Problem connecting mains wiring to new pendant lights

[GSD]

This afternoon I tried to replace the ceiling lights in our lounge with two new pendant lights and, as instructed, I switched off the relevent circuit breaker in our consumer unit first and both the switches on the wall. I wired everthing up in accordance with the diagrams supplied with the new lights but when I tried to switch everything on again the circuit breaker in the consumer unit sparked and wouldn't allow me to complete the circuit. In the circumstances I assume that I must have made a mistake somewhere in connecting the wires between the mains circuit and the new lights, but thankfully all the other circuits in the house continued to work normally.

One of the lights was quite straightforward to connect, with the mains circuit having only one cable with live, neutral and earth wires which were quite straightforward to connect to the new light unit. However the mains connection to the other light involved four cables with two wires needing to be connected to neutral, two to live, and four to the loop, plus four earth wires. Whilst I was very careful I can only assume that I must have mistakenly connected one or more of the live or neutral wires to the loop, or the other way round.

All of the wires involved are black or red so I would be very grateful for some advice as to whether there is a straightforward way of identifying which of the mains wires are meant to be connected to the live, neutral, and loop circuits.

With many thanks in advance for any help or advice.

 

[Spark123]

Any use?
//wiki.diynot.com/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive

 

[timeserved]

there should be one cable incomin live and neutral, one pair to next room light fitting live and neutral, one pair to switch live and switch line {black marked red for switch line}, one pair to extra light red switch line black neutral. connect live red to red to next room and red to switch in connector. connect neutral black incomming to next room black and extra light black to light connector, connect switchline from switch{black marked red} to red extra light, connect to this light.

 

[luckytiff02]

I got a similar problem with my pendant lights, Its likely the 2 reds are live, the 2 blacks are neutral, and the single black is a switched live

So, for a new light you are likely you have a brown and blue wire.

The two reds stay together
The single black goes to the brown in your new light
The blacks go to the blue in your new light.

However, if the cable is braided it points to the rest of the house cable being really old. You really need to consider a re-wire some time soon.

 

[breezer]

i bet he has done it now, he only asked 3 months ago