The Verdict

After a couple of days of intermittent "switch everything off so we can check the system"s, the verdict is in from the electrical inspectors who are working on behalf of the government regulations body.

Our ancient 3-storey mud-brick institutional headquarters (YES, mud-brick! built in the 1920's) is in dire need of a complete overhaul of electrical cables and do-dads. The current ripple is that we should all be banned from the building for 3 weeks while they redo every inch of wiring. Wouldn't that be fun? I'd agree to it if they put up that wireless internet thingy I've been promised so I can sit on the net at home....

However, it's more likely to be a building-ban of 3 days while they rush frantically through roofs and walls and crawlspaces, rewiring everything in site.

A similar verdict was given for the small block of flats I live in, built around the 1950's I think. They took one look at the only flat standing empty and said we all need to move out immediately. Well, no-one's been moved yet, so let's hope nothing shorts out - there are no, I repeat, NO fire-extinguishers or hose-points in the vicinity of my home....