Saturday, November 11, 2006

Powercuts!


We have been plagued by a series of powercuts over the last 24 hours which is driving us barmy. They must be mending the fault with a paper clip or sellotape or soemthing because after about 10 minutes or 4 hours the power goes off again and sets off the burglar alarm at a neighbours house - this isnt much fun at 3 in the morning! Needless to say we havent been getting much sleep and they still keep happening. It's on at the moment but no assurances that it will stay on. I've phoned Scottish Power on several occasions but mostly just get a recorded message saying the engineers are looking into the matter. Once , by mistake I'm sure, I got put through to a real person in a kilt, tossing a caber and he said he's not heard of any problems! "Look McTwerp" my alter-ego said, "Even your flippin' recorded message admits there is a problem so how come you don't know there is?" Anyway, I didnt say that and asked politely when the trouble might be fixed. he said he would send some men up some poles to poke the wires with long pointy sticks. No , what he really said was he'd try and send someone out to find the source of the problem or words to that effect. Fingers crossed. Hazel thinks the ancient system is on its last legs and needs a complete updating. Oh, for our own windmill and a solar panel or three!
Actually it was quite pleasant sitting in the dark with a log fire and candles flickering, listening to the DAB radio running on battery power. It felt like 1935.

2 comments:

Roger Stevens said...

We had a power cut here a few days ago. Apparently half of Europe was without power. It's quite nice now and again. But when it keeps happening, yes - it can be an imposition. Um... that's not really very interesting is it?

We go home tomorrow. I've enjoyed having my laptop here. I've done quite a lot on the novel I'm writing and also had time to do some blogging which has been fun. No sign of Jon or Sylvia lately I notice.

Also, at long last, spent some time visiting the sites down the edge of your blog. In particular enjoyed the Neil Innes site. All those songs he's giving away free - amazing. I shall definitely be collecting a few for my iTunes. AT cHRISTMAS WE'RE BUYING OURSELVES AN IpOD. yEP, 21ST cENTURY HERE WE COME.

Bugger - it went into capitals - but I can't be bothered to change it.

Also found two brilliant Spike Jones vids on YouTube. A fantastic Cocktails for Two I'd never seen and a great In a Persian Market (I think called Fireman, keep that fire going or something - I can't remember) If you haven't done so already look them up.

Well, must get on. Jill will be up soon (it's nearly half past eleven) and I've got to put another log on the fire. The weather's turned damp and chilly.

A bientot!

Wastedpapiers said...

Hi Roger, Glad you have been busy in la Belle France. We used to get powercuts in Tarn too when we lived in that old crumbling presbytere by the graveyard. If you put an extra bar on the two bar electric fire it used to blow the fuses ( a bit of bent wire ). the whole place was a fire trap- its amazing that it didnt burn down really. It was the time of the 3 day week and miners strike etc. in England and we living back in the early 20th century in the wilds of southern france. Amazing experiance really though did miss England a lot. Used to live on cheap wine and camenbert and that hollow crusty bread they seem to enjoy out there. I was pretty thin back then but must have lost about two stone! A laptop would have been great back then but we mostly relied on the postal service - a post box was in the wall of the church next door which had a little dial on that someone had made so you could twizzle the days round. samedi, lumedi, toobiday, wediddidi etc. see I picked up the lingo quite quickly!


Yes, the Neil Innes site is great isnt it. He's writen some wonderful songs over the years. He was on the radio yesterday infact talking about the Bonzos anniveristy tour with Ade Edmonson and Phil Jupitus on Radio 6 ~Music ( I think its on Listen Again ) which was quite amusing. Luckliy we have battery powered DAB radio.

I think I've seen the Spike Jones on You Tube. I was talking to Jim in basingstoke and he said he found Jove Scrivener on there. Who? I said. Jove Scrivener the autoharp player. I've yet to have a look at Jove but Jim is pretty good at spotting talent and has amazing record collection so he should know.
I'm actually transfering some cassettes to CD for him at the moment. dave peabody ( amazing guitarist ) The Armpit ~Jugband and Charlie Feathers etc.