Zebra crossings and especially Belisha Beacons have always fascinated me. I love playing "Spot the Belisha Beacon" in old, and not so old, British movies. Hitchcock's "The man who knew too much" is a prime example (I think there's the beginning of an idea for a completely new blog there) I've always liked the idea of some cheeky chappy in the 1930's being given the job of designing something to stand out, and coming up with not just a black and white stripey pole with ...wait for it ...an orange ball on top ...which lights up ...and there's more ...it flashes on and off .
Environmental street furniture indeed.
They must have been having a laugh or on some really good drugs. The people that set this up definately were:
Don't ask... I've got no idea what, why, where or when.
Here is some collected Belisha stuff: 
'It was when the Belisha beacon fell on her head at a zebra crossing that I realised I had a girl with talent,' Benny Hill on Sue Upton"I once got arrested on Peckham High Street for dismantling a belisha beacon and walking down the middle of the road with it stuck on a scaffolding pole."Damon Albarn from Blur
A black-and-white striped post with a flashing amber light on top that marks a pedestrian crossing. Named for Transport Minister Leslie Hore-Belisha, who introduced the beacons in 1934. Hore-Belisha is also credited with reducing road deaths by introducing a new highway code and driving tests for motorists. In 1937, he performed similar reforms on the army as minister of war for prime minister Neville Chamberlain. He increased pay for recruits, improved the catering, introduced battledress and simplified the drill.The original Belisha beacons were made from glass, but they were replaced with plastic in 1952 as children kept throwing stones and smashing them.
"the headshrinkers they want everything, my uncle bill, my belisha beacon"
Radiohead "My Iron lung"When Jocelyn Bell, a Cambridge graduate working at Cambridge's radio astronomy observatory noticed a series of regular but intermittent signals coming from an unknown source she described them as flashing like a Belisha Beacon
13 comments:
Lovely, but can anyone tell me where the name 'Belisha' came from. It's a great one to try and explain to foriegners. 'Why you call light Belisha?' thay ask.
Aha ...someone isn't paying attention
it's all there in my little collection of Belisha junk ...seek and you shall find
Thanks for being my first commentor
It's Hore Belisha, the minister who introduced them. Why they weren't called hore beacons, I can't imagine.
Hmm I must admit Mr Combo Hore Belisha is certainly a name to conjure with
Thanks for being my second commentor
That poster, did Whitbread make a belisha (warmpommy)beer?
The multi-headed beacon in your photo was the work of a pair of young artists who specialise in stealth alteration of street furniture in the name of art.
I'm currently engaged full-time in trying to remember more about them (eg their names) or track them down on the webb. They also did a forrest (or small clump!) of traffic lights in Docklands, London & some kissing street signs in New York. Until 1983 failure to steal a Belisha at some point during a student's career was punishable by transportation to the colonies.
Shameless Plugger here, ashamed I didn't jump in and become First Commentator. For more on Belisha Beacons and trad. road signs see page 130 of Unmitigated England (Adelphi £20- what's that in Oz Dollars?). Three years ago it was the Belisha's 70th birthday, and I did a book called 'Belishered!' in celebration, which is, of course, still sitting next to a pair of unpolished brogues in my mahoghany tallboy.
Darius & Downey are the artists responsible for the multi-stack belisha...
they have an impressive portfolio of witty alterations to the streetscape which can be seen here:
http://www.jenbekman.com/dariusdowney/index.html
(I'm now unemployed:- gissajob?!)
Before I get sued, I'd like to correct my earlier attribution of the Docklands traffic light tree....
It was in fact by Pierre Vivant.
Hey Bobchippy
you sure know your arty belisha stuff...Im sure Pierre Vivant will forgive you ...god knows how
as regards your question about the Whitbread sign I think you'll find that is indeed a boozer in Strood ...though whether it is the Essex Strood or the Kent one I really don't know ...now there's a little job for you ...consider yourself employed
Hey Warmpommy beer,
Mile after mile of wandering the lanes from Strood to Strood, it seems you sent me on a wild goose chase; The Belisha Beacon is in Rainham Mark, Kent.
Ow my aching feet! But thanks for bringing this hostelry to my attention.
I think Whitbread are missing a trick by not making a belisha beacon beer - alliteration in beverages is a sure-fire recipe for success.
Sorry about that ...very remiss on my part as I actually (my profile is not quite true but I really do live in Australia) come from Chatham which is part of the Medway towns.
Sorry about your shoe leather
That aside ...heres another little job for you ...please find out why people can't live together in peace, love and understanding ...take your time with this one...it could be a job for life
Yes. Sorry. It's all there in Black & White. If only I had read on to the bottom and not leapt in with a pointless question, just because I'm impatient. Typical. As those who know me will testify.
No. No. NO.
I expose the genitals of my Pelican Crossing at your Zebra / Belisha malarky. Be off with you.
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