{"title":"Festoon Lighting","description":"\u003cp\u003eHeavy duty steel poles to hang festoon lighting from, and the lights to go on them. The poles are handmade in our Sheffield workshops, galvanised and powder coated, and designed to take the tension of a strung run without leaning.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"festoon-lighting-pole","title":"Festoon Lighting Pole","description":"\u003cp\u003eA sturdy way to hang festoon lights across your garden, patio or deck without relying on walls or fences. These 42mm round steel poles keep a run of lights hanging straight and taut, and stand up to whatever the weather does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHandmade in our Sheffield workshops, in single full lengths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKey details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e42mm round heavy-duty steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree finishes — galvanised, powder coated black, or 316 marine grade stainless\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2.5m and 3m, both stock sizes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGround socket available above as an option, supplied with the pole\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrice is per pole. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/solar-festoon-lights\"\u003eFestoon lights\u003c\/a\u003e are sold separately\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eChoosing a finish\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGalvanised\u003c\/strong\u003e — bare metallic grey, fully protected, and the cheapest option. Industrial in appearance rather than smart. Topped with an acorn finial.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePowder coated black\u003c\/strong\u003e — galvanised first, then coated, so there are two barriers against the weather. Disappears against planting at night, which is what you want under lighting. Topped with an acorn finial.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e316 marine grade stainless\u003c\/strong\u003e — brushed steel, the same specification as \u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-stainless-one\"\u003eThe Stainless One\u003c\/a\u003e. Suits a modern garden where the post is meant to be seen. Finished with a flat cap rather than a finial, which suits the cleaner look. Near the coast it needs cleaning more often than a coated pole, not less — salt tarnishes the surface.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote the tops differ.\u003c\/strong\u003e The galvanised and black poles are topped with an acorn finial; the stainless has a plain flat cap. It is a small detail, but it is the sort of thing worth knowing before it arrives — and if you are buying two poles for one run, order them in the same finish so they match.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo you want the ground socket?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the option above, and it decides whether the pole is permanent or removable. One socket is supplied per pole — there is nothing separate to add to your basket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo socket.\u003c\/strong\u003e The pole is concreted straight into the ground and stays there. Simplest and cheapest, and the right answer if the pole is going somewhere it will never be in the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith a ground socket.\u003c\/strong\u003e A 500mm galvanised steel box section is cast into the concrete instead of the pole itself. The pole then drops into the socket and lifts back out by hand — snug enough not to wobble, loose enough to shift on your own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat matters more than it sounds. It means you can take the pole out to mow properly, clear the lawn for a party or a game of football, put it away over winter, or move the whole arrangement if you change your mind about where the lights should run. It also means you can take it with you if you move house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the pole is out, a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ground-socket-caps\"\u003esocket cap\u003c\/a\u003e sits flush in the hole and keeps soil and stones out — worth adding, as a silted-up socket stops the pole seating properly. Caps are sold separately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is more detail on the socket itself, including dimensions, on the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ground-socket\"\u003eground socket page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow many poles\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFestoon runs between two fixings. If you have a solid wall at one end, a single pole and a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/stainless-pad-eye-wall-fixing\"\u003estainless pad eye\u003c\/a\u003e will do it. With nothing to fix to, you want two poles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAllow a little slack when you string the lights. A gentle drape looks better than a taut line, and it puts less strain on both ends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNeed a hand?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fitting detail is here: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/how-to-install-a-washing-line-pole\"\u003ehow to install one\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/galvanised-vs-stainless-steel\"\u003egalvanised vs stainless\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Washing Line Pole Shop","offers":[{"title":"Galvanised \/ 2.5m \/ No socket","offer_id":55107070198089,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-GLV-NLY-2-5MT-NOT-RQR","price":80.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Galvanised \/ 2.5m \/ +1 ground socket","offer_id":55107070230857,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-GLV-NLY-2-5MT-NCL","price":95.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Galvanised \/ 3m \/ No socket","offer_id":55107070263625,"sku":"FSTN-LGHTNG-PL-GLVNZD-NLY-MTLLC-GRY-3MTRS-NT-RQRD","price":100.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Galvanised \/ 3m \/ +1 ground socket","offer_id":55107070296393,"sku":"FSTN-LGHTNG-PL-GLVNZD-NLY-MTLLC-GRY-3MTRS-NCLDD","price":115.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 2.5m \/ No socket","offer_id":55107070329161,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-PWD-BLC-2-5MT-NOT-RQR","price":96.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 2.5m \/ +1 ground socket","offer_id":55107070361929,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-PWD-BLC-2-5MT-NCL","price":111.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 3m \/ No socket","offer_id":55107070394697,"sku":"FSTN-LGHTNG-PL-PWDRCTD-BLCK-3MTRS-NT-RQRD","price":116.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black \/ 3m \/ +1 ground socket","offer_id":55107070427465,"sku":"FSTN-LGHTNG-PL-PWDRCTD-BLCK-3MTRS-NCLDD","price":131.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless \/ 2.5m \/ No socket","offer_id":55149469335881,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-STN-2-5MT-NOT-RQR","price":100.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless \/ 2.5m \/ +1 ground socket","offer_id":55149469368649,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-STN-2-5MT-NCL","price":115.