Gas street lighting in Coventry

Helen, I never imagined you as someone who likes to look down on other people.

I've never seen them clean a lamp without a bucket of water? When the gas mains were first being laid there was considerable rivalry amongst various traders as to who should be the first to use the new light, and we are told Mr Hands, who had the management, had stated that a relation of his who was a draper, of Cross Cheaping, should be first. Mr EW Peters who was a coach proprietor, however, determined to spoil his boast. Mr Peters had a lease of some property occupied by a Mr Pridmore, another draper, in Broadgate, and was determined to forestall Mr Hands. Next day he brought a fitter with him on the coach from Birmingham and quickly had the pipes laid and connected, thus forestalling the manager. No meters were at first used and the gas was charged at 15/- for each light.

Well I believe it's not gas at all, it's modern electric, placed in century old gas standards, and it wasn't in that position before 1960 either. What do you think?

That would make sense Kaga - the way the lamps are dangling from chains does suggest wiring.

Besides, it must be a set up as he looks too 'dressy' to be a cleaner, otherwise he would be wearing an overall (I presume).

The registration number suggests late 1940s .... hard hat, high viz, etc

My gut instinct is that it's electric Kaga and may have been from the start. When was gas phased out for lighting? The gas companies fought against the installation of electric and produced a number of implausible gas appliances including a gas radio Maybe the gas company volunteered to maintain the gas lighting outside its showroom for free? The lamp post was certainly there in 1931 before the gas building. It would have been brand new for the creation of Corporation Street in the 20s/30s.

Yes but during the fifties I can't remember the island or that old gas type of decoration lamp. I think that was placed there much later. There was once a large queue of women standing there in front of the showrooms, we had had several power cuts without warning, spoiling food, the women wanted to change back from electric to gas ovens but whether it was fifties or sixties, could have been anytime in that period. The bottom of Bishop Street opposite Silver Street was where gaps and bomb damage were for a long, long time. The gas and electric had been one company from before the war.

In that case Kaga, the island and lamp were removed and identical ones put back in the same location later, because that aerial photo above was taken in 1931, and they're clearly there in that spot.

The lamps were still there in 1953 but they look a much lighter colour.

Yes, well I did ask what do you think because I wasn't sure. Did seem a long shot to have those old lamps, now you have confirmed what I had doubts about. Thanks, just have to watch my Alzheimer's.

More likely a case of not noticing at the time. Who makes a mental note of lamp posts? We all notice something that has been in situ for ages and wonder 'when did they put that up?'

This is from a 1930's CET

Well they sure stuck them up fast to have them ready for that air shot in 31, and they were sure gifted to miss the row of bombs that hit the Rex and onward to the Co-op, or were they hit? Could this photo be when they were first erected and the final touch?

They'd started demolition for the road in 1920, beginning at the Fleet Street end. A lot of buildings were erected just before the war as there was a boom from cycles and then cars. The creation of Corporation Street wiped out most of the south side of Well Street, home to many half timbered buildings. Palmer Lane, Ironmonger Row, the Great and Little Butchery, parts of the Burges, Cross Cheaping and Fleet Street all went before a single bomb was dropped. Bowing to MR's knowledge of car number plates the photo is the late 1940s but I haven't checked if all the lamp posts made it through the war, just this one. Also, there are buildings missing in the background that I think should be there if it was before the war. Though there was so much demolition pre war, it's hard to be 100% there were still intact before. It's safe to say that the photo was post war.