Water cuts/Power cuts

[jason h]

Growing up in Yorkshire at the fag-end of the 70s, I remember running around filling pans full of water and possibly even the bath from time to time.
This was preceded by a man from the Water Board, driving around in a car with a Mega-phone message "Your water will be turned off in 1 hour". Scary stuff.
It seems the various water utilities have gotten their act together since then as I can't recall the last time I heard from this chap.
Also there seemed to have been a lot of power cuts too. But they were good fun, lighting candles and stuff. I was secretly disapointed when the lights came back on.

[Aidan]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

Those days could be on the way back, what with droughts, demand for power exceeding supply, etc. Hopefully not, they were a 70s aspect I don't miss; I grew up on a farm & in summer '76 we had to draw water by the barrel from a spring miles away. Winters of '77 & '78 were dominated by power cuts. Even today power cuts freak me out, i can't be rational & am terrified our power won't ever come back !

[Oggy]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I remember the power cuts, and my mom always had a stash of candles, be prepared.........

[Heather74]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I remember mum filling up pop bottles and pans and storing them in the pantry, never seemed to use them though ,the water was always back on within the hour,I remember being scared it would never come back!lol,I remember power cuts to, but we still seem to get our fair share here.

[Rapanui]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

Years ago in NZ I was at friends for dinner and after dinner there was a powercut. In the houses in that town where we lived the electric meters and main switches were OUTSIDE the houses on the back porch. We played monopoly by candle light for hours and hours before we realized it wasn't a powercut but some RATBAG switched the power to the house off at the mains outside !!!

[Rapanui]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

Perhaps that could be another thread; "Games you only get out when there's a powercut"

[chilligrape]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I don't remember our water going off but I do remember the power cuts in 73(?). Me and my mam lived with my gran and grandad then, and I rtemember my gran getting the candles ready, and she always said the same thing as she got them out 'lights'll be out soon'. I remember the light going off, but can't really remember what we did, mayb I went to bed then!

[moonvisage]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I remember power cuts in the 70's,and the odd water shortage.I was gobsmacked once,when we started to get power cuts in the summer around our area.I remember how much warmth there was when we used the candles,and often use candles now if it is chilly.

[George 1978]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I can say that power cuts still happen. I experienced one at lunchtime today, and it's the third time it had happened since moving here three years ago - caused by a nearby alarm going off! Only happened for 15 minutes though, and it came back on as I was reporting it on the telephone.

Historically, I remember one in 1990-1991 when we had snow - out come the candles. It happened for a couple of hours, and my family said that they had a couple of them in 1973-1974 due to the electricity shortage or something like that.

[Twocky61]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

There was a film (I forget which one) where a woman was told by her hubby there was a power cut

She replied "There can't be a power cut; the cars & buses have their lights on" lol

[George 1978]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I think that power cuts are more noticeable at night when streetlamps won't come on. It's amazing how you take electricity and light for granted, when you find that you don't have it.

[staffslad]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I am old enough to remember the power cuts of the 1970s and trying to read and do homework by candle. Yes, we do take it for granted that power and water will be there when we need them.

[George 1978]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

As I was only born in 1978 (as you may have guessed), I have always thought that people having to use candlelight and "three months' coal or electricity left" sounded more like something out of post-Dickens-era 1873 rather than 1973.

There must have been a few fires due to accidentally knocked over candles, and a lot of work for the fire brigade.

[Richard1978]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

I remember there seemed to be the odd power cut in the 1980s, but in the early 1990s they seemed to be very infrequent at my parents house.

Since I moved out I've only had 2 where I live now, one was when I was out so I didn't notice until I got home & saw the microwave clock was flashing.

Water stoppages have been rare, 1 or 2 at my parents & at my flat when the pipes froze up one winter & a brief loss of pressure a year or 2 later.

[stud1al]

Re: Water cuts/Power cuts

At my previous address my power used to go out at least once a fortnight.Haven't had one at this address yet but then, i haven't been here a year yet.