Shocking stuff

The elaborate lights which have lit up the streets of the city of Orihuela over the Christmas period appear to have been partly responsible for the many power cuts which have occurred in the city.

Los Verdes, the Green Party of Orihuela, issued a statement last week describing how Orihuela council had failed to consider contingency arrangements during festivities which would see electricity use at its peak, and also how the Christmas lights are not the low consumption variety.

Businesses and residents were affected by daily cuts in different areas around the city, and last week, even the Town Hall was plunged into darkness during what was considered to be an off-peak time for electricity use.

In Bigastro it isn't the number of lights that is the problem, it's the way some of them are put up. At best there are waterproof junction boxes hanging in he street for the festive lights. However, I remember seeing one set of lights near the Social Centre where the wires were just twisted together to make a joint. Whoever had done it didn't even bother to tape the joints, he simply seperated the live and nuetral connections to stop them from shorting.