A Great Hall need a great light - and I mean great in both senses! On the 29th August 2024, the huge Art Deco lantern, collected from an architectural reclaim yard in Wolverhampton, was finally hoisted into position at the top of the Great Hall.
A special bracket had to be made to attach the great weight to the floor joists on the level above. My first view of the installed lantern was through the scaffolding as per the image below:
George the sparky had spent many days patiently re-wiring the lantern with modern bayonet fittings to replace the old/broken/missing Edison screw ones. With 66 light bulbs, he declares it the largest he has ever worked with. Thanks to George for his steady, calm and efficient services at Balintore. The photo was taken at the moment of the first illumination. I love the way the light reflects warmly off the gold of the lantern.
There are more metal pieces to fit to the lantern, and then it has to be re-glazed because all the original glass has been lost. So there are more chapters ahead in the story of the lantern.
It is genius to restore and repurpose a cinema chandelier 60(?) years younger than the castle to light its Great Hall for the new century!
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