My funny VALENTINE
What would Valentine’s Day be without a little disaster? I think all days that have great symbolism and expectation attached to them always do.
And I think Lynda Mackenzie from Clackmannan in Scotland might agree with me, if this funny experience of hers is anything to go by. “This is a tale of romance from 10 years ago,” she says. “February 14, 2014 and we were then living in North Wales.
“And the scene was all set for a romantic candlelit meal - our first for decades.”
Lynda and hubby Bill had set the table in the kitchen “listening to Classic FM trying to drown out the sound of the wind howling outside”. It wasn’t the only issue… “We had never managed to quite get rid of the draught from the back door,” says Lynda, 71. But on the table were two silver-plated candlesticks, a present from a great aunt on their wedding day in 1975. ”They were being used for the first time ever,” Lynda confides. “Their elegant tapered red candles were usually just for show, but this was a special occasion. The flames flickered gently - that draught again.
“We had unearthed a bottle of wine left over from Christmas and were planning an ‘early night’. The meal over, we headed to bed with one thought in both our minds: would this 27-hour power cut be over tomorrow enabling us to be warm again and see what we were eating?!”
It wasn’t romance that had prompted the candlelit meal. It was that howling storm causing the lecky to go down. “Candlelit meals are highly overrated!” Lynda laughs. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or love.
■ How have you passed the time in a power cut? Send us your survival stories and tips to siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk