Ding Dong

Here is a picture of the sound box and wiring bits of our doorbell. It demonstrates that I need to not only get a more robust attitude to cleaning, but also that I need to decorate. 

After all, that's the wallpaper that was there when we moved in, in 1994. I think I bought that picture for DH in 1997 as part of a set of four and it's been in that place ever since. At least the clock is only a couple of years old.

Anyway, the reason that I took the pic is because, after over thirty years, the doorbell finally went wrong. It may have been the storm. The UK is currently suffering from Storm Chandra, which is causing havoc with heavy rain and strong winds. Because the wind is so stormy, we are actually getting rain hitting the front of our house, with some force. Normally the shape of the street funnels wind and rain past us instead of against the windows, so it's been unnerving. The rain driving against the doorbell outside may have been the final straw. 

We hadn't thought much about the doorbell since we moved in. It's incredibly loud and can be heard all over the house, which is impressive as it's brick walls and over four floors. It sounds like the beginning of a Victorian hymn and is usually ignored by anyone making a delivery. Today, around 10am, the doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. And rang. There was no-one there, and I couldn't get it to stop. And, as I said, it's loud. Poor DH, who was working two floors above, came down to try and stop it. He was already dealing with water coming through the ceiling (again, likely direction and force of wind and rain rather than missing roof tiles) and he didn't need this at all. I started looking for electricians as DH got up a ladder and tried to make it stop. 

The doorbell is wired in, so we've never bothered with it and just answered the door. This is the first time either of us had seen under the cover. So we were somewhat surprised when, after a prod from DH, it started playing Silent Night at what sounded like 140 decibels. It's been over thirty years and we didn't realise there was a playlist. We heard Starspangled Banner and Hurrah for Dixie which was surprising, followed by God Save the King, which felt a little disrespectful, followed by Jingle Bells. The neighbours were probably all out, but they otherwise would have heard me almost falling off my chair laughing when we reached Joy to the World. 

I managed to get hold of a very nice local electrician who came out, isolated the wire and pointed out the spaces where the batteries should have been. I'm not sure if it should have been wired in originally, and I've no idea who set the playlist to nineteenth century vaguely gothic, but after years of sterling service, it is finally out of commission. We have a Ring doorbell to fall back on, which we got after trouble with some former neighbours, and half the time no-one rings or even knocks, so it could be worse. I've been meaning to get the house re-wired for over ten years, and we can get it sorted out then. It's added to the list, along with the dining room floor and the leaking porch roof. 

I texted bear to let him know, as I thought he would see the humour, and he let me know that half the power sockets in the student kitchen weren't working. It sounds like there's a lot of it going around.

Writing stuff - the latest instalment of The Guest was posted on my blog yesterday here. And while I was looking for quotations about rain, I found this, and thought it worth sharing. 

Hugs and good health to all.