My Visits: Mike Barford
On the 28th February 2025, a surprise trip to Mike Barford's was organised for me by fellow collectors AgentHalogen_87 and Mike Barford. I had not actually realised where we were until I saw the familiar "JPS-573" painted onto the cast-iron column outside the front of the house. These are the late Jeremy Skertchly's initials, and his personal two-way radio number during the period Mike Barford worked with him on work experience in 2003.
In place of a swan-neck bracket is this strange outreach. It may have been placed too close to a wall for a swan-neck bracket to be installed. The column was installed in this location in 2003 meaning in 2025 it has been over two decades since it's restoration and re-installation.
The lantern is fitted with an LED GLS lamp. REVO Tipton branding can be seen at the base of the column, on the column door and on the column itself.
The time-switch and cut-out are present in the base compartment, but the lantern now runs on photocell control.
Once inside, I was offered tea, and got to witness the first warm-up of the day: a Gamma Four for 2x150W SON-E lamps. The position of both lamps can be seen through the translucent bowl.
Across the room is this pristine 1970 Thorn Beta Five (Amber Minor). Notice this version features a bowl-ring in which the bowl sits, rather than having the hinge attached to the bowl directly. The bowl on this lantern also appears to be a vacuum-formed polycarbonate replacement.
Installed next to the Amber Minor is this Atlas Alpha Three for 250W MBF lamps. This one was also warmed up. Later on, I would also get to see another Alpha Three fired up, this one a Thorn Version.
The next room I would visit was the (first) overspill lantern room. Seeing them all installed in a grid on every wall was quite the sight! There are thirteen lanterns visible in the first image! The lanterns from left to right are: Thorn Isaro Pro S, Holophane QSM, WRTL MRL6, Thorn Alpha 4, Thorn Civic 2, Thorn Pilote T2, AC Ford AC730, Philips MA90-GO, GEC Z9464, WRTL Vectra X, WRTL Arc 90, Simplex Lucidor, CU Phosco P567A, GEC Z9539, Wardle Avon, GEC Z5530, and a Wardle Murray.
The opposite wall has a significantly higher population! From left to right the lanterns visible are: Philips SGS203, Low Carbon Lighting LuxOn Street, GEC Z3430, Philips SGS204, Thorn Alpha 8 (new), Atlas Alpha 8, Philips SGS306, Thorn Triumph T2, REVO Dalek, GEC Z9450, Philips MA 5C, Thorn Alpha 9, Atlas Alpha 10, Thorn Beta 79, Urbis ZX1, Thorn Celest, AEC Uno, Thorn Beta 5 (2008), , WRTL 2500, WRTL Libra, ELECO HW-727, Philips Delta, Thorn Beta 2, Philips XGS103, Thorn Triumph T1, WRTL Pathfinder, ASD Highway Diamond Micro, Philips FGS103, and AEC Uno.
I took some time to photograph the ELECO HW-727 individually, as I like older lanterns with MCF lamps.
A few more lanterns were photographed individually. First was this REVO Dalek C13723/S for 90W SOX lamps. The Perspex bowl is noticeably cloudy (and incredibly fragile) owing to decades of exposure to UV radiation. Fortunately, however, it is nearly entirely complete, with only one small hole and a few tiny cracks.
The next one to be pictured was the AC Ford AC850, which looks pristine due to the fact it was purchased new from AC Ford in 2006. Being indoors (and not operating every night) has meant the aging of this lantern never really started!
The penultimate lantern in the room to be put in the spotlight was the GEC Z8431 (aka Dioptrion) for 250W MB/U lamps. This one was given the opportunity to warm up. Owing to the lanterns similar shape to a cut gemstone, and it's colour, I likened it to an emerald among the gems.
The lantern put out significantly more light than the fluorescent batten fixed to the ceiling!
The final lantern in this room to be photographed was the WRTL 2600; the 70W SON-T lamp is clearly visible through the spotless refractor.
The loft was the next place to be visited, with the first lanterns to be located adjacent to the doorway. From left to right, the inventory of this photo are: a Phosco P111, Phosco P178, GEC Z8896, GEC Z8128B Clearmain Difractor, Urbis ZX1, ELECO GR501, Philips FGS104, Thorn Beta 7, Simplex Aries 55, GEC Z9481 and Philips SGS252.
The Difractor was given the opportunity to warm up. Due to the populated nature of the wall, the ZX1 below prevents the Difractor from opening much, but the 250W MA/V lamp was still visible through a small gap where the clip would go (image 6)
I also pictured the Beta 7 from between the brackets.
A Thorn Piazza and Whitecroft Centurion are installed on the adjacent wall.
A closer view of the P111 and P178, as well as a GEC Z5699, a sign-light, Coughtrie bulkhead and some other luminaires.
On the opposite wall is a rather noisy Alpha Three for 400W SON-E lamps. This was warmed up to act as a studio light for the rest of the photos, given that natural light is limited in the loft.
There is quite a lot of history packed into this photo, but some notable gadgets included are the ESLA's previous lamps (top right) Thorn EMI and Atlas Alpha Threes (top) Philips MA50-GO (middle-far-left), Thorn Alpha One (middle-right) and a REVO Sol-d'Or C15152 (third from the middle-left).
The attic is L-shaped, so this leaves another non-slanted wall for a lantern population. The lanterns in this image from left to right are: a Designplan Concourse, GEC ZD10807, GEC Z5670, Thorn Gamma 6, GEC Z8260, Philips XWC 121 KP, Philips MA60-GO, GEC Z9532, Thorn Alpha 8 and a Thorn Alpha 4.
...But there exists a lot more in the surrounding area!
The Alpha Six was given the opportunity to fully warm-up. This was actually the first time I'd seen an SLI lamp warm-up in person!
From the side, the golden bar could be seen lighting the surrounding lanterns with it's 200W SLI/H lamp.
Outside of the attic is this Beta 5 running a 35W SOX lamp. It was given the opportunity to fully warm-up.
This lantern is special, in that it replaced a lantern that entered Mike's collection, and now, itself resides in the collection! The lantern also bears Jeremy Skertchly's initials, as well as Mike's.
Also outside the loft is the Atlas Gamma Eight for a 35W SOX lamp. This was the last item of the day to be photographed.
