Refurbishments - 2000s
The 1999 refurbishment of Reality Checkpoint seemed to entail repainting the whole post leaf green, from the ground up. The name continued to be scratched onto the plinth though.
By November 2005, it seems to have undergone yet another repainting. This time colour has been added to the dolphin/fish eyes, flower motifs and elsewhere.
The pillar suffered further damage and paint issues over the next few years and the lanterns needed bringing up to standard. Always though, "Reality Checkpoint" was scratched onto it somewhere.
Far left, July 2010, photo: Jo Edkins
Middle bottom, October 2013, photo: @iamagrapeman
Middle top and left, photos: Paul A. Rabbitts
In July/August 2016 contractors Balfour Beatty, on behalf of the City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, were appointed to strip back the existing paintwork, restoring it to moss green, red, white and gold. A lighting and street furniture restoration specialist, JW-UK, was brought in to completely refurbish the column, bringing it back to life, as well as re-glazing the lanterns and fitting new 90-watt CPO lamps.
In 2017 the name was officially repainted by artist Emma Smith, an event accompanied by an exhibition at the Museum of Cambridge.
Photo: Cambridge News
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