I remember it tripping the RCD and being plunged into darkness! lol Shame, it's an unusual set-up ,with 8 connections to the ballast, rather than the usual 4.

Wonder what is at fault there ? The bobbin less ballast designs (so virtually all modern FL ballasts) have a polyester wrap around the coil, that takes quite some beating (by overheating) - The ballast visibly discolors on the outside before the wrap gives in. So it might be foreign object (insect ?) getting under the covers or an assembly mess up where some wire got jammed where it doesnt belong

Rapid start is not hard to make using chokes. All it is a Auto transformer with two cathode windings