BLACKING-OUT OF HOMES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23536, 14 January 1942, Page 6

BLACKING-OUT OF HOMES

♦ CONTROLLER GIVES ADVICE “BEST WAY IS TO DO JOB THOROUGHLY ” Hints on how to prepare for blackouts in a way that would not only comply with the law but also meet household needs were given by Mr E. Hitchcock, Lighting Controller, in a broadcast talk from Station 3YA last evening. Though he described methods easily adopted, he emphasised the view that the best plan was to do the job thoroughly, in a way that would cause the least inconvenience when the call came. „ „ Opaque blinds disposed of themselves snugly and were immediately ready, he said. If the edges did not fit satisfactorily, strips of opaque paper could be pasted round the edges of the windows. Another method was to sew a few rings or loops along the edge of a dark blanket, rug, old table cover, old curtain, or even some piece of old clothing, provided it was opaque and was big enough, said Mr Hitchcock. Hooks or nails, to correspond, should be put along the architrave above the window to be blacked out. That provided simple and effective means, which could be kept at hand and put up quickly when a warning sounded. A framed screen to fit the whole window was effective and easily applied, but might be cumbersome to store. Black-out cloth, provided with rings, along the top edge and run on a cord or wire stretched between hooks or nails above the window frame, was a good solution. It could be made to cover the whole window completely, was immediately ready, and could be drawn aside compactly when out of use. Every householder should make sure that one room complied with the black-out requirements, but he should not stop at that, stated Mr Hitchcock. Means to make other rooms lightproof should be kept on hand, so that a black-out could be quickly effected, and maintained as long as might be necessary without disorganisation of household activities. The alarm might sound on any week-day, at a meal time, when there were visitors, or when there was sickness in the house. A householder should not then be caught unprepared.