Carrying The Torch For London's Last Gas Lamps
London is still home to 1,500 gas lamps — dating back to the early 1800s — such as these in Westminster's Smith Square.
In the United Kingdom, British Gas employs 30,000 workers. Five of them could be said to carry a torch that has been burning for two centuries. They are the lamplighters, tending to gas lamps that still line the streets in some of London's oldest neighborhoods and parks.
As these lamplighters set out on their nightly rounds, they don't actually carry torches and don't wear top hats and waistcoats. In their blue and gray jackets with the British Gas logo, they look like 21st-century utility workers.
"I was originally doing central heating installation," says Garry Usher, who oversees the team.
About 15 years ago, Usher found out he was being assigned to the lamplighters crew. He nearly laughed at his boss, since everyone knows London went electric more than a century ago.
"I thought he was taking the mickey actually," says Usher.
Translation: he thought his boss was pulling his leg, but he wasn't.
London still has about 1,500 gas lamps. The group English Heritage decided to preserve them after almost all the others were replaced by electric lamps. These look almost exactly the same as when they were first installed 200 years ago. They're just a little taller to accommodate modern traffic.
On a recent night, Usher leans a ladder against a lamppost, climbs the rungs, and opens the small glass door at the top of the lamp. Inside, a little ticking clock triggers the flame to go on and off at the right time each night.
These clocks must be wound by hand.
"I'll manually turn it round," says Usher.
He moves the dial, and a flame jumps up to catch on little silk nets, known as mantles. The mantles are covered with a substance called lime, which produces a bright white light.
Garry Usher oversees the five lamplighters employed by British Gas. Each night, members of his crew wind up, by hand, the clocks that control when the lamps, like this one at St. John's church in Smith Square, turn on and off.
In the early 1800s, London's West End theaters realized how useful lime could be to illuminate a stage.
"It shone a really bright light across, on their star, and so the star was the person that was in the limelight," says Usher. "So that's where that comes from."
Usher is literally standing in the limelight, steps from the River Thames, a stone's throw from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. It's a quintessential London scene.
He's joined by Iain Bell, British Gas' operations manager and a history buff. Bell describes what this area would have looked like before the lamps arrived.
"The streets would've been pitch-black. They would've been very smoggy. They'd have been quite dangerous, because the only light the public would've had would have been a candle," Bell says.
If you wanted to walk to the local pub, you could hire a child known as a link boy to light your way with a torch.
"Some of the link boys weren't as nice as you'd expect them to be," says Bell. "They actually would mug you. So they'd take you down a dark lane, and then you'd be set upon and robbed."
When street lights arrived, nightlife in London transformed.
At first people were justifiably afraid of the lamps. Bell says the gas pipes were poorly made, from shabby materials.
"We're talking wood. We're talking mud wrapped around it. So there were a lot of leaks. There was a lot of fires. There was a lot of explosions," he says. "So the public were terrified."
Even today, diggers often come across the remains of old wooden pipes.
The gas lamps that still stand in London are now protected by law. If one is knocked down, it is replaced with an exact replica. They cast a calming, mellow light, maintained by these few remaining lamplighters — literal keepers of the flame.
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Transcript
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
In the United Kingdom, the company British Gas employs 30,000 workers. Five of them could be said to carry a metaphorical torch that has been burning for 200 years. They are the lamplighters, tending to gas lamps that still line the streets in some of London's oldest neighborhoods and parks. NPR's Ari Shapiro joined them on their nightly rounds.
ARI SHAPIRO, BYLINE: I wish I could tell you that these men were dressed in top hats and waistcoats. But as the sun went down around 4 o'clock last night, Iain Bell and Garry Usher arrived wearing regular blue and gray jackets with the British Gas logo. They look like standard, 21st century utility workers.
GARRY USHER: I was originally doing central heating installation for British Gas.
SHAPIRO: About 15 years ago, Garry Usher found out he was being assigned to the lamplighter's crew. He told his boss that's ridiculous. London doesn't use gas lamps anymore.
USHER: I thought he was taking the mickey, actually.
SHAPIRO: You thought he was totally...
USHER: I was...
SHAPIRO: ...Fooling you?
USHER: Yeah, exactly, trying to pawn me off onto another area.
SHAPIRO: But, in fact, London still has about 1,500 gas lamps. The group British Heritage decided to preserve them after almost all the others were replaced by electric lamps. These look almost exactly the same as when they were first installed two centuries ago, just a little taller to accommodate modern traffic. Usher leans a latter up against a lamppost and opens the small glass door at the top of the lamp. Inside, a little ticking clock triggers the flame to go on and off at the right time each night. These clocks must be wound by hand.
USHER: I manually turn it around.
SHAPIRO: The flame jumps up and catches on little silk nets. They're covered with a substance called lime, which produces a bright white light. A couple centuries ago, London's West End theaters realized how useful lime could be to illuminate a stage.
USHER: They used to have a bit of this lime - quicklime - put a flame through it and it showed a really bright light across - on their star - and so the star was the person that was in the limelight. And that's where that comes from.
SHAPIRO: So we are literally standing in the limelight, steps from the river Thames, a stone's throw from Big Ben.
(SOUNDBITE OF BIG BEN)
SHAPIRO: Iain Bell is British Gas' operations manager and a history buff. He describes what this area would've looked like before the lamps arrived.
IAIN BELL: The streets would've been pitch-black. They would've been smoggy. They'd be quite dangerous because the only light the public would have had would have been a candle.
SHAPIRO: If you wanted to walk to the local pub, you could hire a child know as a link boy to light your way with a torch.
BELL: Some of the link boys weren't as nice as you would expect them to be. They actually would mock you, so they would take you down a dark lane and then you'd be set upon and robbed.
SHAPIRO: So when streetlights arrived, everything changed. At first, people were afraid of the lamps - and rightfully so, says Bell. The gas pipes were poorly made from shabby materials.
BELL: We're talking wood. We're talking mud wrapped around it, so there was a lot of leaks. There was a lot of fires. There was a lot of explosions. So that's - the public were terrified.
SHAPIRO: Even today, diggers often come across the remains of old wooden pipes. Today, the gas lamps that are still standing are protected by law. If one is knocked down, it's replaced with an exact replica. They cast a calming, mellow light, maintained by these few remaining lamplighters - literal keepers of the flame. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, London.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OLD LAMPLIGHTER")
THE BROWNS: (Singing) He made the night a little brighter. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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