ALTONIAN Arthur Blackham is seeking the support of other townsfolk in a campaign to get two items of local "street furniture" listed.

"They are both part of a bygone age and reminders of a past way of life," he says. "I have applied to English Heritage to have them listed in an effort to have them preserved as they were."

The first is the gas lamp outside 52 Kings Road. "It was said to be the last lamp in the south of England to burn 'marsh gas', a polite name for the gas which came from the sewage works," Mr Blackham explains.

"Some years ago it was repaired by Suggs of Sussex and identified as a Webb Patent, which also had a vent to get rid of fumes.

"It now burns North Sea gas and never goes out. Years ago, the lamplighter would place his ladder against the horizontal bars to get high enough to light it and turn it off."

The other subject is the finger post at the junction of Whitedown Lane with Chawton Park Road.

"This was in place when the junction was a four-cross road, but is now obsolete since the A31 had a dual carriageway and the old road to the north of The Butts was blocked off.

"It is cast iron and so unique, since the council chopped down most of the rest and replaced them with plastic or aluminium duplicates.

"Sadly, the county council recently changed the character of the post by changing the road number from B3006 to A339 and putting 'Treloar Hospital' and 'Sports Centre' on the west arm.

"The county council said that that had been done with the agreement of Alton Town Council. Neither of these councils appear to have sought advice from the district conservation officer, nor an expert on industrial archaeology.

"Traditionally, finger posts never, ever pointed to a building, only to a town or village. So the addition of buildings is out of character.

"The old B road number had been there for the past 20 years that I know of, so the change was unnecessary and meaningless. I have suggested that the western arm could read 'The Pilgrims' Way', but that was brushed aside."

Mr Blackham added that he is trying to get the county council to change its mind, "going to the Ombudsman if necessary.

"I have the support of the district conservation officer, but would welcome all the written support I can get."

Arthur Blackham can be contacted at 17 Cavalier Way, Alton, GU34 1QX, telephone 01420-85514.