This one comes with a health warning x 

It was a Wednesday. The sky was grey and there was a faint mist in the air, only joking! Well, not about the it being Wednesday part. 

We got back from the school run to find Dad sitting in complete silence, reading a book by window light. 

Well this is all incredibly eco and penny friendly I thought until Dad told me we’d had a power cut! Oh poo or words to that effect. We had a quick turnaround to get dinner chomped and then to football practice, not a convenient time for no power. 

I text some neighbours and found out that the lack of power was localised to us and Vicky at number 14 likes to meet a friend for Pilates on a Wednesday. 

Right, time to get sensible, yuck! 

I checked the fuse box and gave myself a brownie point just for knowing where it was.

It was the mains fuse that was down. 

Grandad offered to help many times, but I could feel one of my mini melt downs coming on and suggested he’d be safer staying out the way. 

I went through the house turning everything off and then back to the fuse box only for it to flick back off. 

At this point the twins were enlisted and I wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

I could hear something beeping in the seconds the power stayed on. 

I got the boys to play hunt the beep. 

Harry blamed it on random things like a squeaky toy and some dog food, I think he might have been teasing me, but the boys whittled it down to the tumble or the washing machine.

Neither had been on as we hadn’t been home which was concerning. Very safety conscious and sensible is my Lee and has always said a strict no to having them on whilst out. A little frustrating when you have oodles of washing to get through, but yes I will let him do the I told you so dance. 

The tumble had been coming on when I flicked the mains switch. So I followed the lead to the plug and was horrified to see it was burnt from the inside out and melted on to the socket! 

Our dogs! Our hamsters! A mum at training pointed out I could also be concerned for our home being burned to the ground!

Our tumble was out of warranty but luckily we’d signed up for some kind of care package on 3 appliances when our washing machine stopped working. This is where I get to do the I told you so dance for signing up to everything. 

I got an engineer booked in at the earliest slot which was the following Friday. Long time to go without a tumble with 4 children, two dogs and a household passion for muddy play! 

He literally said it was a dream job. Even with Holly our miniature Schnauzer continually squeaking at him. 

Came in, took the back off, took the old lead off, attached a new one, back on, bish, bash, bosh, jobs a good’un!

HOWEVER

And this is the part you need to take in. He said this was COMMON! A power surge usually caused by a power cut will cause an electrical fire in the plug! 

You say WHAT?!

Even though the tumble was OFF! 

Listen up people, for the sake of your hamsters, you MUST turn your appliances off at the mains when you’re not using them! 

I consider us all to have had a very lucky escape and I’m grateful to my Mums in heaven who I believe are our guardian angels or OB1 Kenobis dependent on your belief. Yes I did sign the electoral role to say I was a Jedi and I’m not sorry. 

Love and hugs, power off at the sockets beautiful people xxx