# Crystal Palace Light Show,  9.15pm on 18 April



## gaijingirl (Mar 27, 2012)

This looks interesting..

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=352975

The historic switch from analogue to digital TV services in London next month will be celebrated with a spectacular lightshow at the iconic Crystal Palace broadcast tower, Arqiva announced today.
More than 200,000 watts - 7.5 billion candlepower - of energy-efficient lighting, the same wattage used to light the Eiffel Tower in Paris, will illuminate the 219 metre tall structure.
Visible across London, the explosion of light will culminate with a beam of light shooting up the tower and radiating out over London, representing the invisible digital TV signals.


David Attenborough will be there - but it says VIP event - so I guess that means not us... or not me anyway!


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Mar 27, 2012)

gaijingirl said:


> This looks interesting..
> 
> http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=352975
> 
> ...


 

You could always camp under the stars with your new duvet


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## lang rabbie (Mar 27, 2012)

Bit of a social media fail, press releasing a link to a non-existent Facebook page.


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## London_Calling (Mar 27, 2012)

Never mind all that, I've just discovered the Olympic Torch will run up Penge High Steet !


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## Maurice Picarda (Mar 27, 2012)

Why not Ally Pally? I'll never buy another Arqiva picocellular inbuilding solution, not as long as I live, the Sarf London swine.


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## porno thieving gypsy (Mar 29, 2012)

Its Mrs PTG's b'day on the 18th so I could pretend I got the tower lit up for her...

Maybe not


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## Maggot (Mar 31, 2012)

<Puts 18th April in diary>



Maurice Picarda said:


> Why not Ally Pally?


 Because nothing is trasmitted from there. It's all from Palace.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Mar 31, 2012)

Maggot said:


> <Puts 18th April in diary>
> 
> Because nothing is trasmitted from there. It's all from Palace.


 
My sister lives in Thornton Heath so said we might go up there for the evening.  Wish it was a bit earlier though


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## Brixton Hatter (Apr 5, 2012)

interesting. 100 years ago they used to have HUGE fireworks spectaculars and light shows every Thursday at Crystal Palace (until the biggest fireshow of all totalled the palace in 1936). It's like resurrecting an old tradition.

I expect you'd be able to see it, even without a ticket. Just wander up there with a few cans and some smokes


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## Brixton Hatter (Apr 5, 2012)

slightly dodgy use of photoshop on Arqiva's flickr page showing what'll happen when the lights go on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arqivaswitchovernight/7016964619/


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## Maggot (Apr 6, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> interesting. 100 years ago they used to have HUGE fireworks spectaculars and light shows every Thursday at Crystal Palace (until the biggest fireshow of all totalled the palace in 1936). It's like resurrecting an old tradition.
> 
> I expect you'd be able to see it, even without a ticket. Just wander up there with a few cans and some smokes


That's what I'm planning to do.  Just trying to think of a good vantage point.


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## cybertect (Apr 6, 2012)

gaijingirl said:


> This looks interesting..
> 
> http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=352975



"London's highest structure until the construction of One Canada Square in 1991, the mast will become the capital's fourth highest structure when The Shard takes the number one spot this summer."

Er, someone should have told them The Shard took that spot when the concrete core topped out in Dec 2010 

The light show sounds like a bit of fun, though.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Apr 6, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> interesting. 100 years ago they used to have HUGE fireworks spectaculars and light shows every Thursday at Crystal Palace (until the biggest fireshow of all totalled the palace in 1936). It's like resurrecting an old tradition.
> 
> I expect you'd be able to see it, even without a ticket. Just wander up there with a few cans and some smokes


 
My grandparents watched that in 1936 from their house in Herne Hill


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## cybertect (Apr 6, 2012)

One of my mum's uncles was in a fire crew called over from Bethnal Green to help out.


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## mao (Apr 6, 2012)

Maggot said:


> That's what I'm planning to do. Just trying to think of a good vantage point.


 
I can see it from my kitchen window (700 yds approx.). I may need shades.


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## Maggot (Apr 16, 2012)

So any suggestions for a good place to view this from?  I get the impression that it's gonna be on a grand scale and maybe 1/2 mile to a mile away would be a good distance to take it all in.

