There is only one street light in the short road in which I live. Not so long ago there wasn’t even that, and all around was dark. Now all is dark again. Our single light ceased shining early last month. Strangely — as some of us thought — this happened just a day or so after the death in bed of the neighbour who lived closest to its beams.

“Don’t be in the dark! Help us fix faults fast.” This is what it says in an county council notice fastened to the lamppost.

In the light (sorry!) of what has happened, I judge it to mean that we should get out there with whatever equipment is necessary and carry out the repair ourselves.

I think this must be the case, because neighbour Sue tried a different approach which hasn’t worked. She rang the telephone number that is also announced on the lamppost and reported the fault. Since then nothing has happened, save for the immediate despatch of an email saying a repair would be done in five days.

There was a long delay when another Osney light failed recently. There seems to be a pattern.