Kenelm Court, Stonehouse Estate, Tollbar End, Coventry, West Midlands With thanks to 'Aleksander' for informing me of these Survivors. Installed around the roadway surrounding these flats are multiple 15 ft (5 m) Thorn 'Sheerline' QC3 sheet aluminium hexagonal columns; two of which support their (likely, original) Gamma 5 post-top lanterns from when the flats were built, and the columns installed, in the 1970s. At the time, the Gamma 5 was available to be run with 100 - 150 Watt GLS (incandescent tungsten filament), 80-125 Watt MBF (mercury vapour), 35 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium), or 70 Watt SON (high pressure sodium); the latter of which would have been considered a new lighting technology at the time. The lamp types employed with these particular lanterns is not known, however. The first column that is seen when entering the complex is now topped with a CU Phosco P178 instead, whereas other columns within the site have had LED post-tops fitted.
The P178 is pictured first; it rather suits the hexagonal column, and indeed, CU produced similar columns, except that theirs were octagonal, and that particular type was steel, rather than aluminium.
Although the canopy's paintwork is largely covered in lichen, the paint finish appears intact beneath.
The column door matches the profile of the column, and a weather bar is riveted in place above it as a way of deflecting rainwater away from the narrow gap at the top of the door.
The roadway around the flats forms a loop, and so, is designated one-way. Two internally-illuminated signs indicate this requirement.
The fibreglass front to this fitting is worn, with parts of its top layer peeling away.
The sign's opposite number on the other side of the entrance is in altogether worse condition, having been nudged by a vehicle. This impact seems to have caused heavy deterioration to the sign face too. Two now-removed internally-illuminated No Entry signs existed further up the loop; these have been replaced with non-illuminated equivalents at a different location.
One of the two surviving Gamma 5s is pictured here, with an example of the LED replacement lighting being visible in the background.
The Gamma 5 uses a Thorn QCX spigot, which was produced to be used specifically with the aluminium columns that the company produced at the time. Instead of being bolted to the column with grub screws, these spigots simply screwed into the column instead, resulting in a 'cleaner' overall appearance.
The identity plate remains riveted to the column shaft, despite there being several minor abrasions in the surrounding material - probably caused by overzealous hedge trimmer operators pruning the surrounding foliage.
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