Joseph Wilson Swan,

must be turning in his grave,

now that incandescent light bulbs in the UK have nearly run out, our masters in Europe have made it a criminal offence since September 2009 to manufacture or import any frosted or ‘pearl’ incandescent bulb or any clear bulb with a power of 100W or more, four months ago, all 75W bulbs were banned, next September, it’ll be the turn of the 60W bulb,

when, in 2007, Tony Blair agreed at a meeting of the 27 prime ministers of the European Union to adopt Commission Regulation (EC) No 244/2009, what he outlawed was the manufacture and import of incandescent bulbs, so the incandescent bulb, invented by an Englishman, Joseph Swan, in 1860, is set to disappear from the nation that gave it to the world, in that year Swan developed a primitive electric light bulb that used a filament of carbonised paper in an evacuated glass bulb, however, the lack of good vacuum and an adequate electric source resulted in a short lifetime for the bulb and an inefficient light, Swan's light bulb design was substantially that used by Thomas Alva Edison in America nearly 20 years later, in 1880, after the improvement of vacuum techniques, both Swan and Edison produced a practical light bulb,

but all is not lost, enter Kerry Nicolaou, the proprietor of Orbit Electronics, a small electrical shop in West London, finding a loop hole in the law he will continue to sell bulbs that he can still buy from electrical wholesalers, but what is wrong with the new bulbs? the problems with the replacement bulbs are, say their critics, numerous: they cost a great deal more than incandescent bulbs; they deliver a duller, less attractive light; most do not work with dimmer switches,

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says ‘energy efficient light bulbs are not a danger to the public,’ but adds: ‘like many household products, they must be disposed of sensibly’ Howard Brandston is one of the most respected lighting experts in the world, made a statement, 'compact fluorescent lamps are dangerous - because of the mercury, one gram of mercury can pollute a two-acre pond, the bulbs are a serious health hazard,'

He may have a point - even the Defra website, after assuring us of the safety of the bulbs, gives frightening instructions on what to do if you accidentally break one of them - ventilate the room, double-bag the broken bulb and any cloth used to clean up the breakage, and then contact your local council for advice, as ‘broken or intact [fluorescent bulbs] should be treated as hazardous waste’, as one commentator wrote, 'what happens when the bulbs used in the chandeliers at number 10 blows, is It going to be replaced with one of these?'

we shall have to wait and see!