Paddling in ice water........

This evening in my kitchen we have had a small demonstration of how to build your own miniature inside lake.....

It goes like this.... a couple of days ago I noticed that there was a suspicious wet patch by the kitchen bin when I got home from work but thought nothing much about it, well apart from to glare at Ivan whilst mopping it up.  Same again last night...... and tonight..... only there appeared to be a bit more to mop tonight.....

So I puttered about in the kitchen when I got home from work, did the washing up, emptied the bin, fed the dogs, fed me, read for a bit, but before 6pm the temperatures were plummeting and I wanted the warmth generated by my gas fire so the dogs and I shuffled through to the lounge armed with kindle, phone and knitting.... and there we stayed till just after 8pm when Hope requested access to the outside world (namely by barking at me, leaping about like a loon and finally landing in my lap)

So off we went to the kitchen.........

to discover that the area by the back door was coated in about a centimetre of extremely cold water...... time to investigate further.  After checking under the sink and finding nothing amiss I realised I'd have to check behind the old washing machine (yes I have one, it's still in my kitchen, it hasn't worked for four years and I really should do something about it...... but well, yes, one day....)

It's quite heavy and a sodding awkward shape to move

but I managed.... to discover the valve on the cold water inlet pipe was bust and water was spraying out the valve in a mini water fall effect.... with some assistance of a spanner I managed to turn the valve so it was shut off and the water stopped.... I then used the amazing theory of "duct tape fixed everything" to cover the whole valve until I can get a plumber out to look at it..... I've put the washing machine back.... well if I didn't the dogs would only try getting behind it and get themselves stuck or something silly...... and the floor is now covered in old towels in case I have to get up in the night to let the dogs out as knowing my luck I'd end up going over and landing on my backside on a freezing cold damp floor at 2 am!