London's Last Gas Lamps

We think of London as a modern city, but did you know there are still around 1,500 gas street lights in operation here?
200 are in private hands, while responsibility for the other 1,300 lies in the hands of just four employees of British Gas. They have a territory ranging from Richmond Bridge to Bromley-by-Bow, although it's mainly concentrated around Westminster and Covent Garden.
We met up with two of the gas lamp lighters, responsible, not only for keeping the gas lamps alight, but also for maintaining and cleaning them. That includes fixing them when they're struck by vehicles.

[@itsthatsebguy93]

I always thought they were electric lamps masquerading as gas lamps. Pretty cool to know its the real thing.

[@luxford60]

+itsthatsebguy93 I assumed the same.

[@dcat9558]

@Daniel De saint malo Think it could also be on a separate gas supply?...Maybe incase electricity ceases!!😂 or used as an indicator of supply issues?/to monitor?...or some kind of safety measure?...

[@Jaimer192]

A lot of dedication to keep traditions alive! Well done!

[@shortliner68]

I grew up in Baltimore which has the oldest gas utility in the states, starting as The Baltimore Gas Light Company in 1816. Unfortunately, the last gas street lamp located in the Little Italy section of the city was converted to electric use back in 1957. Only a commemorative lamp remains which was reinstalled at the downtown street corner where the first gas lamp went into service in 1817. Nice to see other cities around the world keeping their gas lamp history alive and well maintained.

[@Zeczam]

This is amazing. And I think the light that is given off is really pleasant too.

[@davidroberts5090]

The gas lighting on Tavistock Street between Catherine Street and Drury Lane isn't pleasant at all. It's dark along there. Maybe the camera exposure made them look more efficient than they really are...

[@chrisstephens6673]

Some of the "warm white" LED lights are similar to gas lighting and yes it is much more pleasant than the usual harsh electric sort.

[@boldford]

That's because a typical gas mantle emits only about 370 lumens.

[@390h8er]

Amazing. I would never have guessed they were genuine gas. Maintaining them has to be a pretty unusual job in this day and age. Still, they're part of our heritage. It'd be sad to see them done away with.

[@Rapidpanda1st]

Every company has a 'Gary' that knows how to fix everything. Onya Gary!

[@peter7582]

And if it's not Gary, it's Steve.

[@kemp260186]

I didn't know that London still had gas lamps from 1800's

[@Oakleaf700]

Kensington Palace Gardens is fully lit by gas.. Very pretty.

[@johnnybeverage]

Such a mysterious job for the 21st century.

[@Mike8981]

My 1953 Winchester caravan still has three working gas lamps. The mantles are still available but are quite expensive. Interesting video.

[@daveyr5462]

Most of the lights are Sugg, they were based in Westminster in the late 1800s so it's cool to see gaslighting and also these veteran Sugg streetlights still running. Gas has such a soft and smooth light that's hard to describe, even coming from a white mantle it's still soft and gentle that you can't get from even a highly programmable LED. Hopefully these'll be looked after and not consigned to the scrapheap due to LED-rollout (LEDs are hideous and dangerous if you're a driver due to the glare).

[@vintagestuffguy1998]

I was so surprised, at first I thought it must be some kind of hoax video! Very interesting, hope to see more like this in the future

[@Londonistvids]

+TheVintageStuffGuy1998 We've only ever done one hoax video, and that was on April fools day!

[@vintagestuffguy1998]

Nicholas Blomley meaning what? It was very nice of Londonist to reply to me

[@chipishor]

+redcatjack I think he believed that hoax video and went to the Emirates Air Line in an Arsenal t-shirt, thinking he will get a free ride... :))))

[@alansmith236]

Lets all take a moment to appreciate Gary🕯

[@swimminlane3566]

You Brits are amazing at retaining your hertiage, well done.

[@jamesmiller9363]

Well unless your talking about the uk as a whole. I wouldn't say that. Since England did destroy alot of heritage here in Scotland, including Wales and northern ireland.

[@EliseFreshwaterBlizzard]

This is genuinely so interesting, thank you for taking the time to make this video!!

[@cpufreak101]

Really hope that these stay around for another 200 years, the preservation of history is good, but keeping history functional is great

[@emgee81]

What a great video - I genuinely thought that all of the gas lamps had been replaced in London years ago - how wrong can you be?! I'll definitely be paying more attention next time I'm in the area! :)

[@ellenkingsley]

I didn't know Westminster still had gas lamps definitely gonna start tracking these lamps down over the winter

[@bahnspotterEU]

In Berlin there are also still quite a few gas lamps, but I've never seen anyone maintaining them. Interesting Job though. Great video as always!

