16 December 2003 00:00 AMANDA, SHARRON AND LUCY HELP KEEP THE LIGHTS ON ACROSS THE EAST MIDLANDS

Sixteen new East Midlands Electricity mobile generators have been named after the ladies who will despatch them across the region.

EME managers decided that the new generators were worthy of names and looked to the women in the Network Management Centre (NMC), based at its head office in Castle Donington for inspiration.

Jim Lightfoot, Customer and Network Operation Manager for EME, said: “The naming of the generators warranted some fierce debate! After several discussions we decided to name them after the ladies in the NMC who look after our four Field Operational Centres, where the generators will be based.

“To make it fair, we put all the ladies names in a hat and pulled out 16. The generators have now been christened Alison, Jane A, Sally-Anne L, Jane H, Sharron, Vesper, Gemma, Linda, Amanda, Jane L, Lucy M and Mandy.”

Amanda Oldham, who has had a generator named after her, said: “I was a little surprised – but happy – when my name came out the hat.
“I thought it was a great idea to name the generators but didn’t expect to have one named after me.

“My name’s now painted on the side of one of the new generators and I’m getting a bit of stick from my colleagues but I don’t care - it’s quite an honour.”

Jim Lightfoot said: “The ladies in the NMC despatch the generators across EME’s region to supply emergency power to customers who have had their supply affected by a fault.

“So, who knows, your power could be supplied courtesy of Sharron or Mandy.”