It was meant to be a night memorable for street festivities and Christmas shopping. Instead the lasting memory was of the lights going out.

Court Street was plunged into darkness after a witness reported seeing an explosion at about 8.40 p.m. near the top of a utility pole by Angle Street.

Major portions of Dundonald, Brunswick, Angle, Princess, and Court Streets all lost power.

Outside the Spinning Wheel bar, musicians had just taken their places on a stage in the middle of the street when the power was cut. Thirty minutes later they gave up waiting for the lights to return and began packing away their equipment. A few feet away Jamaican Grill?s takeout counter became a candlelight restaurant.

The commerce, however, never missed a beat, with employees tabulating bills in their heads and giving change out of their pockets. The cash register wouldn?t open without electricity.

To an untrained eye, the outages seemed sporadic.

The marquee at Liberty Theatre on Union Street was in full bloom, the decorated Christmas tree at E.F. Gordon Square didn?t have a single light illuminated.

It must have been a particularly frustrating night at the New Testament Church of God on Dundonald Street.

Sixty people gathered inside for the pastor?s birthday party.

But probably before he could blow out the candles, the room went dark.

They finished the birthday meal under candlelight.

Nobody at The Bermuda Electric Light Company could be reached for comment.