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless \/ 3m \/ No socket","offer_id":55149469401417,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-STN-3MT-NOT-RQR","price":120.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless \/ 3m \/ +1 ground socket","offer_id":55149469434185,"sku":"FST-LGH-PL-STN-3MT-NCL","price":135.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/8974\/2921\/files\/festoon-pole-metal-heavy.avif?v=1787231471"},{"product_id":"solar-festoon-lights","title":"Solar Festoon Lights","description":"\u003cp\u003eSolar powered festoon lighting for patios, seating areas and garden paths. Warm, low glare light with no cable to run and no electrician needed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eG40 bulbs in shatterproof plastic rather than glass, so a knock or a football does not end the evening\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA spare bulb included with every set\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolar panel on a ground spike, with a clip stand as an alternative if you would rather sit it on a wall or sill\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemote control for on and off, brightness, lighting modes and the timer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSB-C and USB-A charging cable included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCharging and run time\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolar charge: 6 to 8 hours\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSB charge: 4 to 6 hours, for weeks when the sun does not show up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun time: 8 to 10 hours from a full charge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA built-in light sensor brings them on at dusk and switches them off at daybreak, so once they are up there is nothing to remember. If you want them on during the day, cover the panel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWeather rating\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bulbs are rated IP45 and the solar panel IP65, so the set is built to stay outside through rain, wind and frost rather than being brought in each autumn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhich length\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e15 metres\u003c\/strong\u003e — 21 bulbs. Enough for a run across a patio, or a loop over a seating area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e30 metres\u003c\/strong\u003e — double the length, for a longer run, a bigger garden, or a there-and-back zigzag.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeasure the run and allow a little slack. Festoon lighting looks better with a gentle drape than pulled tight, and a taut cable puts unnecessary strain on whatever it is fixed to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSomething solid to hang them from\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFestoon lighting needs a fixing at each end that will not move. Fences sag, trellis flexes, and shed corners are rarely where you want the light. Our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/festoon-lighting-pole\"\u003efestoon lighting pole\u003c\/a\u003e is heavy duty steel, galvanised and powder coated, made in our Sheffield workshops, and it will still be standing long after the lights need replacing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdd a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ground-socket\"\u003eground socket\u003c\/a\u003e if you would rather lift the poles out over winter, with a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ground-socket-caps\"\u003esocket cap\u003c\/a\u003e to keep the hole clear while they are out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lights themselves are a bought-in accessory — the poles are the part we make.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Washing Line Pole Shop","offers":[{"title":"15 metres","offer_id":55146493477193,"sku":null,"price":32.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"30 metres","offer_id":55146493509961,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/8974\/2921\/files\/solar-festoon-lights-garden-patio.png?v=1787813715"},{"product_id":"stainless-pad-eye-wall-fixing","title":"Stainless Steel Pad Eye Wall Fixing","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn M6 316 stainless steel pad eye — a flat plate with a fixed ring — for anchoring something to a wall that is going to be under tension. Sold singly. Mounting screws included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo jobs in particular:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShade sails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGives one corner of a sail a fixing point on a wall, where you would rather not put another post in the ground. One per corner you are fixing that way — a triangular sail has three corners, a square has four. Most gardens end up as a mix: a pad eye or two on the house or a garden wall, and a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/sun-shade-sail-pole\"\u003eshade sail pole\u003c\/a\u003e wherever there is nothing solid to work with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePair each one with a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/shade-sail-tension-turnbuckle\"\u003eturnbuckle\u003c\/a\u003e so you can tension the sail properly once it is up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFestoon lighting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGives a festoon run a proper anchor at the house end, instead of a nail, a hook screwed into a window frame, or whatever happened to be handy. Lighting cable sags and swings, and over a season that works a weak fixing loose. Run the far end to a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/festoon-lighting-pole\"\u003efestoon lighting pole\u003c\/a\u003e where there is no second wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFixing it — worth reading\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pad eye is rarely the weak point. The fixing behind it usually is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe screws supplied suit light duty and timber — fine for a run of lights into a sound timber frame or fascia. For a shade sail, or for masonry, use proper anchors rated for the job, fix into solid brick or stone rather than mortar joints, and keep away from render, cladding and cavity walls. If you are not sure what is behind the surface, find out before you drill. A sail in a gust pulls far harder than most people expect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe steel\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e316 stainless — the same marine grade we use on \u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-stainless-one\"\u003eThe Stainless One\u003c\/a\u003e, and the grade specified for coastal handrails and boat fittings. It costs more than the 304 fittings sold in most places, and it is worth it on something that will sit in a wall for years in the weather. In salt air it will hold its finish where a cheaper fitting would tea-stain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Washing Line Pole Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55149413859657,"sku":null,"price":7.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/8974\/2921\/files\/stainless-steel-wall-fixing-hook-bracket.jpg?v=1787814448"}],"url":"https:\/\/washinglinepoles.co.uk\/collections\/festoon-lighting.oembed","provider":"The Washing Line Pole Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}