Paternosters...ever been on one?

[Maz]

I was reminiscing about these contraptions today, as we used to have one at Salford Uni.

First time I used one, I was bricking mi'sen thinking 'these can't be legal, right?', they must be flouting every health n safety reg in the book. Getting your timing right was crucial! There was an urban myth that the cubicle turned upside down when it got to the top for the descent stage, but that simply isnt true!

I doubt these things are made any more. Ever used one?

 

[Gareth]

There was one at Loughborough uni when I was a student in the very dim & distant.

 

[andytheflyer]

I was reminiscing about these contraptions today, as we used to have one at Salford Uni.

First time I used one, I was bricking mi'sen thinking 'these can't be legal, right?', they must be flouting every health n safety reg in the book. Getting your timing right was crucial! There was an urban myth that the cubicle turned upside down when it got to the top for the descent stage, but that simply isnt true!

I doubt these things are made any more. Ever used one?

Loads of times! There was one in Charles Morris Hall of Residence, next door to where I was in Earth Sciences at Leeds Uni in the early 70's. Some times it was so busy that you needed to get in the up side, go over the top, and then get off the floor below where you started - or the other way around. I agree, the first time you went round the bend it was a bit dark and scary, but once you knew the game everybody did it.

Haven't seen one for years though. Not a lot different to lifts in some less HnS regimented countries where there's no door to the lift cubicle though - and the wall just goes past you.

Can't see it being allowed now - the HnS Stasi have the upper hand (.....for now...)

 

[perplexed]

I used the one at the Arts Tower in Sheffield University years ago, loved it!

 

[Maz]

Hang on a minute. Is there a theme developing? Are/Were all UK paternosters in universities?

 

[Maz]

I used the one at the Arts Tower in Sheffield University years ago, loved it!

My hometown. Was the Arts Tower the one near Weston Park?

 

[philk56]

There used to be one when I worked at P&O at Aldgate in the mid 70's. Great fun when it went over the top.

 

[Maz]

[QUOTE 1613779"]
UoB had one.

What happened if you stuck a leg out?
[/quote]
Hmm, not much happened, as i recall. If you were going down, you just got pushed back in the cubicle. If you were going up, your shin brushed against the 'floor' of the building.

 

[Red Light]

Engineering Department at Oxford had one too. Probably still does unless they've replaced it. Beat waiting for the lift.

 

[Rezillo]

There was one at Leeds Uni lecture theatre block in the 70s and one at Ipswich Civic Centre (now demolished).

If there was a queue to get on near or at the top floor, you could go to the other side, go up to the top, sideways and back down again in front of those queueing. Once everyone else sussed this, it didn't work so well!

John

 

[Brains]

Nope.

There was one at the P&O building in the City of London up until they knocked the building down in the late 1980's

 

[Baggy]

The Attenborough Tower at the University of Leicester used to have one, am not sure if it still does. It worried me at first...but I soon got used to it. Used to go over the top and round the bottom

 

[Baggy]

Yay! It's still there!

 

[Spinney]

I was reminiscing about these contraptions today, as we used to have one at Salford Uni.

First time I used one, I was bricking mi'sen thinking 'these can't be legal, right?', they must be flouting every health n safety reg in the book. Getting your timing right was crucial! There was an urban myth that the cubicle turned upside down when it got to the top for the descent stage, but that simply isnt true!

I doubt these things are made any more. Ever used one?

I went to Salford! Can't remember the name of the building it was in, though. I was doing engineering, which was one of the lower buildings, and only had a few lectures in the block with the paternoster. Good fun, though!

If there was a queue to get on near or at the top floor, you could go to the other side, go up to the top, sideways and back down again in front of those queueing. Once everyone else sussed this, it didn't work so well!

Did that too - or going up, you got on the going down side. It wobbled a bit going 'round the corner'. Max of 2 people per 'cell' the notice said - most we managed was 6, I think.

 

[TVC]

Lets add Leicester Poly to the list. The James Went Building. I say Poly because soon after it became DeMontfort Uni the grey concrete Jimmy Went came down and a nice shiny glass job was built in its place.

I'm not convinced that if someone came up with the idea of a paternoster today it would ever get past the fag packet sketch stage.