The LNER Encyclopedia

Mr Wikipedia tells me that pedestrian crossings were introduced in the UK in the 'late 1940s/1950s' and were named zebra crossings after James Callaghan commented they look like zebras (in 1948).
Wikipedia also says Belisha Beacons were introduced in 1934 (so named after the then Minister of Transport, Leslie Hore-Belisha (who I seem to recall featured in some other more notable part of British history).
Knowing Wikipedia's somewhat dubious grasp on facts, would these be correct and if so, is it true that Belisha beacons preceded painted 'zebra' crossings?
(Now on to my town centre, set during grouping era so helpful to know).
Graeme Leary

Graeme

I am quite sure that the well known Belisha beacon was in use in built up areas from the mid 30s. I was born in 1936 and remember them from a very early age although they were not lit during the War. The Zebra crossing appeared in the early 1950s together with the flashing beacon, certainly in the area where I lived (Richmond and Twickenham) at that time. I used to spend some time in Chesham Bucks in the early 1950s but I do not remember there being any Zebra crossings at that time; possibly it was a major conurbation thing, not universally adopted until the late 1950s.

Memory is a funny thing and often plays tricks, but I think you will find that the above is fairly general.

Nick

Many thanks Nick; confirms what I'd heard elsewhere but did seem odd that an item which needed electricity to operate it, ie the Belisha beacons, preceded by quite a few years a few lines of white painted across a road. However, I also understand white lines appeared when motoring casualties during the black-out became too many to tolerate and a solution had to be found but presume these related more to central lines on city streets rather than actual crossings.
Graeme