This hasn't been well-publicised - no-one knows about it.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Apr 16, 2012)

Maggot said:


> So any suggestions for a good place to view this from? I get the impression that it's gonna be on a grand scale and maybe 1/2 mile to a mile away would be a good distance to take it all in.
> 
> This hasn't been well-publicised - no-one knows about it.


 
I decided a few weeks ago that I was going to go as my sister lives near there.  However, the weather last night has made me decide against it.


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## Maggot (Apr 16, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> I decided a few weeks ago that I was going to go as my sister lives near there. However, the weather last night has made me decide against it.


 

Too cold for you?


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Apr 16, 2012)

Maggot said:


> Too cold for you?


 
Last night was freezing  

The weather's not picking up either.

If my sister could see it from her house, I'd go, but it's the ITV/NTL tower that she's near


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## Brixton Hatter (Apr 16, 2012)

Maggot said:


> That's what I'm planning to do. Just trying to think of a good vantage point.


We could have a rave in that secret tunnel under the Parade...


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## Me76 (Apr 16, 2012)

I can see the tower from my road and last night it was all lit up and had search lights coming out from it.  I am going to set a reminder for Wednesday, although it is while the Apprentice is on.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Apr 16, 2012)

Me76 said:


> I can see the tower from my road and last night it was all lit up and had search lights coming out from it. I am going to set a reminder for Wednesday, although it is while the Apprentice is on.


 
Video?


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## Me76 (Apr 16, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Video?


The lights or the Apprentice?


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## RubyToogood (Apr 16, 2012)

Yes, I think they were doing a test run last night. Looked quite cool from West Dulwich as I was cycling home.


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## Onket (Apr 16, 2012)

Maggot said:


> So any suggestions for a good place to view this from? I get the impression that it's gonna be on a grand scale and maybe 1/2 mile to a mile away would be a good distance to take it all in.
> 
> This hasn't been well-publicised - no-one knows about it.


 
I'm Interested^


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## Callie (Apr 16, 2012)

I wonder if Shirley hills viewpoint in croydon has a good....view? You can get there by tram and a little walk. I might nip up there this evening in the car to check it out.


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## Maggot (Apr 16, 2012)

This is complicated by the fact I want to watch the Chelsea V Barcelona game in a pub although the  end of the game clashes with the begining of the light show.

So I want a pub which shows the football and where I can step out and see the transmitter. I wonder if such a place exists.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 16, 2012)

Racking my brains trying to think of one Maggot, there's Patrick's up at the triangle which is always good for the football, but maybe is too close to the transmitter to appreciate it fully ? I saw the practice run last night and it looked spectacular.


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## Brixton Hatter (Apr 16, 2012)

Maggot said:


> This is complicated by the fact I want to watch the Chelsea V Barcelona game in a pub although the end of the game clashes with the begining of the light show.
> 
> So I want a pub which shows the football and where I can step out and see the transmitter. I wonder if such a place exists.


There's the pub on the corner, at the junction of the parade and Westow Hill. Is it called Westow House now or something? Not sure if they show the football, but it's perfectly located.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 16, 2012)

Don't think they show the footy in there, I was put off from going back there after some right sulky service I received there a couple of months back.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 16, 2012)

The Westow House will almost certainly be rammed.


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## mao (Apr 16, 2012)

RubyToogood said:


> The Westow House will almost certainly be rammed.


 
What about the Grape and Grain. It is just across the Westow House.

http://thegrapeandgrainse19.co.uk/


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## RubyToogood (Apr 16, 2012)

Will also definitely be packed.


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## Maggot (Apr 16, 2012)

And doesn't show football.


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## Maggot (Apr 16, 2012)

They have released a list of places to watch from:  http://www.arqiva.com/corporate/dig...egion/switchovernight/blog/where_to_watch.asp 

Do any of those pubs show football?


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## RaverDrew (Apr 16, 2012)

Pretty sure The Railway Bell shows the footy and is a Youngs pub iirc, not sure if the view will be that great though tbh.


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## Maggot (Apr 16, 2012)

RaverDrew said:


> Pretty sure The Railway Bell shows the footy and is a Youngs pub iirc, not sure if the view will be that great though tbh.


