At the end of January, some Camber residents were advised they would have short power cuts over a couple of days as a large transformer was being replaced in Camber. The power cuts would enable UK Power Networks, who are responsible for looking after our supply, to attach us to a large generator that would cover our power supply over the two days needed to complete the work. The generator was sited in Marchants Drive and the work was carried out according to the plan.
A couple of weeks later – on St Valentine’s Day – parts of Camber were plunged into darkness at about 8pm as the new transformer blew a fuse! People came out of their houses to ask neighbours if they had power… do you need any candles… do you have a torch… are you warm enough – it felt a little like how we imagine the war-time camaraderie of neighbours looking out for one another! Some houses, who are fortunate to have solar panels, were still connected and able to help charge phones and torches for others.
Calls were made to UK Power Networks and, luckily, they had a team already nearby – working in Hastings – so they were able to get to Camber by around 10pm and power was restored (blinkingly at first) by about 10.15pm.
My neighbour was a little miffed at the timing – the “Masked Singer” was about to lift their mask as the TV screen went blank! When the power came back on, they were able to use a catch-up service to complete the reveal! All’s well that ends well!
Fortunately for anyone who was having a romantic, candlelit evening on St Valentine’s Day, they may not even have noticed that the power was out! Here at the newsletter, we would like to give a Community Shout Out to all the UK Power Networks operatives without whom we would have spent a chilly, drizzly, cold February evening in the dark!
When the power goes out, we all realise how much we rely on electricity to function. Thank goodness we have trained experts working round the clock to keep us connected!
