Pylon in with a bunch of really ‘fascinating’ facts
Itook a book out from the library before lockdown about the history of pylons. Yes, you read that correctly. It caught my eye – as naturally it would – while I was browsing the shelves. ‘The pylon is a common sight on the British landscape,’ read the blurb on the back, ‘but not many know the history of these iconic metallic structures.’ Lee Child and John Grisham eat your heart out.
It was published in 1989 but was in absolute pristine condition, the pages stiff and unblemished, as if no one had taken it out in the 31 years since. Strange.
When I handed it to the woman behind the desk she studied me for a long moment. ‘Unusual choice,’ she said.
I was affronted. What right had she to judge my taste in books? ‘I thought it sounded interesting,’ I told her. She looked at me as if I were trying to sell her a stolen pair of trainers and said, deadpan, ‘it’s a book about pylons’.
But I’ve had the last laugh, because I’ve got to say it’s really quite a good read. I won’t bore you with the details. What’s that, you want me to? Oh, ok then.
The first pylon in the UK was built in 1928, just outside Edinburgh, designed by an American firm which came up with the idea of ‘grid towers’ that would criss-cross the country, connecting power stations. Five years later 26,000 pylons had been built. There are now 90,000 of the blighters.
The best thing of all about pylons, though, is that there is an official Appreciation Society – fans of pylons who go round spotting them.
It was set up by the wonderfully named Flash Bristow in 2005. In an interview with the Financial Times Mrs Bristow said: ‘My husband, Mike, isn’t that interested in pylons. When we went on honeymoon to Iceland in 2006, I insisted we take a detour so I could take photographs of the unusual pylons next to a hydroelectric station.’
By now Mike must have filed for divorce, or at the very least had a passionate affair with a non-pylon obsessed neighbour.
The group have a social media site and I implore you to search it out for it is gloriously insane. Someone will post a picture of a pylon – taken, say, from the hard shoulder of the M5, and others will comment.
The first post on the page is from a lady called Hilary Blackhouse, who has photographed a pylon on the horizon. ‘Just spotted this from the M42 near Tamworth. Strange shape,’ wrote Hilary, who I can only assume lives on her own and has very few friends.
Others then commented. James Rose wrote: ‘This is near Twycross zoo isn’t it? It’s very similar to the L7 in Aberdeen.’ Gordon Bruce posted a picture of another pylon along with the words, ‘reminds me of this one in Carlisle’. Then Iain Leyland, obviously very clued up
I don’t know Iain but I’m sure he’s the kind of chap I wouldn’t want to sit next to at work
about matters, weighed in to put everyone straight. ‘They are old GPO/BT towers,’ he wrote with the authority of a man who knows his pylons. ‘They were designed to accommodate very large horn antennas, hence the shape. Each is different depending on the shape of the antenna that was mounted.’
Iain then provided a website link which explained the history of the British Telecom network. I don’t know Iain but I’m sure he’s the kind of chap I wouldn’t want to sit next to at work.
A chap called Christopher Aldridge had posted a picture of two pylons side by side, writing ‘Routes ZF and MCR near
Cirencester’, to which someone called Kriss Wadge commented,
‘L2 to the left and L3 to the right. How to tell the difference? L3s have shorter insulator units and are thinner based.’ I felt like I’d stumbled into a parallel universe.
When I returned the book, a different lady was behind the counter. ‘That looks interesting,’ she said.
I nodded, inwardly congratulating her for having superior taste to her colleague, and replied: ‘It is. Any pylon-related queries you have, just ask.’
She looked at me oddly, flashed a weak smile, and claimed she had to dash off.