The Politics of Bollards (London decides 3rd May)...

He's backed the City throughout his Mayoralty....

On Thursday the 3rd of May London decides who will be the new Mayor of London and here at 'Bollards of London' I thought we would enter the spirit of the election and compare the leading candidates to a bollard that best represents them and their political career/legacy.

Starting off with the present incumbent I thought a rather dandy traditional looking City of London bollard (above) would suit Boris Johnson (Conservative Party candidate) the most considering he's backed the Square mile throughout his mayoralty.

The mark of the GLC is still around us...

GLC bollard top...

Just off Hampton Street SE17 near London's Elephant & Castle I found these Greater London Council (GLC) bollards (above) and who could argue that Ken Livingstone (Labour Party candidate) hasn't left his mark on the capital having been the former Mayor of London and Leader of the Greater London Council before it was abolished.

The Policeman bollard could only represent one candidate...

Pro cycling...

Ello, Ello, Ello with Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat Party candidate) having been a past deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police who could better be represented by the Policeman bollard (above) found in London's Belgravia district.

With Jenny Jones (Green Party candidate) believing in a green sustainable agenda for the capital what better bollard (left) could represent her than a pro cycling one placed upon a cycle path in the London borough of Islington.

Finally (below) we have the leap-frog bollard which in my humble opinion best represents Siobhan Benita (Independent candidate) who certainly hopes to 'leap-frog' over a number of the more established candidates running for the Mayoralty.

Leap-frogging over the others...

Bollards of London...

PS Please note there are seven candidates running for the position of Mayor of London a full list of all the candidates is featured on the following link http://www.londonelects.org.uk which includes Lawrence James Webb (UKIP candidate) and Carlos Cortiglia (BNP candidate).

The author of this blog/site in no way endorses any of the candidates featured or mentioned in this particular post. If you happen to live in London and are registered to vote please do so wisely.

Queen Square Bollards of WC1...

Queen Square WC1 former water pump/now lamp surrounded by bollards...

We are at the southern end of Queen Square WC1 where I found an old water pump which just happens to be used has a lamp. At the bottom of Bedford Row we have the very same water pump/lamp surrounded by different shaped bollards.

If we take a look at the picture (below) we see two stone bollards, one little and the other large in comparison. With the taller larger bollard having a square base that rises vertically and morphs into a smooth/worn weather beaten looking piece of stone that is topped off with a metal stud/nipple shaped top.

Little and Large bollards...

If we take a close look at the picture (top) we can see a bollard on the right hand side of the picture that looks a little gothic. This type design is found in a few places around London from Shoreditch, Strand and Kentish Town. We will take a closer look shortly.

Bollards of London...

Royal Bollards with Lights Regent's Park...

A Regent's Park Royal bollard with red lamp/light & chain...

Royal Regent's Park bollard with white lamp/light & chain...

We have looked at bollards before in Regent's Park and therefore there is not a need to look at the design/look of these two fine examples.

However they are worthy of a post on this blog/site because they just happen to be a derivative of the normal style of bollard we find within Regent's Park with protruding red and white lamps attached to the side of each bollard.

Bollards of London...

Gunpowder Square EC4...

Gunpowder Square EC4...

Gunpowder Square EC4 serves up a collection of the usual ornate/dandy bollards and these remarkable sturdy looking tank stoppers that certainly command the space environment they happen to take up.

If we take a look at the three bollards in the picture (above) we see/note that they have been recently painted/redecorated . If we take a close look at the picture (below) we see a bollard with a square base that quickly tapers towards the red painted ridge which then morphs and tapers outwards to a main tall octagonal shaped column painted a gloss black colour. The main body then tapers inwards slightly where we have a red shaped area followed by white with red stars upon. Another much larger red ridged/boxed area leads us finally to a flatter orange squeezer stile top. If we actually look down at top of bollard you would see the top domed area is actually has a raised star shape upon its top.

I do like the circular stone brick work surrounding the base of each of these bollards again some intricate work has gone into this open squared spaced used by City of London workers.

A sturdy/chunky City of London bollard...

Bollards of London...

PS if you enjoy this blog/site and please do take a look at my new blog/site created entirely by you and your pictures/photographs of bollards/posts throughout Britain at 'Bollards of Britain' #thankyou all once again for providing me with excellent #guestbollards.

The City of London, Windsor to San Francisco...

Old for new...

We are back at Rolls Buildings and the junction of Fetter Lane/New Fetter Lane EC4 with a further update to a previous post 'Delivery of the Bollards' created by @THEpastamaster on the twitter, thank you once again for a fantastic set of updated photographs.

If we take a look picture (above) we see the 'old' bollard lying above a pile of tactile paving slabs and behind we see the near perfect kerb with a line a of securely planted soon to be painted 'City of London bollards'

If we take a look at the picture (below) we see a great shot/picture of the curve in the road/pavement and the excellence of civil engineering that actually goes into town planning.

