Power cut

We’re away in St. Agnes, Cornwall this week at my mum-in-laws, feeling super blessed to have family that live by the sea and because of the Covid level where we live, still able to come see her. So far, the weather has been kind and we’ve had lovely blustery walks on the cliffs and beaches.

I’m still reminded of this exact time last year; we all had an enforced trip back in time to the 70’s when we had a power cut for about 18 hours. After the initial annoyance of the situation, we began to embrace its limitations and think laterally. The children thought it was huge fun to make tea by boiling a saucepan on the fire and toast bread on a fork. All of us sat on the hearth rug, spreading butter and marmite or lemon curd onto toast, one piece at a time as it was made. It felt wonderfully primitive, old fashioned and analogue.

After a few hours, the novelty wore off for the children itching to watch Netflix or play computer games. But for us adults, I think we were relishing in the limitations of it all and relaxed into the simplicity of it all.

As the sun went down, candles were lit stuck to saucers, we dug into the game’s cupboard and the Monopoly board and Yahtzee came out, I was back in my childhood. It was a wonderful, comforting, long afternoon and evening, time slowed down in a way I’ve not experienced before. How interesting that it took a lack of electricity to bring out the nostalgia.

Interestingly, we started to feel quite tired once it got dark and all ended up going to bed quite early.