Lavendon Access Services truck mount says yes to Park Hill Flat sign of love

Panther's sister company EPL Skylift, part of UK market leader Lavendon Access Services, has provided a 37m truck to help ressurect the famous message of love on Europe's biggest listed building.

The graffiti, spelling out ‘I Love You, Will U Marry Me’, became an iconic image of the Park Hill Flats in Sheffield, due to its romantic intentions and daring placement on a bridge between two of the blocks of flats.

Award winning regeneration company Urban Splash began a refurbishment on the almost derelict building in 2010. As the development of the building moves forward, the company decided to mark it with the switch on of the striking neon sign.

With the use of the truck mount, an installation crew took two days to mount and fix each individual letter to the wall of the bridge set between the two blocks.

The T37R truck mount has an extendable basket allowing a wider working space of 6.47 metres.

This meant that the machine did not have to be moved as much allowing the installer to carry out the work quickly and efficiently.

EPL provide clear solution

Peter Luczka, Business Sector Manager for EPL Skylift, said this particular machine was ideal for this application: “The T37R 37m working height Ruthmann truck mount has a good work platform area with a safe working load of 500kg - ideal for when signage materials need to be carried up in the platform.”

Simon Stokes of Sign Specialists said the machinery was used to both drill and secure the neon glass to the fixtures, and to run the electrical cabling from the sign to the ground floor-a distance of over 25 metres.

“The declaration ‘I Love You Will U Marry Me’ is not only an iconic piece of graffiti, but is also our invitation to the city."

EPL Skylift provided the company with an operator for each day. Simon said the operators demonstrated skill in controlling the machine by lowering the cradle into the confines of the bridge so that plant machinery could be offloaded.

He added: “Both guys were extremely helpful in getting our installation crew to complete the project on schedule.”

Tom Bloxham, chairman at Urban Splash, said: “As Park Hill turns 50, a new chapter is beginning and it is fitting to mark this point with the unveiling of the next modern twist at Park Hill- the neon ‘I Love You Will U Marry Me’ sign.

“The declaration ‘I Love You Will U Marry Me’ is not only an iconic piece of graffiti but is also our invitation to the city. We want people to love Park Hill once again and it is exciting to see the development taking shape.”

A BBC Radio 4 documentary aiming to get to the bottom of who wrote the message has been produced by local freelance journalist Frances Brynes and is expected to air later this summer. The message has become iconic and was famously worn on a t-shirt by Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.