[@kd1s]

In Providence, RI we once had gas lamps. They were switched out for the high pressure sodium lighting. And more recently the HPS lights have been switched out for bright white LED lamps. Much better.

[@emptyangel]

So the only reason why they still run gas lamps is for the aesthetic value? nice...

[@UnipornFrumm]

i wander who pays for that gas

[@em4703]

@@UnipornFrumm The same people that would pay for the electricity if it was an electric lamp: the taxpayer.

[@jf9531]

Thankyou to those who keep them running!

[@vincentdeguard4726]

Has anyone produced a map showing where they are? Be interesting to do a "self-tour".

[@HenrysAdventures]

I always thought gas lamps were long gone! Great to see them still going!

[@1rewd133]

What a wonderful job to have.

[@ccityplanner1217]

According to my calculations using pV=nRT, a gas lamp can consume up to 6 million cubic feet of gas per night (admittedly my pV=nRT is rusty).

[@Nilguiri]

Interesting, as usual! Thanks.

[@terencegalland]

i can remember vaguely gas lighting in my house around 1950ish🌀

[@watfordjc]

It is rare for me to watch a video containing nothing I already knew. So, gas lamps were invented so Londoners could walk around safely at night and two centuries on British Gas are maintaining them. Meanwhile, out in Watford, Hertfordshire County Council start turning off our electric street lamps at 11 pm and by midnight the vast majority of the streets are pitch black and pedestrians rely on moonlight, traffic lights, and phone torches.

[@jomarcenter]

if that were the case, you should be questioning where your local taxes are being used on.

[@buddyclem7328]

And to a lesser degree, PhotonicInduction, who lit his entire neighborhood with one large streetlight after thefts increased with the lights out.

[@bag3lmonst3r72]

They should keep a few around. There's something warm and nostalgic about gas lamps.

[@AgnostosGnostos]

Fantastic I didn't know that they were gas lamps. Next time I will take photo of the closely.

[@mikebe2090]

Holdenhurst village just outside Bournemouth has gas lamps. They can be seen from the A31 as you drive into Bournemouth on the right.

[@tcpnetworks]

I never knew there were gas lamps in London! A1 video gang...

[@lukeyluke90]

Awesome stuff. Certainly true to say that in Britain we like to keep traditions alive. The gas lighting system was invented in the uk much like most things really and it's amazing to think that something that was made 200 years ago is still going strong today. Brilliant.

[@KandiKlover]

So beautiful. Gas Lamp light is great.

[@donaloflynn]

"Invented in the uk much like most things really". Sigh. Why the need to include typical British arrogance in such a positive comment about one particular British invention? Gas lamps are marvellous, but great things have been invented in many parts of the world. Most other nationalities are humble enough to recognise that.

[@colorin81colorado]

Let's see how many things we use today were originally invented in the UK... TV? Nope! Aeroplanes? Nope! Personal Computers? Nope! Automobiles? Nope! Internet? Nope! Space vehicles? Nope! Plastic money? Nope! Bitcoin? Nope!... The list goes on and on!

[@jslasher1]

Wonderful video. "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there".

[@PoloNius67]

Gaslight Lamps are awesome.

[@marthaanderson2656]

Wow I am going to have to check that out next time I am in London

[@uwws1]

Thank you ,I just understand how it turn on.

[@robertgift]

Wonderful! Sounds like a job for me - a tophat and tailed chimney sweep.

[@UnipornFrumm]

they cool and all,but isnt gas more expensive then electricity? and,i wander what greta tunemberg has to say on that

[@rahlon]

There are some in Nottingham in the Park Estate near the castle, kinda nice too see but they're really bad a lighting up the street.

[@uttaradit2]

how do you join a BT gas lamp tour ??

[@NgKKh]

I could only understand half what he says...

[@markchristmas743]

you have still got working gas lamps in green park london

[@silva7493]

What a lovely accent he has. Is it a London accent? Sounds a bit different to me, but what do I know?

[@Judathehero]

Scottish

[@peterbuckley265]

ONE OF THE LAST UK RAIL STATIONS WITH GAS LAMPS WAS CANONBURY.,

[@IMOVIES1337]

Shout out to Gary!

