Aldersgate

[Michael Hodgson]

Magnificent.  I love the little period details, such as the pub's unprotected open cellar door, the lady in the phone box rummaging in her handbag while another lady is waiting to make a phone call, the shop's not quite shut roller blind and similar windows, and general litter in the market.  But Mo Mowlem Hall? 

 

The Belisha crossings don't look quite right to me with their four beacons though.  They usually only have two, one each side of the road typically diagonally opposite so that it's on the approach side for cars.  Where, as on one of them, there is a central traffic island, there's optionally a third one or sometimes one each side of the island.  But I suppose there may well have been exceptions.  The edges of pedestrian crossings are delimited by lines of stainless steel studs across the carriageway, but these might be too tiny to model.

 

Video doesn't clearly show your traffic lights, but they are legally unenforceable for the period because they used to need to be on black & white striped poles like the belisha beacons.  However there were obviously a handful of exceptions in practice as I remember people getting off on that technicality!  I think it was about the mid to late 1960s that it got repealed as local authorities were increasingly becoming embarrassed.  Traffic lights also needed (and I think still do)  a white stop line on the road surface.

 

Before the era of yellow lines forbidding parking and our adopting international road signs, I think you should also have had a few old style (blue) No Parking signs on the same poles or (yellow) No Waiting signs, on black and yellow striped poles, but parking generally was much less restricted than now.

[George Hudson]

Many thanks, and here's part 2.  Mostly the same old buildings I've been peddling on here for years!  :-)

 

 

 

[Oldddudders]

5 minutes ago, George Hudson said:

Many thanks, and here's part 2.  Mostly the same old buildings I've been peddling on here for years!  :-)

 

 

 

 

[George Hudson]

On 27/03/2023 at 13:45, Michael Hodgson said:

Magnificent.  I love the little period details, such as the pub's unprotected open cellar door, the lady in the phone box rummaging in her handbag while another lady is waiting to make a phone call, the shop's not quite shut roller blind and similar windows, and general litter in the market.  But Mo Mowlem Hall? 

 

The Belisha crossings don't look quite right to me with their four beacons though.  They usually only have two, one each side of the road typically diagonally opposite so that it's on the approach side for cars.  Where, as on one of them, there is a central traffic island, there's optionally a third one or sometimes one each side of the island.  But I suppose there may well have been exceptions.  The edges of pedestrian crossings are delimited by lines of stainless steel studs across the carriageway, but these might be too tiny to model.

 

Video doesn't clearly show your traffic lights, but they are legally unenforceable for the period because they used to need to be on black & white striped poles like the belisha beacons.  However there were obviously a handful of exceptions in practice as I remember people getting off on that technicality!  I think it was about the mid to late 1960s that it got repealed as local authorities were increasingly becoming embarrassed.  Traffic lights also needed (and I think still do)  a white stop line on the road surface.

 

Before the era of yellow lines forbidding parking and our adopting international road signs, I think you should also have had a few old style (blue) No Parking signs on the same poles or (yellow) No Waiting signs, on black and yellow striped poles, but parking generally was much less restricted than now.

Thanks Michael, I'm delighted that you have spotted some of the little details.  Also thanks for the tips on traffic lights etc.  I'll certainly incorporate those onto the layout.  I still haven't finished all the roads (I have a thing about them all having to have cambers) so that's very helpful.  I have a pack of old road signs which I am going to start adding since we're getting near completion of some boards.  The traffic lights are copied from Langley.  I bought a pack of theirs to get the dimensions and copied them with cocktail sticks and bits of plastic tubes, I find things more fun to make if I can!

[George Hudson]

Oh yes, Mo Mowlem Hall.  The original was "Mowlem Hall" where the famous Arbour Boxing club was located.  Hence my little ref to the late politician of great integrity whom I admire.  This is one of only 6 photos I can find of the building which btw was my sister's secondary school before it becoming a boxing and a very dodgy night club.

[George Hudson]

Just now, George Hudson said:

Oh yes, Mo Mowlem Hall.  The original was "Mowlem Hall" where the famous Arbour Boxing club was located.  Hence my little ref to the late politician of great integrity whom I admire.  This is one of only 6 photos I can find of the building which btw was my sister's secondary school before it becoming a boxing and a very dodgy night club.

I've really got to get those beacons more yellow on the model!