Valley Time Forgot Emerges from Dark
Mon June 2, 2003 09:47 AM ET
CWM BREFI, Wales (Reuters) - Tucked deep in the Welsh mountains, Cwm Brefi will this week become the last village in Britain to connect to the electricity network.
Until now the 11 households in Cwm Brefi, in a valley dotted with grazing sheep between steep wooded hills, have relied on diesel-powered generators.
"It's always been like this and we had grown to accept it. It will be quite strange," said farmer Eleri Davies, who is looking forward to a mains supply after 18 years in the valley.
The birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Britain first installed an electricity grid over a century ago.
Cwm Brefi's new power provider, Western Power Distribution, said the village's remoteness and distance from the main network made the cost of installation an obstacle.
Smallholder Julie Hutchings said every resident knew exactly how much power each appliance used.
"You have to get your sums right. We can't have the washing machine and hoover (vacuum cleaner) on at the same time."
The people of Cwm Brefi are now eagerly anticipating using all the forbidden appliances later this week.
Hutchings wants a toaster, her stepfather and mother have bought a breadmaker, and her son Patrick is counting down the days to putting lights on the Christmas tree.