Just looked on Streetview and the view looked quite good.


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## London_Calling (Apr 16, 2012)

Dulwich Wood House is obv. but at least it has a large area you can spill out on from the garden.


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## mao (Apr 16, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Video?


 
This is from my back garden. The quality is not really good (mobile footage)...


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## Maggot (Apr 17, 2012)

The Railway Bell is showing football, and you can see the transmitter from their garden. So it''s where we shall be going.   

The Alma is another possibility but It's likely to be packed as it's the pub suggested by the organisers.


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## CPCraig (Apr 17, 2012)

Patricks bar is only pub that show live sports on a week nights but chelsea barca pretty big so the Westow House will have it on, and a large outside area the Grape and Grain opposite is a much better vantage point good ales and usually something going on, the park if you haven't noticed is HUGE and for a romantic spot the concert bowl view will be epic, 

http://www.cocgb.dircon.co.uk/cry_pal_park.htm Concert bowl marked concert bowl number 2 grape and grain location on Trangle.


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## Sigmund Fraud (Apr 17, 2012)

Gipsy Hill Tavern has a spot where you can simultaneously watch the match and see the transmitter!


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## RubyToogood (Apr 18, 2012)

Sigmund Fraud said:


> Gipsy Hill Tavern has a spot where you can simultaneously watch the match and see the transmitter!


I wouldn't have thought you could really see from there because of buildings in the way.

Weather a bit unpromising at present...


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## Maggot (Apr 18, 2012)

Only 4 hours to go!

Definitely the kind of weather where you stay in the pub until the last minute and then come out to watch it.


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## mango5 (Apr 18, 2012)

We are going to watch this from home. It will be very small and far away but we will be home and dry.
Will it be on the tele?


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

I've a perfect close-up view from home, so gonna stay in and watch it. Cba with this wet weather.


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

I've got a panoramic view!


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## gaijingirl (Apr 18, 2012)

will watch from home...


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

Well, I said I had a great view, but now the tower is barely visible through the low cloud and rain.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

This could end up being a bit of a non-event


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

I can't even see the red warning lights on the tower now


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## gaijingirl (Apr 18, 2012)

oh no!!


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

I'm half a mile away and it just looks like a foggy blur


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## quimcunx (Apr 18, 2012)

Aw.  Someone's probably worked for months on this.


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

Where's the action? Nothing's happening!


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## Me76 (Apr 18, 2012)

I am in my street in my slobbing gear getting damp and looking at the tower looking very normal.


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## Me76 (Apr 18, 2012)

How much longer do I give this?


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

Waiting...


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## Me76 (Apr 18, 2012)

Getting strange looks now.


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

The cloud is so low I can still barely see anything but the faintest glow of the lights. 

Oh hang on. The other warning lights are back on.


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## Me76 (Apr 18, 2012)

I am now gong to wait inside and rely on urban to tell me if anything happens


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Apr 18, 2012)

Is it on yet?
I'm not sure any of my windows point that way.


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## mango5 (Apr 18, 2012)

Red blur is all we get


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

False alarm. There's still fuck all happening.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

Still nothing


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

Worst. 9:15pm. Light. Show. Ever.


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

All the lights are off now.


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## gaijingirl (Apr 18, 2012)




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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

Oooooh the lights have gone out


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

It's all a bit Close Encounters atm


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## Me76 (Apr 18, 2012)

I have given up. Nothing more special than I saw on Sunday but with a few more colours.


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

I hope it's going to get going soon. It just looks like a pretty WW2 searchlight at the moment.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

It's like the Eiffel Tower... But shit


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

Is this it? Some swirly lights and a searchlight?


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## quimcunx (Apr 18, 2012)

worse than that half my channels have no signal.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

Tbf it looked loads better when they were testing it the other night


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

It's supposed to end with a spectacular beam of light. I'm giving it till 10.


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## Mr Moose (Apr 18, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> worse than that half my channels have no signal.


 
Retuning ought to get them back.


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## quimcunx (Apr 18, 2012)

Mr Moose said:


> Retuning ought to get them back.


