FM Conway - Going the Extra Mile

The new lighting that we installed on Tower Bridge was an important feature of the Olympic Opening Ceremony on July 27 th , 2012. David Beckham drove a speedboat under the bridge with Jade Bailey at the front, carrying the Olympic Torch on its way to The Olympic Park.

with gravel and planters. Bernard Hodgkinson, who was in charge of WestOne, and Stewart Wilson, his Project Manager, not only put in a whole new pump and water-purification system, but they also installed a new high-tech, remotely controlled lighting system. This was a prestigious and successful project in its own right, but it also gave us the skills and experience to take on the Olympic Tower Bridge project when it came up. General Electric (GE) and EDF were sponsoring the re-lighting of Tower Bridge for the London Olympics. Stewart, who was now head of our new Lighting Division, won the tender to install the new lighting systems. GE supplied the LED light technology; a French company, Citilum, did the Design work; and Stewart’s team spent several months on ropes climbing all over Tower Bridge, getting the new lighting ready for the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Few of us will forget the sight of Tower Bridge with its new lighting, and the firework display, as David Beckham drove the speedboat under it, with Jade Bailey in the bows carrying the Olympic Torch on its way to the Olympic Park. With the Olympics safely and successfully over, many people could relax. But for us, the opposite was true. For us, the London Olympics was a golden gate opening onto new territories. And the first of these new territories was LoHAC.

161