The Pylon Men (1966)

Hampshire.
An item showing the dangerous job of building electricity pylons. Various shots of half built pylons, a man collects his tools and climbs up the side. Part of the structure is lifted up with a crane and men walk across the arms to fix it into position. Various shots of the giant cable drums, and the power lines running through the cables, a man with a telephone directs them. Various shots as they adjust the tension of the pipe from a suspended platform.
Cuts exist please see separate record.
FILM ID:367.08
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. www.britishpathe.tv/
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT www.britishpathe.com/
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpathe.com/

[@mariolouis6412]

This footage is absolutely incredible, the speed, efficiency, and bravery of the men in this video is unmatched. Nowadays a lot of line work is done from helicopters.

[@MrKotBonifacy]

_"...and bravery of the men in this video is unmatched"_ - beg to disagree, watch Fred Dibnah doing his steeplejacking...;-)

[@Johnstone_Studios]

I love how the Pylons haven't changed one bit. The good ol' ones

[@northseawolf]

'Although in these days of automation, we're cutting out the elbow work' I love how relative this is, I mean there is still a hell of a lot of elbow grease going on there. OK, compared to the navvies building the railways in victorian times this is probably light work, but compared to now, this is graft. Derrick hoists and a lot of manual pulling with no little or no safety gear. Great piece of history on film this.

[@joebleasdale5557]

I feel like this is the sort of video that turns up on those Facebook groups called things like “Brother’s and Sister’s Proud 2 B British 🇬🇧🇬🇧”. “Remember when pylon men were REAL men?”

[@IstasPumaNevada]

"The past was SO much better" is a very easy to sell lie.

[@MrShikaga]

@Squant yep, but the ones selling the “Britain used to be great line” are the ones who bought a house in the 70s that has increased in value 10 fold, and will do anything to make sure that no one else gets to share in their unearned wealth.

[@borntoclimb7116]

Not a different between the another countries today

[@mollyfilms]

I can honestly say almost 60 years on I have never heard one person say how we need to keep these for posterity.

[@fazfinisher5598]

My dad worked for the BICC as a driver for 44 years, he delivered these cable drums throughout the country.This gang are most likely bicc employees, these drums more than likely came from their yard at Erith... now Batt cables as the Bicc only exists as Balfour Beatty.

[@mountainmantararua8824]

Erith !! gosh!! Haven't been to Erith for 60 years. I bet its changed.

[@linheiro_]

RESPECT!

[@therightanswerischeese]

Ah yes the Pylon men, distant cousins of the Pillar men

[@mikeeagle-pb7vb]

Fantastic piece of footage absolutely loved watching that and good to hear the voice of Harry Enfield doing the commentary.

[@janinsweden8559]

Amazing video

[@newtronix]

The good old days of absolutely no safety equipment!

[@ramblingrob4693]

Yeah these days its takes 4 hrs to kit up

[@matttravers5764]

It’s amazing that these guys were so nimble with a pair of bowling balls hanging between their legs.😎

[@Aviationfan2022]

It’s very awesome footage to see these men build the L6 towers :)

[@Vallee152]

- "what if I slip?" - "nice knowin' ya"

[@robinbeavan5152]

All done in wellies

[@tobtnosike9433]

I love Pylons, but My Carew and Bromley's Friends will look this pylons in Kent, I'm British Pathé and BBC of my academy stuffs of southeastern about this footage is incredible speed of this electricity wires with pylons from National Grid UK Limited in 1966. I'm gonna in to 0:01

[@stephenwillis9518]

Thing of beauty

[@runwiththerunners8152]

It is only recently I have grown to appreciate the grandur of these pylons proudly and majestically sweeping across the country. I hope they remain.

[@bakedpotato1138]

the music sounds like it was for west side story

[@attilamolnar2713]

Nem semmi munka volt, ezek a dolgozók igazi hősök! 💪

[@sarahlouise7163]

i shall now think of these remarkable men, when i pass the pylons they constructed

[@liamanderson1960]

All are lean fit looking working men

[@Mike-gt7sk]

happy pride

[@tobtnosike9433]

In British Pathe of Electricity Pylons of Building in 1964 or 2000 for building a pylons with national grid UK in 1966?

