Less Power to the People

Arriving back from Embra and picking up the Gerduian from Mr Nairn's Huttonian found the newsagents plunged into darkness-well actually a bit shady as it was an almost Spring afternoon and sunny outside. 'Didn't pay your bill then?' Gleefully asked toothless Daily Express. 'In that case' said Nairns no one else around here has' Indeed a power cut had blacked out the north side of Market Square closing the Dentist (clock work drill being serviced) the Butchers, the Deli and some other establishments. South of the Christmas Cracker Romanes the Chemists blazed with light.

Power cuts were a way of life in Hutton-one lasted 9 days in the Great Snow of 0 something. This is the first one we have noticed in Duns and the Small House has so far escaped. 'I see Finnies (the other Newsagent) has its electricity' commented hirsute Readers Digest-'stealing a bit of a march on you? 'No problem for us' said Nairns' We have not got an ice cream fridge on the go.' He did not say unlike Finnies.

No one seemed to know what had caused the problem 'Road works' suggested unkempt Scottish Daily Mail 'It'll be on at 2 according to Scottish Power' said Nairns.

We looked at our watches.

245.

'At the earliest they said 'added Nairns

'You can say that again' agreed Daily Express

Some one did

Labels: Duns, Nairns, Power Cuts

  ¶ 2:56 PM (4) comments

 
Hutton Power Trip Horror

Since the great blackout of 01 -the longest Hutton has been without power since it got the electricity Scottish Power has kept the home (electric) fires burning; no mains Gas in rural Berwickshire, thankyou very much. So it was a bit of a shock (no pun intended) when the Old Manse went dark at 0805. Scottish Power Emergency number (not in the Borders phone book but on a card sent to us 24 hours after power was restored in 2001) was at first unwilling to accept we had a problem. No faults recorded in TD151TS. I said we had one. Checked your trip switches? Yes. OK a van is on its way. By wandering around I discovered that some of our neighbours had indeed got power, but one hadn't and apparently half of Mr Rutherford's yard was off. This I reported to the emergency Czar. She was grateful and said another van was on its way (due 0930): SP like BT tend to hunt in pairs except when there is trouble at Paxton exchange when they send 3 or 4. Enough for a couple of hands of Bridge, no doubt.

At 9.35 the power came on again. My neighbour to the West had a phone call from SP to say that the fault had been corrected 'remotely'-where ever did the two vans go to? Paxton Telephone Exchange perhaps?

Apparently the Old Manse has its main connection in the Church. Logical enough but why the failures in an adjoining cottage and half of JR's yard. And we subsequently we learned that some houses in the main street (north side) were also plunged into darkness at the same time. Some massive surge must have jiggered the system.

JR's tea maker perhaps.


(The image is off a candle in a power cut. Not ours this time as we couldn't find a candle in the dark)

Labels: Hutton, Old Manse, Power Cuts

  ¶ 3:03 PM (0) comments