How many Mancunians does it take to change a lightbulb? Well, quite a few if new research is to be believed.
Online lighting retailer Lightbulbs Direct claims that almost a third of all Mancunians – 30% according to their independent survey – can’t change a lightbulb.
And the research doesn’t make happy reading for Manchester with city folk also said to struggle with changing a fuse (50%), changing a flat tyre (42%) and rewiring a plug (45%).
The survey also revealed that people in Manchester take their time when it comes to getting round to replacing their bulbs, with 16% admitting they leave it between one month and a year.
Looking at who is educating the UK the most on these vital skills, mums and dads come out top with nearly two thirds (61%) of respondents saying it was either of their parents that taught them how to change a lightbulb. In comparison, only 2% admitted to learning at school.
Examining which life skills people in Manchester wish they had learnt at school, car maintenance came out top (49%), followed by how to set up and pay for household bills (39%), with how to wallpaper or paint a wall (37%) in third place.
Tom Pratt, General Manager at Lightbulbs Direct, said: “Although it is a common joke about how many people it takes to change a lightbulb, it seems that many in Manchester actually don’t know how to change one!”
Jacqui Querns, of VAKS which provides educational support for children from the ages 4 to 18 years, added: “It’s interesting to see that so many people wish they had been taught vital life skills at school.
“It would be great to see schools taking a more proactive approach in equipping the younger generation to manage ‘grown up’ tasks, whether it’s putting on after school workshops or incorporating classes into Life Skills lessons.”
For those still struggling, here’s a handy video:
Picture courtesy of Joe Goldberg, with thanks.
