I am sitting in near darkness writing this on my laptop. We are in the midst of another power cut. We has a short one on Tuesday, lost power all day Thursday and now, on a wet Saturday morning, we've no power again. This has cost me a fortune.
In my old village pub a power cut inspired something of a celebration. Not a lot happened in the village and it represented some excitement. A bit of the old war-time Blitz mentality. Show them a power cut and there would be blankets and thermos flasks of soup being handed out within minutes. In a village a power cut gave the villagers a reason to all pile into the pub to share the experience. I always traded well in a power cut.
In a town it is completely different. Our power is out but the pub across the road is illuminated like the Christmas trees. People don't want to experience the discomfort of my cold dark pub, despite my best efforts.
The power company give me no reason for confidence. EDF men in fluorescent overalls work slowly to identify the origin of the fault. There is no information forthcoming but the pile of teabags on the road by their van suggests they've been there some time.
I've tried telephoning them using a mobile. The recorded information, telling me I'll be paying through the nose for this call, is painfully extended as they tell me why they might record the conversation, and give me several long and unnecessary options before I can report the fault. A cheerful guy called Rob tells me nothing of use. Yes, they are aware of it but cannot tell me when someone will attend (it was three hours later).
The really frustrating part is how utterly powerless (no pun intended) I feel. I've not experienced anything like it since my pub was flooded seven years ago. Now, as then, my capacity for reasoned thinking is clouded by a strong urge to shout at the workmen, which will do nothing but make the problem worse.
In the meantime I'm trying to work out the acronym EDF. Every Day's a Friday? Exceptionally Disappointing Findings? Extremely Difficult to Find? Excuses, Denials and Flatulence?
It doesn't provide me with electricity but it keeps me warm.