 
Don't make me tell you the whole bastarding story.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

Is that it ???


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## tarannau (Apr 18, 2012)

Underwhelming. Wandered up to the top of the estate to watch some bulbs change colour and searchlight style lights mainly fail to cut through some admittedly thick clouds. On a clear night you would have apparently been able to see the dazzling sights all across London, but I suspect they barely penetrated to the Tescos Metro in nearby West Dulwich.

Bit unfortunate for the organisers, but I guess that I'd still have been only mildly distracted even on the sharpest of nights.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 18, 2012)

I want the last two hours of my life back


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## editor (Apr 18, 2012)

Vast gasclouds of 'meh' from me. 







http://www.urban75.org/blog/crystal...alogue-to-digital-tv-with-damp-squib-display/


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## twistedAM (Apr 19, 2012)

that pic actually makes it look better than it was in real life. 
This was supposed to be an important event for London. Really crap.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 19, 2012)

I wonder if the picture is good enough to win you a tv ? 

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/9651089.Your_pictures_could_scoop_widescreen_TV/


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## RaverDrew (Apr 19, 2012)

You'll all be pleased to know it's repeated again tomorrow night.

I can barely contain my excitement.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 19, 2012)

I don't really know what you all expected? It was pretty much what they said it would be. I don't know how they could have made it more spectacular and the weather was hardly their fault. I thought it looked quite cool from nearby.


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## haushoch (Apr 19, 2012)

I somehow expected it to be more co-ordinated, it looked so random.  The lightbeams looked as if some guys were just wiggling them about, there was no rhythm or style to it.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 19, 2012)

Bit blurry, sorry.


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## gaijingirl (Apr 19, 2012)

oh if it's repeated tonight and better weather I might go and take a look.  I gave up last night - tonight I can actually leave the house to get a better view.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 19, 2012)

To be fair it was a bit repetitive. Everyone stood around for a while and eventually drifted off to the bar.


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## Maggot (Apr 19, 2012)

It looked quite pretty, but definitely wasn't the spectacular everyone was hoping for. Not sure if that was due to the clouds or cos it just wasn't that good. A soundtrack would have really helped but I'm sure they weren't allowed to play music at any sort of volume.

I watched it for about half an hour before going back in the pub. 



RaverDrew said:


> You'll all be pleased to know it's repeated again tomorrow night.
> 
> I can barely contain my excitement.


 
Was this planned or is it due to the clouds?


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## twistedAM (Apr 19, 2012)

RaverDrew said:


> You'll all be pleased to know it's repeated again tomorrow night.
> 
> I can barely contain my excitement.


 
A UV lamp and a couple of guys with big torches. Again. Wow.


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## London_Calling (Apr 19, 2012)

Looks like you may  have been better off with a lava lamp around a pub table - maybe try the new Crown and Anchor around 6.00pm.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 19, 2012)

So how does it look from afar this time? It was a lot more impressive with swirling fog last night from up here.


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## RaverDrew (Apr 19, 2012)

Thought it looked a lot better from up here at Crown Point tonight


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## Callie (Apr 19, 2012)

I think I missed the peak.


Such is life, just the occasional strobe now


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## RaverDrew (Apr 19, 2012)

No, there was no "peak"

I stood around for two hours in the rain last night getting soaked waiting for it to "peak"...

It didn't 

Just the same few glowing colours changing every 30 secs or so.


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## Callie (Apr 20, 2012)

I WAS JOKING


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## clicker (Apr 20, 2012)

There was a sweeping beam dahn my part of the south circ.....mum rang to ask what the 'sparks' in the sky were....I half remembered it may be this....got my slippers wet to stand in the garden and wait for something exciting.....just the old white beam, again and again, tbh police helicopters are slightly more show stopping, perhaps the old white beam was merely the tail ender of a display worthy of jean michel jarre-esqueness?

On a better note....smashing sky tonight as the sun set and the heavens opened...I am getting quite used to the afternoon dose of armageddon. I do hope it rains again tomorrow.....would be a shame to end the week without sodden boots and a damp scowl.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Apr 26, 2012)

mao said:


> This is from my back garden. The quality is not really good (mobile footage)...




Glad I didn't bother


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