An area of London boasts a striking landmark dubbed its very own “Eiffel Tower”, visible from miles around.
Crystal Palace’s iconic transmitter was built in the 1950s at the site the original Crystal Palace, which gave the area its name once stood.
The palace itself was demolished in 1941, having been flagged as a conspicuous target for German bombers during World War Two.
By that stage it was already in ruins, having suffered extensive damage during a fire in 1936.
The 219-metre tower was constructed in 1956, replacing the transmitter at Alexandra Palace in north London. For decades it has transmitted terrestrial television to millions of homes, and was formerly the tallest building in London – a title now held by the Shard.
Though it switched from analogue to digital broadcast signals only in 2012, it retains its grand – and largely unchanged – appearance, as is a source of pride among locals, as per MyLondon.
Speaking to My London in September 2023, Gary Rigby, who said he had lived at Farquhar Road beside Crystal Palace Park for nearly 20 years, spoke of his pleasure at being able to see the structure from across the capital.
“I used to work in Central London in a tower block in Southwark on the Thames. We were up on the top floor and for some reason I used to get a kind of childish satisfaction in looking out the window and being able to see the transmitter,” he told it outlet.
“It made me feel like it wouldn’t be long before I could go home from the job that I hated.”
Another local, Carl Imthurn, 61, said he lived just by the tower on Jasper Road having moved to Crystal Palace in 1983 and remembered the area’s community being tight-knit.
“I suppose there was more of a mixture of classes [back then], whereas now it’s predominantly the affluent bourgeoisie… You used to be able to know everybody.
“You didn’t necessarily have to get on with everybody, but everybody knew each other whereas nowadays, people tend to be a little bit more resenting in social interaction.”
But though the area’s character has changed somewhat, Mr Imthurn said Crystal Palace has always been “gentle” and that he was thankful for its diverse communities.
Speaking in 2023, he said the area remained “as beautiful as it ever was” owing to it having “the best views of London”.
Mr Imthurn described the famous transmitter as “our Eiffel Tower”, adding: “When push comes to shove, it’s on the highest point in South London, I think this ridge is higher than anything they’ve got up north. It can be seen from everywhere.”
Another local Anna Sayburn, 53, said at the time the recent increase in wealth had made it more difficult for young people to live there, but suggested it still very much had its charms.
“I think Crystal Palace sometimes has a bit of a feeling of living in Paris, with the little cafés at the top [of the hill], the small shops and the street market on Saturdays,” she said, adding: “It’s a mini Paris.”