Paternosters...ever been on one?

[pepecat]

89-93.
Remember finding the library stacks when researching a Business Studies essay. There were rumours of intimate activity going on in the darkest corners of the stacks.

Where in the library was it? - the paternoster, I mean!

And yes, there is still sometimes intimate activity going on in the dark corners of the stacks. Not often mind, but i think it does still happen. We also find weird things left in the library......

 

[Haitch]

I always thought that each hinged flap had a microswitch to cut the power should anyone get trapped, but I guess I was mistaken

The hinged flap itself was the safety mechanism. It was outside the lift and the last thing you stood on before you walked into the cabin. People in the lift could stick out a foot and lift up the flap with their toes evey time they approached a new floor. Thinking back, I don't see what the point was, but it was the 1970s and entertainment was thinly spread. Especially in the economics block.

 

[BrumJim]

Where in the library was it? - the paternoster, I mean!

And yes, there is still sometimes intimate activity going on in the dark corners of the stacks. Not often mind, but i think it does still happen. We also find weird things left in the library......

In through the front door, straight through the first reading room, where there were photocopiers to the right (don't know if there still are) out the far end, and on the left, opposite the toilets (and stairs, IIRC).

 

[Christopher]

even more OT: I was in the big shed (aka Civil Engineering) in 85-88. There was a works opposite and when the forging hammers were busy the lecturers had to shout above the noise. We also had a little coal-fired power station near there. Do Westley Richards (gunmakers) still test guns in the yard next to our sports ground? Bit startling when you're sunbathing on the grass.

 

[BrumJim]

No -all this has gone with a new Selly Oak Bypass, although the drop forging works also closed down when I was there, and got replaced by student accomodation, IIRC.

Was in Mech Eng, and hence the thud of the drop-hammers was the sound-track to many a lecture. Gun shots were also a regular sound, which has prepared me for working in an office in Aston!

 

[GordonB]

LSE had a paternoster lift in the 70s, I went over the top and round the bottom a couple of times out of curiosity. The cars jerked sideways rather than smoothly move across and all of the winding gear seemed to be exposed. Not a nice experience, which makes me wonder why I did it more than once.

Gordon

 

[vernon]

I knew a girl named Grace once - "For what we are about to receive ..."

I used to know a girl called Spanner - she regularly tightened my nuts.

 

[slowmotion]

I used to know a girl called Spanner - she regularly tightened my nuts.

no more talk of tools, please

 

[fatblokish]

Been on a cog railway, very steep indeed, in the centre of Athens, Lycavettos. The carriage itself had two levels, but all on one floor, sorta, innit?

 

[Keith Oates]

We had one in an office block I worked in London but can't say it was good or bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Doseone]

There was one when I was at Leicester Poly. Anyone caught going over the top was in deep doo doo.

 

[andytheflyer]

My husband has left this forum open on the computer so I thought I'd add my bit. I also went to Leeds University and regularly went up and down and round the bottom and top in the paternoster. However I visited a friend at University of Aston and very nearly jumped on their paternoster as I thought it was similar to the Leeds one and had never concieved of one that went flat at the top and bottom. Needless to say I was told that the Aston one did and there had indeed been had been a fatality when somebody tried to go round the top. It could so easily have been me. This was about 1976

 

[John Ponting]

Bit late to this thread but there was a PaterNoster installed in the 9 story 'tower' at Smith Kline & French from 1963 through 'till I left in 1990. Whole building was pulled down about 4 years ago.

 

[ColinJ]

I visited a friend at University of Aston and very nearly jumped on their paternoster as I thought it was similar to the Leeds one and had never concieved of one that went flat at the top and bottom. Needless to say I was told that the Aston one did and there had indeed been had been a fatality when somebody tried to go round the top. It could so easily have been me. This was about 1976

I find it very hard to believe that anybody would build a lift that would kill curious people! I reckon that would be a rumour spread to intimidate people ...

 

[vernon]

I find it very hard to believe that anybody would build a lift that would kill curious people! I reckon that would be a rumour spread to intimidate people ...

Such a lift would not be allowed to operate. The flat pack tale that I heard about the paternoster was partially true in that:
a: someone was badly hurt in it
b: it was as they were doing an 'up and over'

It turns out that they got caught in the drive chain.

There were never any flat pack paternosters constructed. The urban myths and folklore about flatpacking might well have sprung from the Newcastle tale getting distorted.