Propeller shapes feature in the lower section of both plinths; a nod to the factory's former use during the Second World War, when it was involved in the manufacture of Spitfire and Lancaster Bomber aircraft. Archival photographs reveal that the entrance was marked with brick walls, with lighting incorporated into them, when the factory opened in the late 1930s.
The other plinth was identical in appearance. When new, the lanterns may have featured bronze-coloured metalwork, although, as can be seen, it is now red, along with the rest of the plinth metalwork (except for the propellers).
Fellow collector Leo Conway noticed this lone Thorn Alpha 3 around the side of the car factory, adjacent Fort Parkway.
The longer rear casting on this lantern indicates that the lamp control gear is housed within it. Notice that the supply cable is installed externally to the pipe work that serves as a support for the lantern, before entering the 'bracket' section using a back-entry conduit box.
An even older lantern is visible further along the complex - a GEC Z8128B 'Difractor' from the company's 'Clearmain' range is attached to an earlier part of the factory.
The close-up reveals that this must be an earlier version of the Difractor, owing to the presence of the wire guard that exists around the heavy glass bowl. This was included to prevent shards of glass from falling in the event of the bowl breaking, but was omitted from later versions.
