Resulting Mess

This is what the utility room wall below the defunct boiler looks like! Since the thing had been leaking before, it had already fetched much of the plaster off (doesn't take much doing in this house) and I'd painted over the bare bits with a matchpot to minimize unsightliness!

However, when the Wonderspouse found water fountaining out of the top yesterday morning, no amount of matchpotting could save the wall from turning into a mess, or from the light washload waiting on the utility floor from becoming a rust-coloured stinking mess!

So, this morning I called Scharwenka and arranged to add a hot shower to my lunch order! It was also agreed that we would have to miss James Rhodes's concert since the Wonderspouse had already had too much time off work. I called the electric company (who are basing our last estimate on the electricity we're using NOW because the electric meter broke a few weeks ago) to explain we had no heat and would have to use extra electricity. Once I'd sorted a strategy with them I started the washing (although it'll take a while to dry in a cold house with no heating). I also stripped the bed, went out to the garden to prune the buddleia, and sorted some of the more startling piles of chaos in the house!

Thence to Scharwenka's. First out to the pub for a roast lamb lunch, then to Lidl for shopping, then to Sainsbury's for more shopping, then back to proof-read an article we've written, then a HOT SHOWER!!! Wonderful to be clean! And I had a full set of clean clothes too!

Finally collected the Wonderspouse after work, collected Chinese takeaway (not much cooking here owing to having to boil kettle to wash up), got home and allowed ourselves the luxury of using the electric heater for a bit!

But the bed was clean, and so were we!

Very nice to be home!