Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Fishertown LED gurns


Readers are wanting to have a gurn about the new LED lights in the Fishertown:

"Just wondering if either you have seen, or if other people have commented about the new (past couple of days) LED upgrades to the Victorian style street lights in the Fishertown. To me they appear on the green/blue/cold end of the white spectrum & make Fishertown look like a morgue, dismal, unwelcoming & unfriendly to come home to in an evening. H.C. having spent a fortune on Victorian style lights in keeping with the cosy ambience of the conservation area, have now undone it all!! Do residents of Fishertown have a say in this as we have to live with it every night. Does H.C. realise that lighting colour can affect moods?"

And from another gurnite: "For over a week now a van with lift/hoist has been going around the fishertown changing all the lightbulbs in the street lights, apparently in an effort to cut electricity consumption, old (working) bulbs are just being binned. The new bulbs give off a very bright white light compared to the yellow light of the old bulbs that was more in keeping with the expensive fake Victorian lights that we have. I would have thought a more cost effective measure would have been to replace the old bulbs as and when they failed?"

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do the new LEDs not very closely resemble to kind of white light that the old gas mantles gave off? A few of your older readers may be able to inform us!!
As for the economics of replacing all at the same time. Using men and a vehicle with a lift platform - of course it makes sense! Every bulb uses less energy and every bulb will last much longer.
I cannot think of a less efficient way than replacing one bulb at a time!
The Gurnshire often reads likes the Monty Python sketch "What did the Glenurquhart Romans ever do for us poor Nairnites?"


Anonymous said...

We live here (Fishertown) and we like them, but any deluded denizen who thinks that the council does anything for the benefit of taxpayers is barking up a tree. They do what they do 'cos that's what they gotta do to keep themselves in a job.

Graisg said...

@anon 3.05 It is about saving money these lights. It is perhaps fair to say that local government can seem to have a life of its own sometimes (take planning issues) that doesn't dovetail with what the community wants.

Graisg said...

@ Terry Turnip - no we'd better not publish that comment.

D.Ross said...

To Anon @ 8:38AM. Old Gas lights had a colour temperature of approximately 2500K to 2900K which is classed as "soft white" to "warm white". These LED's are 4000K which is classed as "neutral white". Standard Xenon HID car bulbs can be from 4100K, which proves how "bright" these new LED bulbs are that H.C. have fitted. They do not replicate the effect of an old gas light, as I have been assured by someone who was brought up with gas lights in the street, school & home! Also these new LEDs appear to illuminate more area than the previous bulbs.

A lower colour temperature around the 2700K to 3000K would still be "clear" enough for the required situations. The previously installed bulbs would have been approximately 2700K.

There are various LED conversions available, specifically for old style gas lights such as these with appropriate colour temperatures of 2700K & 3000K. I found on the web a case study of Berlin converting their genuine old gas lights to LED in 2009 whilst retaining the old lighting characteristics of a "warm glow". Maybe H.C. should have done some research before lumbering the residents of Fishertown with lighting more suited to a modern shopping plaza than a conservation area.

Anonymous said...

Once the Brighton of the North,now looks like the Whitechapel of the North.

Anonymous said...

get murd back as the lamplighter from the 40,s
I,m sure he would do it if he had a ramp up to reach.
ivor,sairb.ack

Anonymous said...

Lamps are there to light the way home safely.
It is hard to believe that in Nairn, some people are complaining that the lights are too good???
And see that pesky sunshine ................
Off to get some moonshine .............

Anonymous said...

lights are bright to keep a watch out for marauding shankies on the prowl for wood and loot
mr,maglumpher

Anonymous said...

New bulbs are great, so bright I don't need to switch on the lights in my house. Not so good when I want to go to sleep

SHANKIE said...

A reply for you

As as Shankie i WAS MORE LIKELY to be knocking them out with my catapult rather than replacing them.
Anonymous is nearer the point the only thing you would get us to do for the fishers was light there bonfire as was the case.
{Or get a barrow OF CINDERS from the gas house and no light was needed for that.}
A SHANKIE

Anonymous said...

