Wrekin light goes out
Tuesday 24th February 2009, 11:20AM GMT.
The flashing beacon lights on The Wrekin have gone out.
The lights, which have been flashing since New Year’s Eve in 1999, went out two weeks ago.
Engineers for Arqiva have been drafted in to fix the problem after walkers alerted the company.
Bruce Randall, company spokesman, said although the lights were not required they were a nice feature.
He said: “The flashing lights at the top of our transmission tower at The Wrekin are not required for civil aviation, but were installed at the request of the local authority at the start of the new millennium.
“We will check the system out later this week but the lamps are due to be replaced this spring as a matter of routine.
“Any work at the top of the tower requires forward planning to minimise disruption to transmissions and so this should go ahead in the next few weeks.
“If we can sort the problem from the ground through computers then we will but if can’t then it may take longer to get the lights back.”
The old Wrekin beacon lights were put up during World War II to ward off aircraft and had flashed until the mid-1960s. They were switched on once more to mark the millennium.
The beacon was thought of as the “friendly light” to generations of Salopians who used it as as a signal that they were back home.
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…and it’s taken two weeks for anyone to notice?
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It’s taken two weeks to notice? How important is it? Leave them off and save the electric bill
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Won’t save much electricity. There is the thick end of half a megawatt just on the TV transmissions on the Wrekin! So a couple of 100W bulbs (if they are even that) won’t make much of a dent in the bill.
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We hear a lot about light polution. This is a classic. Keep it switched off for ever.
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I thought they were switched off for environmental reasons – light pollution and unnecessary burning of fossil fuels to keep them on.
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the beacon is there for low flying aircraft, didnt you hear about that one plane that thought it would be great to go hill climbing one foggy night! and you never know they may be those free energy saving light bulbs from British gas, or do you think they forgot to top up there electric meters. the freeview only works some of the time, but I wouldnt know that, I have sky.
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It was always heartwarming to see the lights on from the train window, and know that you’re safely back in Shropshire. I’d miss the beacon very much…
John.
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i agree with lucy, keep it off for rural tranqulity / star gazing and environmental / landscape reasons
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John Case: Just why does a red light make you feel safe on the train?
Check out the Department for Transport figures for rail accidents for 2007:
23 Collisions
47 Derailments
486 Collisions with obstacles
141 Fires
309 Windscreens smanshed
Now please explain how a little light on a hill makes you feel safe on a train?
The only things that would miss the beacon are moths!
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MR J is totally wrong. The flashing light is there for vanity and nostalgia.
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Lucy W,
Read John Case’s coment again!
He states “It was always heartwarming to see the lights on from the train window, and know that you’re safely back in Shropshire”
It doesn’t say that it makes him feel safe on the train, he is saying that it’s a sign that he can see from the train window that lets him know that he’s safely back in Shropshire.
I wish people would read coments before retaliating with coments that try and make the other writers look stupid!
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‘Telford’ hear hear. Lucy W and others tend to make a habit of not reading articles or readers comments before leaving their own comment to slag off what they have just misread.
And how many stars exactly are blocked from view due to a very faint dim red light flashing a couple of times a minute? Biggest culprits are shopping centre car parks, ‘A’ road intersections and floodlights on peoples houses – deal with those first before putting blame on a small red light that yes. is there for nostalgia, but what’s wrong with that?
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Telford and Tim: I did read it and interpret it the same as you – but I am still puzzled as to why a red light makes you feel safe. Ok you’ve made it almost home, but most people are killed in an accident with 3 miles of their own home. So surley the sight of the red light you alert you that statistically you at your greatest risk of being in an accident?
As for nostaglga – its not what it used to be.
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save the electric and use the vings to cut taxes
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Vot vings vould those be Tory Boy?
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Lucy W – The lights are a trad part of Shropshire and Telford next you will be wanting to have the Ironbridge knocked down or the council offices sold.
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how can they be traditional Y Mab electric lights have only been around 100 years
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Don the Ironbridge has only been around for less than 200 years but that is a traditional part of Shropshire.
a iconic image we have of our beutiful county along with the winking red light on the Wrekin.
Myself I would have Telford in illuminated letters on the sied of the Wrekin.
Lets shout to the world we are proud oftelford and Shropshire.
Hollywood has the Hollywood sign
we could have a telford sign on the Wrekin for all to see
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For heavens sake, Y Mab, don’t give those fools in Malinslee house any more ideas on how to waste our council tax!!!!
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Y Mab: I really do not think we want a “Hollywood” sign. I stayed in the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California and had a room with a view of the iconic Hollywood sign.
I thought how lucky I was until I discovered that people regularly commit suicide by jumping off it!! It now has 24hr security to stop jumpers.
I dont think Telford wants such as sign as Telford is a pretty depressing place already and who’s going to pay for the security requirement?
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And another thing about the Hollywood sign. It used to say ‘HOLLYWOODLAND’ but fell into disrepair and when restored they could only afford ‘HOLLYWOOD’.
If if the put ‘TELFORD’ on the side of the Wrekin, considering they can’t keep the Public loos open on the Wrekin, you can bet that once the vandals have done there bit we will have a sign that says “ELF”!
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Lucy, before you know it, the Elf sign will then attract the “Elf and Softy” brigade.
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H. St. John Peasbody, what planet do you live on, evyerone knows why there is a beacon on the wrekin and its for low flying aircraft, look at these tall buildings in the town centre or any tall building, the light has to be on the wrekin by law as its over a certain height, if there was a very tall person the same height, he would properly have to a little red light, you should know, you live on a different planet where interstellar travel is possible.
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MR J: What utter rubbish. Does Ben Nevis have a red light on it? No! And the RAF are constantly flying around it. Does ScaFell Pike? No. Does Snowdon? No.
I understand that Shopshire holds the record for a hill with the most plane crashes – Brown Clee. Does that have a red light on it?
The first aircraft to crash into Brown Clee was a German Junkers 88 on 1st April 1941.
Two Wellington bombers, a Hawker Typhoon and at least two Avro Ansons also crashed into the hill during WW2.
So just what law makes it illegal not to have a Red Light on a hill? And has an aircraft ever flown into the Wrekin?
Tall buildings are different as their height will not appear on maps.
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