"THE BELICON"

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 9

"THE BELICON"

PEDESTRIAN'S GUIDE

LONDON WILL HAVE ITS JOKE

(Written for "The Post" by Nclie "",-■"... .M. Scanlan.)

LONDON, December 31

' One gift from 1934,; which seems destined to become a permanent feature of the London landscape, is the "belicon." -: •.-.•.-. -. :,- :

A New Zeaiander, newly arrived, stepped out: of Waterloo Station the other day, and looking down the road, said: . "What on earth are those things?": ': •:,•>:• ~.-■ ■~ ; , ...

At intervals-, she saw slender iron posts, painted, alternately black and white, and surmounted by a glass globe, like a huge. orange. : They are riot' illuminated. At every corner, and at every point where' a pedestrian may be expected to. cross, unless he runs about-like a chicken with its head off, you will find one of Mr. Hore-Belisha's beacons, or, "belicons," as;they,are being, called. In busy ; streets,: they look, like festive decorations, and foreigners are strangely puzzled. But when you know the secret arid want to cross a road in ; comparative safety, you look for a belicpn, arid cross the road between the two rows of steel studs, which mark your crossing place. At crossings with light signals,1 giving you red, amber, .and greeri, you follow the lights. And where policemen direct traffic, you: wait for his: white arm to indicate that you may pass in safety. But at uncontrolled crossings, where .there is neither policeman nor light, the pedestrian lias,right of way. That is interpreted to mean that motorists must slow down and be ready to stop should a dreamy pedestrian decide to walk into the road in front of his car. There is no compulsion on pedestrians to use these crossings; he is urged, advised, but not penalised if.he does not,! though if he gets lulled through crossings ; where no belicon exists, he has the satisfaction of knowing he has only himself to blame.

; The "belicons have been' responsible for much recent humour. Their resemblance to oranges started an "eat more oranges" campaign. They are being worn as fancy dress this New Year, and figure among children's toys, some of which are being, designed to make children road-conscious, and familiar with traffic dangers.

One defect in their design is that the standard is low enough to permit a man of ordinary height to remove the globe as a souvenir aftera party. And the globes, being glass, are easily, broken, and a grave temptation to try a pot-shot. Hundreds of the orange globes have been stolen arid broken, and dozens of respectable young.men, unable to resist.; them, have been hauled before: the Court, and have paid fines. Some have even been sent to gaol by Magistrates who thought the joke was going. too far, and getting Stale;:.;; :•;;■;■••■;■;■■■■■'■::•. ■':■■■

■ On Christmas Eve, a policeman saw two young men "plucking the fruit" in Portman Square. ; They removed first one then, another of the yellow beacons, and a taxi which was following them had seyeral inside. They were just adding to their collection when the policeman came along.

"Do let me keep one,11 want to send it to my girl," pleaded one hilarious youth. The Magistrate saw nothing funny In the escapade, and if his girl had been promised a Belisha beacon for Christmas, she was disappointed. The beacons have, found their way into the pantomime, and once anything has been promoted to the subject of a pantomime,joke, it has reached.an eminence, and become^ classic.

rule, the will of God the Supreme Reality is revealed,: the world would be transformed.: : This is the truth of another old deep familiar word—"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His RiShteousness,: and,all these things"— 'the things men need—"will be added unto you." .• ■

In view of these great issues on which the true welfare of our.lives, of our country, or the. world depend, I plead, that in the coming year and always we should set, ourselves towards a recovery of soul.

I fear that many of .you who have been listening to me may have • felt that what I have been trying very imperfectly to; say seems remote from your ■ own ■ daily lives. Let me, therefore, close with some simpler and more personal words. As you think of the coming year the question you cannot help asking is,; "How will it fare with me and those whom I love and for whom I care?1' Will you forgive me if I suggest that you might ask another question—yery old-fashioned, no doubt, but very searching—"How is it faring with my soul?" You are concerned about prospects of recovery—of health, it may be, or of business, or of work. These are recoveries which, are not wholly within your own control. But there, is another recovery which is—a recovery of soul. Nothing moves me more than to note the way in which so many -who are suffering from lack of work refuse to become embittered or depressed and keep their courage high. They are giving proof that the soul has resources which can overcome untoward circumstances. .These resources will gain their full strength and power if the soul finds its Way to the true" centre of its own world—God Himself dwelling among us and within us in Christ Jesus. You remember what He has said of: everyone who gives to him the lordship of his soul— "I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;, and it fell not; for it was founded' upon a rock." Build the life of the soul on the rock o£ this unchanging Reality—God's presence. God's care, God's love. Then, whatever changes . and chances the New Year may bring, you will have strength to meet them.

May the Blessing of God be upon each of you, and upon your home, y.our jvork, your sou£