A couple of weeks ago I discovered that the sewer from my house wasn’t just slow, it was blocked.

I called the water company and they did their best, but its a private sewer not a public one – and therefore my responsibility not theirs. They did tell me that they thought it might have collapsed.

I mentioned it to Patricius, who suggested that it might be covered on insurance.

I raised an insurance claim and they sent somebody round to investigate. Chappie brought his wagon around to the back of the house, laid a humungous pipe across the garden, and pumped it empty.

Collapsed drain it was.

He told me that it was most likely not covered under insurance since that’s wear-and-tear rather than accident and it would cost me £1400 to repair.

<sigh>

That’s my holiday fund wiped out.

At least the insurance company paid for the investigative work!

I have arranged with the same drainage people to come around next week (the soonest they could come) to repair it.

I have therefore been trying to avoid putting anything down the drain, which is a bind! I try to use the loos in shops and the gym, and of course I am showering at the gym … which has meant that I have actually been at the gym doing exercise several times this week.

So its not all bad. I just needed that extra motivation – and there’s nothing like a weight bearing down inside to get you moving!