Our smoke alarm has been

squawking on and off most of the night. It is not the "bleep" of a dying battery. A new battery was put into it yesterday. My nephew came over and put it in when it squawked yesterday. We thought it had solved the problem. It has not. There are some people who would be on the 'phone to the same nephew demanding something be done about it but my father and I are waiting for a more reasonable hour.
My father was even contemplating trying to climb the ladder himself - until I told him "under no circumstances". He has meekly given in. I do not attempt to climb ladders. I have never attempted to climb ladders.
Ladders are dangerous. My father did not know who Ian "Molly" Meldrum was until yesterday. He does now because Mr Meldrum also fell off a ladder and is still in an induced coma as a result. Perhaps one good thing may come out of Mr Meldrum's accident. It may make some people more careful about ladders - although it did not stop my father thinking he might (in-ably assisted by Yours Truly) climb the first three steps of one. No.
But there is something else that also puzzles me. After all these years nobody has invented what seems obvious to me. A system whereby it would be possible to raise and lower light fittings, smoke alarms and other things affixed to ceilings or high on walls in such a way that globes and batteries could be replaced without the need to climb a ladder. Surely this would be possible?
In the meantime - I have a headache from the noise - and I need an extended catnap!