Matt black bollards...

Cementing of the bollards...

If we take a look at the picture (above/below) we see that the bollards have been planted securely in place and then cemented into position before sand is placed above the cement and then levelled ready for the paving slabs to be cut and placed into position. These really are great pictures/photographs of bollards/town planning in action within our great city.

A special thank you once again to the @THEpastamaster on the twitter...

Getting ready for the paving slabs...

#guestbollards Windsor Castle, Park Street Gate...

Sphere shaped bollards outside the iconic Ferry building San Francisco, USA...

Never forget the #guestbollard feature and we just happen to have two fantastic examples on this particular post.

If you take a look at the picture (second above) we see a rather lonely looking bollard that was found outside Windsor Castle. It happens to be a great example of a lonely piece of street furniture photographed by @London_Times we shall take a closer look at this bollard over at 'Bollards of Britian'.

If we look at the beautiful picture (above) of the 'Ferry building' San Francisco, USA we see these pretty large sphere or spherical shaped bollards planted by the kerbside. A big thank you to the @nancyo on the twitter for bringing us this wonderful photograph of the building and the local bollards.

Bollards of London...

Cracking Bollard of Carrington Street W1...

Cracking Bollard...

We are at Carrington Street in Mayfair's Shepherd Market which happens to be a rather trendy shopping/drinking area with a very late night London tale to tell.

It's not often I come across a bollard with a 'nut' shaped base and it's certainly very odd to find an actual 'bollard' that has cracked at the base of the column.

The 'bollard' has more than likely been struck by a motor vehicle van/lorry type has Carrington Street is very narrow and only actually leads to a rather expensive but very clean/well kept underground car park.

This fine but simple looking 'bollard' certainly needs closer inspection to try and gauge if it is something more than a common/bog standard bollard. The flared end certainly has the look of a 'cannon' but the nut shape base plate does not.

Bollards of London...

PS we're back after a short break from blogging/posting.

Spiked Stone Bollards of Lincoln's Inn...

Lincolns Inn...

Spiked Stone Bollard...I like the shadow...

We are at the an entrance to The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn which covers a site of up to 11 acres right in the heart of London. If you look closely at the picture (top) you'll notice the two sturdy stone bollards protecting the stone/brickwork behind.

When I took this picture I happened to notice that there appeared to be spikes on the slightly domed/curved tops of the bollards so I returned later in the week and took another picture (above) and yes these stone bollards have spikes fitted/embedded into the top of the bollard.

Why would spikes be placed on these rather chunky/sturdy stone bollards ? Well the only reasonable conclusion I could come to is that they would stop a person(s) standing or trying to sit upon them.

The jury's out on this one and maybe you know better.

Bollards of London...

Justice for Bollards...

We are in Star Yard WC2 where I found this ornate but modern bollard with it's circular base and  tapering vertically ridged body. The top of the bollard flares outwards and then turns into an almost bell like shape finished off with a nipple tip/top.

Star Yard just happens to be home of a rather interesting tailor called Ede and Ravenscroft who were founded in 1689. The bollard(s) simply ensure nobody parks on the stone/cobbled area in front of the shop.

Bollards of London...

Ten Green Bollards Standing On...

Ten Green Bollards....

Nine Green Bollards Standing On The....

Travelling down Victoria Rise, Clapham, London SW4 and I came across a huge amount of slender reasonably tall dark green bollards. The number in the picture (top) happens to be ten and I'm sorry to be so predictable or even corny but it did remind me of a song many of us have probably sung when we were a little younger 'Ten Green Bollards'.

It is odd how a collection of everyday objects and a particular colour can trigger a childhood memory. After a quick look on You Tube I noticed a change in the lyrics to 'hanging on the wall' yet most of the graphic or video shows the 'bottles' 'standing on the wall'.

Enough of nursery rhymes designed to teach us how to count and back to the bollards and if you take a close look at the picture (above) you'll notice if 'one green bollard should accidentally fall, they'll be nine green bollards standing on the'.

Our #guestbollard is featured over at Bollards of Britian and involves 'A Chimpanzee, Bike and a Policeman'. This is a great piece of street furniture telling a lovely local story. Thank you once again to @putting_gott on the twitter.

Bollards of London...

City of London to the Hamlet of Penge...

Wasn't sure at first...

Two parts one bollard....

The beauty of actually driving a taxi-cab around London is you end up in streets/places that most people will probably never drive past let alone walk. I cannot count the amount of times I've driven down Bouverie Street and turned left into Tudor Street yet for some strange reason I just happened to take a closer look at the City of London bollard on the corner and notice that this particular design must be cast in two parts and then welded together.

