My tea is nearly ready

I woke later than usual today, but the extra sleep must have done me some good as I felt in a very positive mood and determined to get several things done.
Whilst eating breakfast and reading the online paper, I came across an article about the London street gas lamps still in existence, about 1500 of them and the fact they are under threat by the council to replace them with led’s. They are maintained by a dedicated team of 5 lamplighters.
Apart from the fact they would lose their jobs, if they were to be replaced we would lose yet more of our wonderful heritage.
To be honest I had no idea we still had any gas lamps in existence and working.
But it brought to mind my favourite childhood poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. The Lamplighter. I have copied it down below if you are interested.
Anyway, one of the jobs today was to thoroughly clean my camera - including the contacts (thank you A for the tip) as I still couldn’t get it to hold focus.
I had a gut feeling it was operator error, more specifically some settings had inadvertently been changed, so there was only one solution, to reset to factory settings and see if that would do the trick.
It did.
A bit frustrating because I had got it just how I like it, but never mind. I had a play on some subjects after and am happy with the level of sharpness again - see extra.
Back to my blip. I had planned to get the street light up the road just as it was getting dusk, with a soft glow. But when I went out to try and achieve said photo, I found out the one I wanted was not actually lit. There are several on our estate waiting for bulbs to be replaced.
So instead I made do with the one over the road in front of our neighbour- but had to wait until it was completely dark in case they thought I was snooping on them.
So my blip is a nod to Leerie, the lamplighter, and to the London streets. I shall get down to London one of these days before long and get a shot of a real gas light.


The Lamplighter, by Robert Louis Stevenson (1885)
My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky;
It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.
Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea,
And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be;
But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do,
O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you!
For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,
And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;
And O! before you hurry by with ladder and with light,
O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him tonight!