168AA. Off Lisle Street, Loughborough, Charnwood, Leicestershire With thanks to Leo Conway for discovering these Survivors. Attached to a wall in a small parking area for the adjacent the building now known as Canal House that is situated on the corner of Lisle and Grange Streets is an Atlas Alpha One lantern, designed for running an 85 - 140 Watt SO/H / SOI/H (low pressure sodium) lamp - the forerunners to the 55 and 90 Watt SOX lamp. Sadly, the lantern's acrylic 'Opticell' surrounding the lamp is badly damaged through recent vandalism (it still appeared largely intact in 2022 Google Street View imagery), although the 90 W lamp was still undamaged in May 2025. This lantern is likely to date from the 1960s, with the car park being built on land occupied previously by 25 - 27 Grange Street.
The lantern supply cable passes straight down the wall, and burrows underground, out of sight. Given that the Alpha 1 could not accommodate lamp control gear, this must be (or have been) installed inside Canal House.
This side of the Opticell is slightly more intact than its opposite equivalent is.
Thankfully, 'ATLAS OPTICELL' remains visible in the plastic.
Unlike later Thorn Alpha 1s, which featured a toggle that engaged with the underside of the rear casting to secure the Opticell, the original Atlas examples feature a bolt that fulfilled this task instead.
The unsupported lamp hangs rather precariously out of the lantern's remains.
Maps produced in the early 1970s depict the two end properties on Grange Street as having been demolished.
The remaining underside section of the Opticell reduces some of the hanging strain on the lamp.
The lamp fitted is a Philips type, and judging by its overall construction, probably dates back to the 1970s.
Judging by the dirt that has formed on the lamp's outer bulb, even when the Opticell was in a more intact condition, there must still have been damage incurred, which allowed moisture to enter the usually-sealed Opticell interior.
As a bonus, some 1950s' Stewarts & Lloyds 15 ft (5 m) tubular steel columns are still in operation on the neighbouring public streets, but now support Urbis Ampera Mini LED lanterns. This example is at the end of Lisle Street.
A double ladder bar bracket is sandwiched between the top of the column and the short side-entry bracket for the lantern. Prior to the Ampera's installation, a GEC Z9538, for 55 Watt SOX lamps, was fitted.
The column features the typical hinged inspection door, which is locked using two square bolts.
This column is at the end of the adjoining Edward Street, and features the more functional curved sheet steel door instead. The ribbed shafts are a distinctive feature of these columns.
No ladder bar bracket is fitted to this column.
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