power cut. hits city centre pubs and restaurants; Customers dine by candlelight as electricity cable fails

Byline: JAMES BURTON

"We couldn't serve the hot starters and pizzas. We actually got busier than we normally were - I think people were coming for it."At one restaurant, the Godfather restaurant, staff lit up tables with 150 candles, and manager Iain Resner stood outside to reassure customers he was still open for business.CAPTION(S):A spokesman for electricity provider CE Electric blamed the blackout on a faulty cable.Power was restored at 10am on Saturday morning using a back-up generator - but had to be taken off again for two hours on Saturday night as workmen repaired the initial fault, forcing businesses that open in the evening, including Lady Grey's bar, to close up.They added: "A temporary restore was carried out with a generator, and the fault was repaired between 6.22pm on Saturday and 12.38am on Sunday."But head chef, Richie Brent confessed that some items were off the menu."We usually have the dumb waiter, but it wasn't working, so we had to carry the food upstairs.""There was an underground cable fault affecting 27 properties around Shakespeare Street," he said.The blackout first hit businesses on Shakespeare Street and Market Street on Friday, leaving 27 properties without electricity overnight.But Mr Resner said some customers enjoyed the experience. "One man told me it was the most intimate meal he'd ever had," he said. "They were fascinated by it - they'd known nothing like it before.""Power was out between 5.52pm on Friday and 9.55am on Saturday."BUSY city pubs and restaurants were plunged into darkness by a power cut.LOCK OUT Recently-opened pub Lady Grey's was forced to close its doors on a busy Saturday night BOOST Ian Reisner from the Godfather restaurant on Market Street says the eatery was busier than ever during power cutDrinkers heading for new bar Lady Grey's on Saturday night found its doors closed as the beer was too warm to serve.And head waiter Ashley Gibson added: "It was hectic to say the least.Meanwhile, diners at a nearby Italian restaurant were forced to eat their meals by candlelight on Friday after the lights went out."We only had gas, so we could only do certain foods," he said.

LOCK OUT Recently-opened pub Lady Grey's was forced to close its doors on a busy Saturday night BOOST Ian Reisner from the Godfather restaurant on Market Street says the eatery was busier than ever during power cut