No one could shine a light on our blackout

SO THERE I was, soaking in the bath one night last week at about 8pm, when the lights went out. Total blackness. I couldn’t see a thing. It wasn’t the just lights in the bathroom nor the whole house, but everywhere. No warm glow from neighbours across the way. And outside, no street lights, which made the whole area utterly alien. Where’s the Moon when you need it?

I fumbled for my towel and eventually found a number to call. Naturally, I was put on hold with the helpful clarification that all conversations were recorded. A conversation would have been a fine thing, but no one picked up.

Eventually, it emerged that the blackout was some underground cable issue that would take time to resolve. Meantime, we were left realising how difficult it was to function in any recognisable way. No oven, no working fridge, no computer, no TV. Darkness is fearfully boring – you can’t even read.

It was one of those moments when you realise how dependent we in our modern lives are on circumstances out of our control. We have it all – until we don’t. When you live in a comfortable home with all the basics on tap, it’s easy to forget how easy and quick it can be for the systems we rely on to crash.

Memo to self: stock up on candles – and remember where you put the torch.