[@stap1er]

There's always a Gary to fix things haha

[@RoulinBrooks]

They take the ladders with them on their scooters?

[@chrisstephens6673]

I knew a window cleaner who took his ladders with him on a Honda 90, but probably not the gaslighters.

[@kaspernbs]

no the ladders are scattered through the run. they park the scooter and lock it. collect the ladder. walk with the ladder. return to the scooter and lock up the ladder. go to next section with its own ladder.

[@FSCforal]

No they lock them up somewhere on route like a postie's trolley

[@adonaiyah2196]

what company was he from again?

[@1stLtDavis]

I believe it was called British Ass.

[@MrSam4850]

I think you'll find it's pronounced "Arse"...

[@buddyclem7328]

Who knows? I only understood about 50% of what he said.

[@Val22e]

I’m a writer doing some research on street lighting back in the 1800s… and here I am now

[@LaWendeltreppe]

Subtitles needed! Is this an Irish accent? Or Scottish? I can't understand a word! :(((

[@johnnybeverage]

+LaWendeltreppe Scots. It must be a nightmare for non-native speakers! If you're careful with the r phonics in general and the Li Ri Ra Ra and ro phonics it might give you an advantage. I'm by no means an expert, though.

[@jur4x]

I'm not even British but I can easily understand this guy. There're much worse cases up the North.

[@Mladjasmilic]

You have open flame burning all day to ignite main flame during night. That means that these thing are under pressurised flamable gas all day long. That means that in case of severe crash you can have spectacular flamethrower in residental area, just few meters away from windows and wooden roof. I remember video from 5th gear I think about deformable lamp posts and how all lamp posts could be replaced with safer ones, and yet you still have these cast iron things.

[@chrisstephens6673]

I would have thought the traffic speed on London streets make the need for deformable street lights somewhat irrelevant.

[@MrMacman98]

Shit happens. Don't crash into them in the first place!

[@geoffjones6869]

There's always one, or two, or maybe three.

[@buddyclem7328]

Cool! It sounds like a fire hydrant that spews fire instead of water!

[@robtindall1431]

Sorry to say that Westminster Council is proposing to remove all of their gas lamps - 299 in all - starting in 2023 and replace them with LED bulbs. Outrageous!

[@FSCforal]

Ha I'm not surprised I literally just posted a comment hoping that they stay original I knew it would be too good to be true but in the other side of the coin they produce way more Co2 than china as a whole XD All joking aside it's a depressing thought we should keep our traditions going it's part of who we are and the average tourist would love to see them lit up I think

[@hisdukeness3037]

If you guys are hiring

[@SKF358]

What language is he speaking?

[@mattchalk8679]

He's speaking English, but he has a Scottish accent.

[@nibunibu4254]

Not even a strong Scottish accent/dialect. Come to Peterhead anytime, you won't understand a word. They call it Doric!

[@Iphonetutorialshere]

Gave me a heart

[@mikewilson730]

'Gaslighting'

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

I cant understand that man

[@FSCforal]

That's amazing let's hope they never change them to LEDs it's nice to keep these traditions

[@Justmyopinionlol]

What a weird accent, I can only understand him a few seconds after he has pronounced the words.

[@rosiefay7283]

Yeah, it's the same problem with Americans.

[@sarahemerson6567]

Scottish

[@th3thrilld3m0n]

oh my gosh i can barely understand him

[@jur4x]

He has reasonable Scottish accent. Not to difficult to understand. Some English accents from the North are more difficult to understand :)

[@boldford]

Net contributors actually.

[@buddyclem7328]

His accent was so bad, that I didn't think he was Scottish! Without subtitles I don't even know what he was talking about! It's worse than Australia.

[@rahulrathod-vx6yv]

Lamps

[@jamesgoodwin2450]

What a waste of time and money,change them out for electric

[@andyc9902]

Electric is more efficient

[@johnball3830]

Use

[@andyc9902]

Irrelevant old tech. Move on already

[@yns000]

Bri'ish gass

[@Gunz1234]

ful

[@whangie1]

He's Scotch!? Wasn't there an Englishman they could have given the job to instead?! After all this is our nations capital and you have a Scotch fellow running the lamps. His accent is revolting. Vulgar. Send him home to his SNP comrades I say!

[@AndrzejLondyn]

Some English people are too lazy to do any job.

[@auchayethenoo8249]

Away and shite.