[@ykdickybill]

No safety harnesses back then……….” Keep one hand for the ship”

[@Keithbarber]

Pre hasaw - the risks they took

[@peoplewatchingpeople684]

The “working at heights regulations of 2005” put an end to the bigger risks of free climbing without being attached at all times. When I did my Overhead linesman training in 1987/88, a hard hat was required but we could free climb all over the tower and only have to attach to the tower at point of work. Since 2005 however, as soon as we put a foot/hand on the tower, we had to be attached permanently.

[@richardkell4888]

I knew someone that fell from one of these, wheelchair for the rest of his life.

[@oddities-whatnot]

Seems wrong for me to “like” this comment

[@puyat3469]

@@oddities-whatnot wise man!

[@Uftonwood2]

A fate that would have been avoided for a harness at half the cost of a wheelchair.

[@Uftonwood2]

A fate that would have been avoided for a harness at half the cost of a wheelchair.

[@Anonymous-ff5wr]

Thant’s bad sorry for him but lucky to be alive people don’t have a clue what goes on to flip a switch

[@robertbilling6266]

Interesting, but the absence of fall arrest gear gave me the cringe.

[@ashleyjeffery9959]

No harness? These men had big balls

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Practically speaking, enlarged testicles would make their job more difficult. I suspect their testicles were likely of average size.

[@metalman4141]

Love pylons I do

[@W0lfbaneShikaisc00l]

This feels like a superman episode gone wrong lol.

[@SirenHorror.]

This was built but 20 or 30 years after this this was gonna break cause of the galloping then it had to rebuild

[@hypercomms2001]

Heath and safety whats that? No helmets, no safety harnesses to clip onto and prevent falls..... clearly the CEGB cared about it's staff and contractors.....

[@bossmanfucktheworld]

This is fascinating.

[@CatmanPete]

When blokes had big knackers!

[@IstasPumaNevada]

I was unaware that they needed to lift parts or swing hammers with their testicles. Don't recall hearing that in the video.

[@jxh02]

Have to say, the historical preservation prediction has not come to pass.

[@mateorivera2323]

all with help from the xel' naga

[@SpecialAgentOso]

They do more than just carry power. Don't tell them, they might crack..

[@arobatto]

Back in the good ole days when men were men and none of that nonsense about safety and fall protection stuff.

[@calluminglis7837]

Random 1am thought, how do they get these pylons up

[@rowan-paul]

They were just always there, just now we use them for electricity

[@shivaunt71]

I've often wondered. I live right next to one and I think to myself, how comes they are still level and not sinking?

[@peoplewatchingpeople684]

@@shivaunt71 deep and wide concrete foundations, my friend.

[@massimookissed1023]

In some unforgiving terrain, the parts are helicoptered into place. Same way they build ridiculously tall radio masts.

[@toodjackson4438]

I'll stay on the ground you're not catching me up there especially without a harness

[@ramblingrob4693]

Not even with a harness says me

[@PardeepKumar-wk1bp]

WAR 240

[@oddities-whatnot]

At 0:29 nearly misses the foothold.

[@trivx427]

Imagine if he did

[@IstasPumaNevada]

@@trivx427 I'm sure there were a number of workers and families who didn't need to imagine.

[@Deano14397]

Are they still standing?

[@mrglide7078]

How big those arcing horns are on the ground

[@RachidRachid-jp6zb]

Goud job

[@unlokia]

They’re _”manly”_ right up until the moment they take a misstep, slip and fall to their death. Whoops.

[@vitalic_drms]

everything was great until the pylon men attacked

[@andyclark1426]

Long before the alphabet soup brigade started shouting and bawling, funny enough I still don’t see the rainbow brigade shouting to get into jobs like this nowadays

[@quaaludecowboy692]

That's a fact

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

Take it you’re really proud to be doing this job then?

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Wow, Andy. You look at rugged, fit guys building power pylons and your first thought is about gay men... I think that says more about you than about anyone else.

[@andyclark1426]

@@Thecrazyvaclav very

[@metalman4141]

😂😂😂well said 👍

[@ziancastillo3496]

ʍվ kҽվҍօɑɾժ íՏ greec