we have a leek

I’m just about to get out of the shower this morning and I notice water on the floor near the hand basin.  Hmm … perhaps someone was a bit exuberant when cleaning their teeth?  No names.

I clean it up, make myself presentable and pop out to the post office.  Anniemay’s in the shower when I get back; “there’s water on the floor …..”.  Again?

She cleans it up and I sit down to think.  It’s a small room - an ensuite - so there’s not a lot of choice as far as possible suspects go.  But, being a small room, everything is built-in.  Which means no visible pipe work.  

I discount the shower on the basis that it would be a real disaster and involve taking up the floor.  I’m not in the mood for disasters.  I start with the wash basin and take apart the cupboard I spent ages building.  Sob.  I run the taps - fine.  

The only other candidate is the loo.  It’s a ‘back to the wall’ design which means the cistern is behind a panel (lovingly crafted by my own hand).  I take it apart.  More sobbing.  I find the source of the water - the pipe from the cistern to the pan is leaking?  How? - and why now?  It’s been behaving perfectly well so far.

I put it down to disharmony in the Cosmos caused by recent political upheaval and call the plumber.  It’s too fiddly for me to get in and fix.

Supper tonight is home-made fish pie, which is why we have a leek.