We had a thunderstorm on Sunday but not a very impressive one. Central Manchester fared worse, with water reportedly pouring down the steps in Piccadilly Station.
Here’s a comment on the weather, which continues changeable.
And here’s a cartoon about robots.
A few weeks ago someone from the gas company came round and tested our gas meter and our electricity meter for possible gas leaks. They checked the electricity meter because apparently if there is a gas leak the gas can follow the route of the electricity cables. Who knew? Anyway, we were given the all clear, as were the next door neighbours. Somebody must have reported a possible leak but we heard no more.
Then, on Friday, they were back. The across the road neighbours were smelling gas in their basement. We were all checked again. We were declared clear again. The across the road neighbours’ basement was investigated but the source of the leak was not located. Their front garden was dug up. A hole was dug in the road outside our next door neighbours’ house. Another one was dug outside the across the road neighbours’ house. Temporary traffic lights were set up. Workmen returned on Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday, a bank holiday, nobody came and as far as I know nobody has been today. However, the holes on the road remain. The traffic lights remain. We are assuming that the leak has been dealt with and that all that remains is for another team to turn up to fill the holes and reestablish the previous status quo.
As the investigations were underway on Friday afternoon Grandson Number Two and his Spanish cousin, both 6 years old, were playing in the garden. The workmen were in the gulley between our garden and the industrial estate beyond the wall. At one point Grandson Number Two asked the workmen if they had finished. Yes, they had. “So, will you please leave,” said Grandson Number Two in the charming way of six year olds! The workmen left.
We were relieved to see the investigation going on, not wanting the neighbourhood to explode. I remembered an incident in my 1950s childhood when someone maybe half a mile from our house blew up his house in the middle of the night. He had been by-passing the gas meter, something our builder neighbour assures me people used to do back then. At some time in the night someone must have maybe switched on a light and that was sufficient to make a spark. And BOOM! house and family blown away!
Dangerous stuff, gas!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
