Silvering Up

RIP David Browne (1948-2019)

I was cameraman on this film for Gwynhelek Productions and it is so good to see the film as I do not have a copy. Someone comments below saying that they hope the painters were well paid...well they were not, they worked on piece-work for a private company and the wages did not reflect or reward them for the work which was extremely dangerous. Not only dealing with high voltage power lines but climbing hundreds of feet to the top of the towers, with heavy cans of paint. There was one shot that the BBC cut from the edit, as it was a health and safety issue. I was out on one of the arms filming above the painter when he suddenly slipped, luckily he grabbed a bar with the other hand and saved himself from dropping 100 feet to the ground. The shot was in the first edit but it showed he did not have his harness clipped on, so the company would have been pulled up on that and the shot was cut. The reason the guys did not clip on their harnesses was that the caribiners clogged up with paint and did not shut properly and in fact was more dangerous. So the men relied on instinct and self-preservation. At the time of filming I think there had only been one death from a fall and that was due to one of the towers being a non-standard design. In my career as a cameraman I have worked in war torn areas of Ethiopia, dived with sharks and many other challenging situations but the 'Pylon Painters' shoot is one film I am most proud of. This was all shot without drones !! it required me to get up there with them. When I arrived on the first morning the painters looked at me rather suspiciously...but after a day with them up on the towers they paid me a great compliment (in a strong brummy accent), "eez a bloke, that Robin eez definitely a bloke" A great privilege to have shared some time with these hard working blokes...thanks, Robin.

It's like I have a special connection to these guys, I've lived this life, I've done the work. So, I'm speaking from experience, and the heart. As I've previously said, I painted high voltage towers years ago, I served my apprenticeship painting pylons. Although there are differences, back then we never used any safety belts or no harness, no hardhats, that is basically because of new safety rules, but still so much the same. We rubbed down with vasoline each morning, it helps get the paint off your skin much easier, and we had to wear long sleeves, and rag hats, even in the heat of summer. So you sweat a lot, and it's hard work, believe me, I know. My hats off to these guys. You get close to your co-workers, more so than normal, not only because of the type of work, of looking out for each other, but, you not only work together, but you basically live together, eat together, so you get close. I'll never forget the sound of the high voltage lines, the humm, the sound the electricity makes, and, I remember the static charge, the zap, you feel at times, it gives you a little jolt. Especially if your not holding on good. I've actually painted in substations where we had so little clearance from a " hot" line we had to cut our brush handle off. Or, crawling out on the middle arm of a pylon, you had to stay down low, your knees sometimes on just the edge of a steel angle iron, a line above you humming, a line below you humming, the sound of the high voltage, quite an experience it was. And, even when the one guy started singing, brought back memories. We would occasionally sing, while we worked, not that we were any good at it. Or we would cut up and joke with each other. Play tricks on each other, such as putting a rock in their bucket of paint, they didn't know until they got down to it. And a more serious note of seeing a friend get into a huge hornet nest while up on a tower, he didn't see it, and hit it with his hand, they were all over him. The lady land owner in this video complaining about the tracks the guys made, some people, she just don't realize how hard these guy's work is. Over here the utilities actually had a right of way, so a farmer could not stop us from painting, or deny us access, but we tried to be respectful also. We painted pylons/towers that crossed hills, mountains, valleys, rivers, farm land, soybean fields, corn fields, cow pastures. I've walked thru shoulder height corn fields early in the morning and they would be soaking wet from dew, and we would be soaking wet right from the start. Yea, this video brings back a lot of memories, I've watched it several times. I have great respect for these guys, very few people actually know how hard this work really is, I do. Be careful guys! Your friend, John

As a former steeplejack I can really equate to these fine men. A lot of our work included Toshing and I can still taste the Bitumen that we got covered in on those high wind days. Loved the friendship that comes from dangerous work and still bear the sadness of dear friends lost. Also loved the "away" jobs, going to so many different places and meeting so many great people from Cornwall to the tip of Scotland. Yes, we were foolhardy at times, but thats the mantle of young men and our strength and fitness kept us pretty safe. Respect to all those who head for the sky, stay safe and always go home to the wife and kids. A lovely film. Steeplejack Tom.

