Here's my attempt:
Streetlight Preservation and Collection.
Some members of UKASTLE collect from depots or swap other members lanterns in which are preserved as a reminder of yesteryears street lighting. Nowadays most lanterns run on either a peachy coloured lamp known as SON or are orange, and is known as SOX.
The older type of lanterns operate off Mercury which illuminates a mint coloured glow, sadly these are being consigned to the history books as of 2013 Mercury lighting shall be no more and is important to our heritage of lighting from the past. Preserving these lanterns and lamps are important as collectors are stocking up on these until there shall be no more Mercury’s left, the lanterns are also reminders of the time when they were common in use, notably in West Sussex, Parts of Yorkshire, Merseyside, and the South West. The same will happen for the SOX lamp and lantern within the next 20 years.
Many of our members have reasonably sized collections some have 10 lanterns whist others have 100, these are cared for by members to restore them to their former glory. Some even use them as ornamental garden lighting. A lantern (streetlight) does not just ‘light up’ as many people think, lanterns switch on in many ways. Most notably is SOX which illuminates a neon red colour before it comes orange.
If your interested about the history of lanterns, lamps and gear why not join us, membership is free and if you wanted to you could even start your own collection and restoration.
Written by Steven D. (Urbis Saturn Land).