no power or heat but the team were on hand to help

You know what they say, it never rains but.....

Sometime during the night, (it turns out at 2:00 am), our power went out so we woke Sunday morning to no heat or power.  Not the best timing for personal reasons since we are a bit bed/house bound at the moment but we called a company called UK Power Networks (think they used to be known as Eastern Power) about getting back on line.

Tina

We'd done all the fuse checks and things like that so Tina, who took our first call was really helpful and nice on the 'phone and said she would check the local status and call us back in ten minutes.  She did just that and said that they hadn't got any sign of outages in the area so does look like just us and would get someone out to us straight away.  So a big thank you and thumbs up to Tina  .

Lee - DST

Within about forty minutes of her call, Lee, the first DST (engineer to you and me) turned up and did some tests. 

He confirmed there was no power at our house so went away to check at the local sub-station.  No, he came back the problem wasn't there so they were going to have to get a team with a digger to dig the street up.

This was only moment where communication went a tiny bit awry.  We were told half an hour but two hours later we called Mark {picture of Mark maybe to follow - fingers crossed} who said he would look into it.  We got cut off and while we were waiting for him to call back I then got in touch with UK Power Networks via twitter.

Well everything took off at the same moment!

The team started turning up in the street; first to arrive were Lewis (on the right - who was in bed with the flu the night before) and Clayton (on the left) from Morrison Utility Services with a digger.  I was a bit worried when they arrived when they started marking up the garden on where to dig but they couldn't have been more considerate of my plants and worked around the "death trap" of a plum tree.   So a big thumbs up and thank you to both and, Clayton, hope your back gets better and Lewis, look after that cold and, don't forget, any time you want to help out at the allotment you're more than welcome!

Lee - twitter

Meanwhile, Mark called back with a very helpful update on what we could expect and when.  Simultaneously to this, Lee on twitter started sending me DMs with really helpful, up to the moment updates.  Thank you both Mark and Lee and

Jack and Mick

At one point there were seven vehicles outside (including the digger).  From UK Power Networks were Mick, (the guv'n - standing), Jack (Sitting down on the job - that's for his kids!) - who has two cats with some problems I recommended Liquid Garlic for - 





and Dave - who I've promised this isn't a dating site.   We also had a very nice man, (who I failed to get his name or picture - shame on me), who must have been a civil engineer or something as he had the local up to date plans showing the other utilities in case they needed to dig outside our property.  Thanks and thumbs up to you all

Dave

Luckily around three o'clock in the afternoon, just as the temperature was really dropping and it was getting too dark for anything, Lee (DST) came back with some gear and they managed to give us temporary power via a "loop" off our lovely neighbour's outside supply.  So a thank you and thumbs up to Lee .

Clayton

Lewis

They all worked on until just after six p.m. when we got back our power.  Great job.  (Big holes left in the path etc but promises for a follow up team to come the next day to fill them all in.).

Have to say, first dealings with UK Power Networks but am very impressed with the level of service and smiles from all. 

Thank you. 

******

   

ps - unfortunately the follow up team to fill the holes who came two days later, (from W**** - you know who you were) weren't in the same class and indeed scarpered without even knocking on the door to check all was okay or doing what they said they would do.

An interesting lesson

One of the problems I thought I would have with this blog was finding enough positive incidents and people to write about on my own, that's one of the many reasons I so want to encourage others to post and comment here too.

However one of the nice lessons I'm learning is that if you go out of your way to look for the positive in your day you'll be surprised what you find.  

Now I'm not suggesting I've gone all Pollyanna-ish on you; I'm still the cynical glass is half empty person I ever was but all I'm suggesting you try is to think if anyone you meet today/this week deserves a "thumbs up" thank you.  You might be, like me, pleasantly surprised.  

So 10:00 am and I have my first thumbs of of the day: it's to Ian

Ian works for one of those companies that goes 'round putting up for sale and to let signs on white wooden poles.  

I have an allotment and I'm building a fruit cage. Those poles, when they are no good for the signs anymore (tatty, split, broken ends etc) are still perfect for me but no good to the signage people.   I saw Ian this morning putting up a sign and noticed in his flat-bed truck a load of poles.  I asked him I I could have any of the tatty ones and he very kindly gave four with a smile. 

I thanked him and he said it doesn't cost anyone anything and he's just glad someone's walking around being polite rather than "snarling" at everything.  

So, Ian with the sign posts, a big thumbs up   thank you.  

And readers, (if I call you guys, I do not mean it as a male gender term but more as an inclusive everyone term), I really want to think of this place less as a blog from me and more as a central pin-board for all.