Loved this job all the men watching out for each other brothers of the brush

Proper men, balls of steel! No way would I do this job. Props to them for keeping the light on for the rest of us!

I really like this documentary. Nicely edited without too much music, it allows the story to tell itself.

Probably one of the most unsung of all documentaries. This has a warmth and sincerity that is almost unprecedented. Brilliant. A must watch. John Grierson would have been proud.

Bloody hell that's proper graft .I hope they get paid extremely well for doing that. Total respect. i'll stick to my "normal" painting job thanks.

When we painted tower's that were planted, either corn, soybeans, or whatever, we had to walk in, if it was a pasture with livestock, cow's, we had to erect a temporary fence to prevent the cow's from licking the paint, and dying. The farmer's, or landowner's, could not prevent us from accessing the towers, pylons, because the utility had a right of way. Very seldom did we have any issues though. We use to play tricks on each other at times. Like, put a heavy rock in somebody's paint bucket, or cut the bristles off their brush. It was damn hard work, so we had to have a little fun Like I said earlier, back then, many year's ago, we painted every tower while it was " hot", energized, we would crawl out on the arm's, especially the middle arm, a hot line over you, one under you, humming. At times, we would get a static shock, it didn't really hurt, it just reminded you, to be careful. I know what these guy's go thru, it's hard ass, dirty work, but I enjoyed it, I liked the guy's I worked with, and I was much younger then too. Be careful guy's. I hope you all are doing well. John, Indiana

I added this video to my favorite list. This video was very touching to me, I use to paint high voltage towers ( pylons ) years ago, in my younger days. The guys I worked with , were a really bunch of good guys, we became really close. We not only worked together, but we shared a room together, ate with each other, and went out drinking together. Just as they did in this video. Really brought back some good memories watching this video. There were some differences, but basically the same hard, dangerous work. We never wore safety harness, or hard hats. We couldn't use ropes to pull paint up. But, the biggest difference is we painted high voltage towers while they were " hot ", or energized. The middle arm was kind of hairy, you had a hot line above you, and one below. Every person had a certain part to paint. We would rub down with Vaseline also, it made the paint come off easier. We wore rag hats, t-shirts, to keep the paint out of hair and neck. long sleeve shirts and pants in the hot of summer.We used semi-oval brushes only, no rollers. My closest scare came when I stepped on an steel angle, and a bolt was missing out of one end, but I caught myself, and kept painting. Years after I transferred my book closer to home, and regular industry painting, a good tower painting friend got into a "hot" line while painting in a substation. I appreciate the video, it really brought back some old memories.My hat's off to you tower ( pylon) painters. I have great respect for guys that work hard, dangerous jobs each day. Good luck guys, stay safe! Thanks, John from Indiana

I found this doc from a link from "pylon of the month", and it really moved me.  This is a very necessary job that very few are aware of.  Full respect!  The physical and mental challenge these guys face to maintain the flow of electricity for the rest of us is nearly heroic.  The next time that I'm working on a tall ladder or up on a steep roof and begin to get a little weak-kneed, I will remember them.

Fantastic I've been searching for this documentary for ages

I have applied for this job a few days ago from being a home delivery driver I hope I get this job. Thank you for uploading this content to show the real life of a tower painter

It’s amazing to see the class deviation between electrical engineers and the linesmen/painters involved. A comparison between the white collar and blue collar workers. Deviation between the ones who design these systems, where their personalities of dealing with the physics are embedded in the cables and pylon structures.

Brilliant documentary, definitely unsung hero's of the modern working world

Old Memories Old Faces Remembered.

Brilliant, eye-opening and moving. A wonderful documentary. Would love to see more work by this film-maker.

Great upload. Now that is a dangerous and unpleasant job. They all have harnesses but looks like no one bothers connecting them to anything, Look like a good bunch of guys.

Thanks for the video. Very dangerous job, that most people take for granted. I had the pleasure of meeting Neil this week, and what a top bloke ! Cheers - George from Scotland ;-)