I'm finding it hard to believe people are complaining about reduced electricity costs and brighter lights. Grow up and look at the bigger picture.

Anonymous said...

Well said early bird at 7.01

Swinging the LED said...

ha ha

of the third kind said...

I think it gives the fishertown a 'Close Encounters' feel, well done Highland Council

Not sure the new lamps go too well with the fake Victorian Street lamps but who cares as the International Space Station has reported it can see us. Maybe Nairn will get space tourists

D.Ross said...

To Anon @7:01AM,

You mis-understand the whole point.

You can get LED's WITH the correct lighting colour & brightness which is more suitable for the "fake" Victorian style lights & more in keeping with the conservation area of the Fishertown.

The LED's which H.C. have foisted upon the residents are not in keeping with either the lights or the area, & totally ruin the ambience.

Anonymous said...

DR
You may think that WE misunderstand, BUT perhaps we DO understand

LED said...

Lighten up people

D.Ross said...

To Anon @ 9:14AM

I was talking/replying directly to Anon @ 7:01AM (is that you?) who stated, "I'm finding it hard to believe people are complaining about reduced electricity costs and brighter lights. Grow up and look at the bigger picture."

I & the people who are complaining, ARE NOT complaining about reduced electricity costs, or the use of LED's. In fact I welcome it, as I have had LED's in my house for several years.

We are however complaining about the colour & brightness of the LED's that H.C has chosen to install. Both the brightness & colour are NOT suitable/in keeping for either the conservation area or the "fake" Victorian Gas lights.

The FACT that various suitable LED's with the correct colour & brightness are available in the UK makes H.C.'s decision to lumber us residents with "search light" lighting proves they did not do any research or have any consideration to the area.

Anonymous said...

Lights are great.Gas mantle lamps give off a bright white light.I have 2 illuminating my garden.

Anonymous said...

The new lights mean I can no longer view the stars but I'm sure they're still up there somewhere

I understand HC will put shading into any lamps that are bothering folk e.g. illuminating their bedrooms

Easily LED said...

I'm just going to follow the herd on this one.

Yoon said...

The LED lights have been put in place to save money, all part of the austerity cuts driven by our Tory government in Westminster.

Will we have any street lighting at all in the future?

Still, Better Together, aren't we?

Anonymous said...

From today onwards we can 't blame the Tories. We are now in charge let's hope we get the cuts we were promised by SNP.

Anonymous said...

mostly throats

Better Together said...

'From today onwards we can 't blame the Tories. We are now in charge let's hope we get the cuts we were promised by SNP'

Scotland is in charge of the monies that the Tories deem to give us under their austerity measures. If we're unhappy with that then Scots will have to pay higher taxes than the rUK.

We'd have been in charge had we voted for Scottish independence

Anonymous said...

We have been given tax powers and that's our money. The SNP are happy with the result...lets just stop moaning. (it's not a good look). and see how they handle it. That will be the proof if they are fit to govern Scotland or not. There are no excuses now...no more saying they can't do things because of Westminster. The world is watching!!

D.Ross said...

to Anon @ 10:46AM, 6:47PM, et al,

The responsibility for the provision of street lighting and any associated legislative powers is delegated to the Local Roads Authority (Highland Council) through the Road Scotland Act 1984.

As I have pointed out in previous above posts, H.C. has not done sufficient research for suitable LED lights for the Fishertown conservation area. We appear to be lumbered with this SNAFU until they fail in 10yrs time (quoted manufacturers warranty)!!!!!

blinded by the light said...

@ DROSS

I look forward then to you post in ten years time praising the new LED bulbs :-)

taxing said...

@ Anon 9:06 PM

Maybe you've missed it but the SNP have been governing Scotland since 2007 and look as though they will win the Holyrood elections in May this year

Tax is but one additional devolved power and does not constitute an independent Scotland. Not moaning, just sayin'