Test Card...

Where are the bollards I here you ask/cry, well if you look closely enough you can see three bollards yellow in colour protecting what used to be an entrance to a petrol station shop. This is a disused petrol station that the wonderful @LondonDreamtime found on the twitter and doesn't it remind you of a Test Card. Well with the help of Google search engine it didn't take long to confirm that this is indeed a work of art by designers Craig Redman and Karl Maier with the help of Global Street Art titled 'Here After'.

For me this is all about the bollards but this site happens to be on Wood Lane just opposite the old BBC Television Centre and art is all around us in the most unlikely of places, not just galleries.

If you would like to know more about this work of art please do follow this link 'Test Card' or maybe you've seen a bollard of interest on your travels, well if you do please send a picture to me at john.kennedy@bollardsofbritain.com or tweet me at @BollardsBritain thank you.

Bollards of Britain...

Dreamland Bollard...

What can I say other than a huge thank you to @artistsmakers on the twitter for this beautiful photograph of a bollard outside the recently restored Dreamland Cinema, Margate, Kent.

Let us first look at the picture in greater detail, the reflection of the neon yellow sign upon the rain sodden uneven tarmac is just beautiful. The bollard is very similar to those we see in the City of London (below). It has an octagonal shaped body leading/rising vertically towards the first ridge that leads us to a five pointed star area topped off with a black painted ridge complete with its orange juice squeezer top. If we compare the Margate bollard to those on Stonecutter Street in the City of London we can see that the base is square on the City bollards plus the body appears longer and tapers slightly towards top/head of bollard.

Once again thank you very much Dan Thompson @artistsmakers on the twitter for putting 'Dreamland, Margate' firmly on the Bollards of Britain map.

I do hope many of you are pleased that bollards are back, thank you all once again.
















Bollards of Britain...

Best of London Bollards + Guest Bollard...

From time to time I'll be looking back at the best of 'Bollards of London' and although this bollard in Brick Lane London (left) was pretty average even bland the picture I saw that night was just perfect of 'Tony Montana' from the film 'Scarface'.

Look at the angry face and the direction of aim of assault rifle, a near perfect set/scene for this oh so bland bollard.

Another feature that was pretty well received by 'followers' of the original blog was #guestbollards and I have once again to thank @msuguydon on the twitter for a rather interesting Dublin bollard (below) he found on his travels (plus a few pubs). The bollard looks like it is a more stumpy in size with a pebble dashed finish, made from concrete with a low domed top and three bands on body which would be for finish look only.

Bollards of Britain...

Charlestown Cannons...

Welcome once again to Bollards of Britain where today I intend to settle an old argument debate about 'Cannon' bollards. Do they exist or is this just another urban myth/tale that is told so often that it becomes "the truth".

Well by pure chance I happened to be in Charlestown the other week which is part of the 'Cornish Mining World Heritage Site' and come across these two mighty cannons. If you do happen to visit Cornwall Charlestown is well worth a visit. Back to the cannons, let us take a close look at the barrel body of the cannon notice the flared end of the cannon where projectile, cannon ball would be placed/rammed and finally exit but also note the the larger tapering end finished off with a near ball like end/shape called a cascable.

Over many years collating pictures/photographs for my original blog 'Bollards of London' I've come across examples of both the ends of a cannon depending which way cannon was planted on street/road. Another clue to whether a bollard was an actually cannon is the sighting of the trunnions. What are trunnions you may ask ? Well they are the supporting cylindrical projections on each side of the cannon/body (above) that allow the cannon to be placed/pivoted on the wheeled wooden frame.

So I believe that some bollards are cannons but it is always helpful to be able to back up a belief/theory with further harder evidence. Let me introduce you to Mr Martin H Evans and his superb work 'Old cannon reused as bollards' which proves beyond doubt that many were planted upon our streets and roads.

I do believe that bollards/cannons planted on our streets/roads created the division we now see everyday called pavement and roads, so were bollards the forerunners of the kerb ?

Bollards of Britain...

Bollards are Back...

Bollards are back and we've decided to take a look at some rather little stumpy working/used bollards I found at Mevagissey harbour a few weeks ago.

Black in colour with a white painted near mushroom like top these bollards work and used for rope or chain to be placed over the top and pulled tight securing a boat of fishing vessel to the harbour side.

Now that the blog has returned in a new national form I've decided to keep a couple of features from my old blog 'Bollards of London' and those will be #guestbollards and bollard news.

On the twitter front I lost access to an old email account which has cost me access to @bollardoflondon so rather than waste anymore time begging for access I have set up a new twitter account @BollardsBritain therefore please do follow.

Over the coming weeks/months I will be featuring from time to time the best of 'Bollards of London' if you do come across a bollard which you feel maybe of interest please do forward me a picture/photograph with location and I'll do my best to feature bollard here.

Bollards of Britain...