It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Brambling

Floss said:

Brambling said:

I'll street lights have gone off at midnight for years, the council said to help with light pollution I'm cynical enough to suggest it was to save the money.  Luckily it's rare that I come in late or leave home very early as a torch is needed then.  For the most part I prefer the dark

I have worked in local government and seeing first hand the costs for running services such as school meals, parks & street lighting. During those times local authority funding was being systematically cut whilst demand on children's services & social care increased. Do you object to councils for trying to make savings by switching off street lights in some areas, or would you rather see your council tax go up more? Oh and remember that if councils put up CT by more than 3% they lose an equivalent amount of government funding.

I never said I objected to it, I just said I was cynical when they said it was for light pollution rather than cost cutting!  So no lecture needed

Onebrokelady

borefest said:

@Onebrokelady Hi can you tell me where you can get the camping light with charging bank from ?..........thank you

I found it on Amazon 😊

joedenise

We don't have many street lights but unfortunately a neighbour directly opposite has a 4 light things on the end post of his property and it shines directly into my bedroom (I live in a bungalow and bedroom is at the front so can't get away from it!).  We now have blackout blinds but it doesn't cut it out completely but it's a bit better.  No idea why he needs to keep them on all night!

Our next door neighbours have lots of fairy lights around their back garden which means when I get up in the night I've no need to put lights on as my bathroom is lit up enough!  

-taff

elsien said:

Yes. They turn off every other one on my street at midnight but mine’s the one that stays on. It was great when it was broken - even with blackout curtains the light disturbed my sleep - but then there was a murder so they got it fixed. I preferred it dark. 

OK,that sounds weird....

elsien

-taff said:

elsien said:

Yes. They turn off every other one on my street at midnight but mine’s the one that stays on. It was great when it was broken - even with blackout curtains the light disturbed my sleep - but then there was a murder so they got it fixed. I preferred it dark. 

OK,that sounds weird....

The attack was unrelated to the area. Wrong time, wrong place, could have happened anywhere so it didn’t make me feel unsafe or worried about where I live. But the gang legged it and threw the weapon away on my street which is when the council noticed some of the lights were out. 

So for me I’m still happy to wander around when it’s darker because what happened didn’t make my street any more dodgy. It’s low rent, it’s scruffy, it’s got a load of HMOs and people passing through to get elsewhere but it’s not a dangerous place to live.  

thriftwizard

joedenise said:

Our next door neighbours have lots of fairy lights around their back garden which means when I get up in the night I've no need to put lights on as my bathroom is lit up enough!  

At one point we festooned our garden with solar fairy lights. Looked lovely, and the DDs loved being out there with their friends under a big canvas flysheet on oriental rugs - all felt very exotic! But gradually the lights died, the DDs grew up, and as the garden grew dark at night again, the hedgehogs returned... they'd gone away, we thought because they were dying out, but as the light level dropped they returned & now we appear to be running a hedgehog maternity unit!

London_1

JoeDenise chances are with the rising cost of electricity you may find they get either turned off or turned down My youngest granddaughter was dreadful for leaving a trail of litghts in unused rooms when she lived at home , then when she married last year, and moved into their new home she's done a smart about face, as she now has to pay the electricity bills, and not her long suffering parents

My daughter say shes become the 'lighting police' becoming paranoid about wasteage its only taken her until she was 28 to have her 'light bulb ' moment  

JackieO xx

YorksLass

Our street lights used to go off at 11pm but were altered to low energy usage and are now left on at night but they're well spaced out  and are "hooded" so the light shines downwards rather than outwards IYSWIM.  Conversely, the lights on the outer Ring Road that is at the back of the houses facing us still go off at 11pm, apart from one rogue one that seems to be on 24/7.  

Yesterday's highs for me were a trip to the hairdresser for a trim (now going every 8 weeks rather than every 6 to save a bit of money  ), being able to pay some spare cash into my bank account via the PO and foraging for blackberries that I've used today to make two small jars of jam (added a couple of apples) that have set beautifully.  I'll be picking again over the next few days and will either make more jam or freeze them for crumbles during the winter months.  

The low point was finding out our local PO is closing in two weeks time so I shall have to find a replacement.  I know there are a couple but not within walking distance.  Not having a car makes it so much more difficult as there are very few bank branches near us.  Both mine and DH's entail a bus ride into town, something we do very rarely nowadays.

Florenceem

I was given some cooking apples - some were stewed to go in the freezer plus I made an apple crumble.

amber03

Been given quite a few bags of apples the last couple of days. Grateful for all. Most have been cooked and frozen. Today made some stewed apples with a sponge topping. Was delicious. Re lights, we are getting used to sitting in the dark, doesn’t bother us. Last night sat with a blanket wrapped around my legs as it was a little bit chilled in the living room. I’m also leaving having my hair cut a few extra weeks, as I have shoulder length hair it’s fine to leave. Small changes but hopefully they will make a difference.