Sky tower’s rise... and fall
QUESTION Are there any surviving pieces of the Skylon in existence? TWO young architects, Hidalgo Moya, 29, and Philip Powell, 28, won a competition arranged by the Festival of Britain organisers in 1949 to design ‘a vertical feature’ for the exhibition. The name ‘Skylon’ was chosen in another competition won by a Mrs Shepherd Fidler.
The architects were given just £14,000 for the project, although the ultimate cost was £23,000 after Callender Cables sponsored it.
The 296 ft cigar-shaped structure was built at Hereford steel fabrication company Painter Brothers by a 15-strong team of county craftsmen and ferried to London on two large articulated transporters.
The Skylon consisted of a steel latticework frame, pointed at both ends and supported on cables slung between three steel beams. The frame was clad in aluminium slats lit from within at night. Skylon stood next to the Dome of Discovery on the South Bank.
Despite its popularity, the structure was taken down in 1952. Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank, who made a film about Skylon for the BBC, blamed Prime Minister Winston Churchill for its demolition: ‘Churchill hated the whole idea of the Festival of Britain; he saw it as some sort of socialist conspiracy. When he returned to power at the end of the festival, he ensured that its pavilions, including Skylon, were squashed to pulp.’
There is uncertainty as to what happened to Skylon. Much of the supporting structure is believed to have either been dumped into the Thames or the River Lea. Some of Skylon was turned into paper knives by scrap merchants from the 600 Group in London, who gave them to customers as souvenirs. A small aluminium section of it is in the possession of Nick Baughan, a descendant of a director of the 600 Group. The only other surviving piece is Skylon’s base brass-ring plate, housed in the Museum of London.
Adam Standford, London E7. QUESTION The classic country song Ghost Riders In the Sky was written by Stan Jones. What is known of him? FURTHER to the previous answer describing writer Stan Jones’s history, no mention was made of two of the song’s greatest successes.
Notwithstanding that Burl Ives’s was the original release and Vaughn Monroe’s the original hit (both 1949), 45 rpm record buyers were more familiar with an ‘instrumental’ version of the song.
Featuring no vocals other than cattle ‘mooing’ and cowboys yelping, Riders In The Sky, by The Ramrods, was released in 1959 and gained top-ten status in the UK charts.
Perhaps unwisely, the band changed their name to Vinny Lee & The Riders – and were never heard of again!
In 1980, The Shadows released a disco-style instrumental version of ‘Riders’, which got to No.12 in the UK charts.
The definitive version for many, however, is Johnny Cash’s. Tex Waite, Trowbridge, Wiltshire. QUESTION Is it true that in the UK it is legal for a pregnant woman who has been caught short to relieve herself in a policeman’s helmet? IN 2010, Britain’s then deputy prime minister Nick Clegg launched a drive to banish needless laws and excessive regulations such as the archaic law mentioned above. His drive was largely pointless. A Law Commission Statute Law Repeals team investigated many of these supposed laws and discovered that they were generally fictitious.
Laws proved never to have been on the statute book included it being illegal to place a stamp of Britain’s queen upside down on a letter; it being illegal to stand within 100 yards of the reigning monarch without wearing socks; and it being illegal for a ‘commoner’ to permit his animal to have carnal knowledge of a pet of the royal household.
As for pregnant women relieving themselves in public or in a policeman’s hat, it concluded: ‘There is no generally applicable offence of urinating in public, although it is often an offence under local bylaws. Local authorities are expected to exercise discretion in deciding whether to prosecute, based on, for example, the nature of the locality and the availability of public toilets nearby. There does not appear to be a specific exemption for pregnant women, but discretion not to charge might be exercised if a pregnant woman were caught short in public. However, it does seem unlikely that a police officer would offer his helmet for the purpose.’
Some of the laws, however, did prove to be true. Under a 1313 statute it remains illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour.
Under the Licensing Act 1872, it is illegal to be drunk in charge of a horse. Under the same act, it is an offence to be drunk in charge of a carriage, horse, cow or steam engine, or whilst in possession of a loaded firearm. Under section 54 of the UK’s Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it is illegal to carry a plank along a pavement. Other offences covered by section 54 include flying kites, and sliding on ice or snow in the street.
Under section 28 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, it is illegal to beat or shake any carpet or rug in any street. However, beating or shaking a doormat is allowed before 8am. Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872 states that ‘every person found drunk… on any licensed premises shall be liable to a penalty’ – but this law that is rarely enforced. Sarah Westwood, Birmingham. QUESTION I read that the rock group Rainbow had used around 30 members. Has any other group used as many or more? FURTHER to the earlier answer, The Fall – fronted by the tempestuously acerbic punk rocker Mark E. Smith – has had 67 different members, including Smith, during its 41-year existence. Mancunian singer and lyricist Smith is the only surviving member of the original line-up and, given his temperamental nature, is thought to be largely responsible for the many walkouts and sackings. James Healy, via email.
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