If you take a look at the pictures (above) you'll notice that this isn't the greatest of joints/welds and due to the recent 'painting' of all the bollards in the area recently the joint/weld stands out a little more. The bollard is painted in the typical City of London colours with a white half ball shaped top, two red rings/ridged and the main body/column a gloss black.

The City/Square mile is a magical place and this particular part used to be a hive of activity within the UK's newspaper industry back in the 1970's early 80's until 'new technology' took over but the bollards remained.

If we take a look at the picture (below) I'm happy to say what an amazing example of a #guestbollard and pleased to have the opportunity to feature this on the blog/site. Therefore can I thank 'John P' for sending me this photograph, it turns out that this 'bollard' is actually in Crystal Palace Park and very close to a tree. If we take a look at the body we see it is cylindrical in shape with the 'Hamlet of Penge' upon its side. Underneath the clam/shell ornate top we can see the date '1873'. It's coloured red and this would certainly make a bollard like this stand out within the confines of a park.

This is a remarkable find and I certainly wouldn't have come across this bollard because of its location within the park, another fine example of street furniture in South London.

What a find 'Hamlet of Penge 1873'...

Bollards of London...

Delivery of the Bollards...

Rolls Buildings/Fetter Lane EC4...

We are at the junction of Rolls Buildings/Fetter Lane and New Fetter Lane EC4 where the @THEpastamaster (on the twitter) happen to be recently and captured a few photographs of a 'Delivery of Bollards'.

The bollards being delivered happen to be a bog standard type for the City of London with no emblem/crest but will look rather dandy when they are planted/painted. I must say this is extremely rare to actually witness a delivery and I'm surprised at the manner/way they happen to be delivered eg standing upright on pallets.

Below we see the normal discussion taking place between delivery driver/worker before the bollards are taken off the lorry and finally installed in there new home/resting place. If you take a close look at the picture (bottom) you can see the yellow circles with a dot marking where each of these bollards will be placed to protect the court/building behind.

Spot the Bollard...

Soon to be planted...

Once again a special thank you to @THEpastamaster on the Twitter for these photographs.

Bollards of London...

Camden/Kentish Town Borders...

Is it a Bollard ???

I came across this ornate 'bollard' piece of street furniture a few months ago and to be honest not sure whether it could be classed has an actually 'bollard'. Well I'm of the opinion it is now a 'bollard' which was once a beautiful ornate watering post.

If we look at the picture (above) we see the beautiful ornate cast iron work which is enhanced by its black colour. The shape is interesting, square based which tapers inwards and then rises upwards with a tapering leaf/floral pattern. The main body is a plain square based rectangular column which then flares outwards with a further leaf/floral pattern/design. The top of the 'bollard'/post is bolted down I presume this would give access to the water pipe/supply inside.

The top is very ornate and beautifully finished tapering in a curved fashion upwards and capped off nicely with a bulb like object. If we look at the picture (below) we see the side which contains the now defunct water outlet/tap. Note the circular floral design around the tap which is certainly not the original piece.

Some may disagree with me but I do believe this is now a 'bollard' by default has it once had a function to supply water but not any more. This beautiful piece of street furniture reminds us of the past (probably Victorian) and fits in nicely with our present use of small posts to deter parking, create borders and mark territory using 'bollards'.

A watering hole/post....

Drawing by the younger George Scharf...

We have (above) an interesting #guestbollard which happens to be a picture by the younger George Scharf which was brought to my attention by the one and only @patrickbaty on the twitter who brought this wonderful drawing to my attention. It appears George Scharf made many drawings/sketches of the area around Westminster and this is just one fine example with bollards upon.

Bollards of London...

Ship Ahoy...

Bollard...

Here we are at one of London's fashionable marinas called St Katherine Docks right next door to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

We have two bollards for you and both happen to be predominately black in colour with a white top. If we take a look the picture (above) we can see a relatively modern looking bollard cylindrical in shape together with three ridges and the traditional domed shaped top.

If we look at the bollard (below) you'll notice it is chunkier in shape and we see can see the ridged area working for it stops a rope from slipping upwards and off the bollard. A very good way to secure a boat to a dockside with a decent piece of rope in my opinion. The bollard has a much larger body/circumference and it tapers inwards until it reaches the more pronounced ridge. After the ridge we see the body taper outwards and it's capped off nicely with a white coloured domed surface that carries the words 'St Katherine Docks' complete with crest/emblem.

St Katherine Docks...

We have found that some or should I say a few bollards in London were actual cannons and some of these cannons may well have found themselves aboard fighting ships of their day however there is another nautical link with the word bollard and this is to do with Tug Boats and the measurement of their torque or should I say pulling power.

Please do take a look at the Professional Mariner or do a quick search of the term 'bollard pull' and like me you might be a little surprised.

Bollards of London...