criticism of astronomers in recent years but I have found that if I go into the back garden at night I can usually manage to still see them if the weather allows but I shall have to see if that is so.

Even with all the equipment to hand, it's hard work and it does include a lot of physical work hence my title to the post about everyone to their job. And the images...well, as you can see the old lamppost being taken out and the new one already installed. I assume it will be switched on this evening.

I cannot believe that I have managed to write a post about street lighting.