Lightbulbs are the only thing you'll ever want to screw up

After we each attended respective missions this morning, Abi and I extended our good deed day by doing a lunchtime mission for Ms C in Southwark.

The task was relatively simple: Ms C had a hallway light that had stopped working, and she wanted a replacement bulb fitted. Lightbulb missions like these are particularly important in the run up to winter, when sunlight is scarce and everyone effectively becomes a mushroom.

With the strategic skills of someone who's done this many times before, I grabbed the new lightbulb, and pointed the torch on my phone at the old light fitting soon after saying hello to Ms C. Abi took the hint and unscrewed both the glass pendant and the old bulb (we've done so many missions together that our minds are truly simpatico now).

The next task was to fit the new bulb: After screwing the bulb up into the batten holder, we flipped the switch and voilà! Nothing. We fiddled with it again. Nada.

Suspecting that something was amiss, we decided to investigate (we both have a science background 🤓).

Experiment 1) We checked the fuse box. Everything looked normal here, so we moved onto...

Experiment 2) We tried the new bulb in a different light fitting to make sure that the bulb itself was working. The bulb was working (👍🏻), so time for...

Experiment 3) We tried another (working) bulb in the batten holder to make sure they that the light fitting/pendant combo was working. The batten holder/pendant combo was not working (👎🏻, but 🎉 for narrowing the problem).

Having convinced ourselves that something's gone a bit Pete Tong with the light fitting itself, we decided to recommend that Ms C sought help from a qualified electrician. To help Ms C find her way around her hallway more easily until this can be arranged, Abi moved a lamp from a spare bedroom into the hallway. Nice 😎👍🏻

Ms C was very happy with our work, despite the lack of a working light fitting. We chatted with her for a few minutes more before saying goodbye (getting some useful advice about what creams to use to ensure our skin is as good as hers is when we get to her age (99 - Abi swore that she didn't look a day over 70)). Hopefully an electrician will be able to visit soon and she won't have to leave the lamp on 😄

It was fun working with you, Abi! 😄 (N.B. Today's mission selfie is from a body of work based on the theme of "I'll try and get a picture of you for our mission selfie as you get off the bus". It's a work in progress.)