Power cut problem or more X10 woes?

["alcinababe" <alcinababe@xxxxxxx>]

So...there I was in Devon watching the news to find out that large
parts of London were blacked out...including my house.  Not to worry I
thought, the computer is set to boot after a power failure and
everything will come up when power is restored.

Ah...how trusting...

The computer did indeed boot up, but couldn't connect to the CM12.
The front door light was stuck on, the landing lamp was stuck off, the
remote control didn't control anything.  After several days fiddling
and a final 'leave the CM12 unplugged for 24 hours or else it is
skipped', the computer is now connecting to the X10 system (hurrah!)
and can switch the lights on an off at will.  But all is still not
well in X10 paradise...

Virtually no X10 commands get through to the upstairs ring main (light
ring is ok), but the exact same Appliance Modules plugged into the
downstairs ring main respond just fine.  The computer and CM12 are
also on the downstairs ring main.  Without the X10 modules all my
appliances seem to work with no problems upstairs.  The power cut
itself caused no fuses to trip in the fuse box and nothing seems
amiss.  The modules worked faultlessly upstairs before the power cut.
I'm at an absolute loss as to what's gone wrong and where to begin
fixing it!  Has the power cut done something to the upstairs ring and
should I get an electrician in?

In addition...a second irritating problem has occured.  As you may
remember from previous posting I have been using an energy efficient
fluorescent bulb in my socket rocket downstairs (shhhhh!).  All is
good!  The warranty replacement socket rocket for the upstairs light
arrived on Saturday, and I have installed that with a second
fluorescent bulb...only this one flickers with an epilepsy inducing
frequency!  I swapped it with the other ee bulb and that too flickered
in the new socket rocket.  Neither bulb flickers in the old socket
rocket or in the bare bulb socket.  An incandescent bulb, however, is
flickerless in the new socket rocket.  I'm now in a quandry.  Is this
a slightly duff socket rocket?  Can I return it (again!) even though
it works ok with an incandescent bulb?  It will be the 4th warranty
return!

All thoughts and suggestions gratefully received...as would a wake up
call as my radio is no longer switching on in the morning! :(

Alcina