Hello, it’s great to be here early for once instead of rushing around at the last-minute. I hope you’ve all had a good week. I’m looking forward to the Bank Holiday weekend and Monday off, when I will try to catch up on some of my writing projects (she says with fingers crossed)
Thanks to Renee Heath for the photo prompt this week and a special thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for her continuing support, diplomacy and encouragement.
Copyright Renee Heath
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
Seeing the light
Frederick watches the crowd gathered on the pavement. They are getting restless. Some shout concerns, about their safety, loss of their livelihoods. Not many seem supportive of his demonstration.
‘You’ll blow us all to kingdom come, you mad German!’
‘It’ll never work!’
‘What about the poor candlemakers?’
His wife tightens her grip on his arm.
At 9pm the gas is turned on. Pall Mall is lit up from end to end; the crowd roars approval, some even come to shake his hand.
‘Listen to them now liebling, no need for your fears. You should have more faith in your husband.’
Artist unknown. Courtesy of National Gas Museum
copyright London Remembers
and now for the history bit…
In 1807, Frederick Winsor, a German born entrepreneur, demonstrated the use of gas to light streets, in London’s Pall Mall. Fifteen years later almost every large town in Britain, as well as Europe and North America, had a gasworks. The company he founded – The Gas Light & Coke Company, continued to supply most of the gas in London, until the industry was nationalised in 1949. Read more at The National Gas Museum website.
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40again's Blog 
That’s very interesting. I’m sure gas lights would have made some people pretty nervous at first, until they were proven to be safe. It must have been a wonderful sight.
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Thanks David, pretty spectacular I guess.
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I like the glimpses of people’s reaction before and after his demonstration. Many great innovations frightened people before they saw their value.
I also liked that people’s curiosity got the better of them – they were there to watch even at the risk of being blown to kingdom come 🙂
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Yes, although scared they are still curious. Pleased you liked this and thanks for reading
Dee
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A giant step I assume.. but all those concerns that there had to be.. and now we’re soon going to have led lights instead.
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Thanks Bjorn, personally I prefer candelight, makes everything look mellow.
It must have made a huge impact on the lives of everyone.
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A nice piece setting history in context. And something I knew nothing about.
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It was an interesting route to take, but I wondered about life after candlelight and found Frederick Winsor.
Thanks for reading Claire.
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Super job, Dee! Enjoyable historical fiction. The gas light was a HUGE deal back in the day. My favorite part is where the crowd roars. I could see this happening like in a movie! Cool.
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Thanks Kent (or is it Ken, I’m never sure which you prefer).
I think is must have made an enormous difference to everyday life, not always good as I remember reading somewhere that gaslight in factories meant workers could/had to work longer hours.
Pleased you liked it.
Dee
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Kent. With a “T” like the cigarettes. Or Superman. Short for Kenton, actually. Kent Bonham. Nice English name, don’t you think? 😉
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Its a great name. Can see it on the spine of a book… 🙂
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Loved it, a piece of history.
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Thank you very much 🙂
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Dee, Good historical fiction. I appreciated the additional information. Well done. 🙂
Susan
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Pleased you liked it Susan, I enjoyed finding out about the history of gas lighting in the streets.
Dee
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Nice story. I like it when there’s a bit of history behind the flash fiction and you incorporated that beautifully. Well done.
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Thank you Sandra, very much appreciated.
Hope you are keeping well on your travels – how far are you going this time?
Take care
Dee
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Interesting story and thanks for the history bit.
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Thank you, glad you liked it.
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Dee, you’re here bright and early this week. Good to see. I really enjoyed this story and I think it’s a typical reaction to many new things.
janet
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Thank you Janet, it was good to be early for a change. Pleased you liked the story.
Dee
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Thanks for the bite of history – one of my favorite things to write about. Some of the roar of the crowd must have been fright mixed with awe.
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Yes, I’m sure it was. Must have been a huge change for everyone.
Thank you for reading.
Dee
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Great history lesson, told with twists and turns. Well done, Dee!
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Thank you Perry, glad you enjoyed the little bit of history.
Dee
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Lovely piece of historical fiction–and I learned something, too!
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I’m pleased you liked it Jan and learned something new too.
Thank you for reading.
Dee
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Dear Dee,
Dare I say this is a story after my own heart? A perfect use of the prompt and a bit of history beside. Bravo!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
Thank you. I enjoyed the bit of research for this once I had the idea, and I’m really pleased that you like it.
Take care
Dee
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Very nice story! 🙂 The only thing I would recommend is putting the whole of the descriptive parts in past tense (not the dialogue). Whatever the tense is (simple present? present continuous? maybe a mixture of both) made for more difficult reading for me. I find that past tense verbs read stronger. Maybe that IS just me. 😉 In any event, I liked the story (and the history lesson) very much.
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Thanks for reading. Your comments on tense are interesting, but I’m pleased that you liked the story and the little bit of history.
Dee
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It’s funny the things you don;t consider until you read something like this. Very enlightening (pun intended).
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Love your pun!
Thanks for reading Dawn
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Lovely. Brilliantly written. And a great piece of history. Really enjoyed this.
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Thank you for your lovely comments Elf, much appreciated 🙂
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This is a wonderful and informative take on the prompt. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing the historical aspect behind it too.
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You’re very welcome. I’m glad you liked both the story and the history behind it.
Thanks for reading, it’s good to hear from you 🙂
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Nice connect to the history !
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Thank you, glad you liked it
Dee
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One of your best, Sandra. I love the scene you paint with words. I can really see the crowd, and the magic of the lights coming on! Love the history you added, but your story stands strong without it. Nice! 😀
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Hi Dawn
You changed my name, but I’ll take your lovely compliment anyway! Thank you for reading, I hope you are feeling better.
Have a happy, restful weekend.
Dee
🙂
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Dee, so very sorry! Not sure why I did that, as I know your name… I’m traveling though, and trying to read on a phone, at times! I loved your story, and sorry to turn the name around, as the author– DEE, is who I was complimenting! 🙂
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Please don’t be sorry, just happy that you liked the story and took time to comment. Hope things are a little less hectic for you 🙂
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It’s a good hectic… but at my age, balls get dropped! 😉
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With you there!! 🙂
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He did good. But aren’t most wives a bit doubtful about hubby’s knowledge and skills?
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Yes he did didn’t he?
Don’t tell anyone, but yes we are
Thanks for reading
Dee
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I enjoyed the story and the history, Dee. That must have been quite a site.
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Thank you Russell. I enjoyed checking this out, we take so much for granted it must have been amazing when the lights went on.
Dee
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This is splendid, Dee! I’m glad candles have never gone out of style.
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Me too. Thanks for reading Amy 🙂
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Thanks for the history lesson!
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Thank you for reading 🙂
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