Light on Abbeygate lighting

Today I made a trip to B&Q to get a new lighting fixture for my kitchen. Except... they didn't have any!

Oh, they had rows of eco-fittings, glowing dimly. Indeed there was a whole section of what looked like halogen fairy-lights, so feeble they were. But none of them gave any real light. What I wanted was something that does give some real light. I wanted a three-way spotlight using R80 incandescents, each of 60w. That's what I had before. But these items, previously as common as muck, have softly and silently vanished. Even on the web I can't find them.

But I remembered that there is an old-fashioned lighting shop on the square in Felixstowe. And so there is, Abbeygate Lighting (although the website doesn't do justice to what they have). Park in the centre of town and there it is. So I drove down there, and went in.

Bless them! They had two on display, one chrome, one white. The prices were higher than B&Q used to charge, but so what, when you can't get it any other way? They had all the bulbs one would want as well, unlike B&Q whose range gets shorter every day. A wide range of fittings, shades, and so forth, and they could order in even more.

The shop is small, and the lady who runs it gives excellent service. All the fittings are wired up, and you can see what you get. If you want a halogen setup, she's got the higher-wattage bulbs that you would really need to get any light, and can advise on what you would need in order to fit them. You can find out what wattage each fitting will take.

After the impersonality and sheer uselessness of B&Q, it was a relief to find somewhere that stocked what I actually needed.

Prices ARE higher. I bought a dozen R80 bulbs for my new unit, and they were £2 each. B&Q were selling triple life bulbs in two's for £4.50. But... for how long? It isn't B&Q that is focused on selling us what we want. The eco-nutters are determined to get us all sitting in the dark and the cold. Stockpile your bulbs, and the fittings that use them, now.

So support your local lighting provider. I did!