I ran through a list of things that could be wrong, and decided to start with the thermostat as that was the easiest and cheapest to change. Tuesday evening I bought a new thermostat, and last night tried to fit it. It was the wrong size. How was I to know that the “11 inches” marked on the cover was the size of the element, not the thermostat.

So today I went back to the store and exchanged it. Fitted it when I get home and ... I have hot water! It was easy to fit too – just two wires; easier than fitting a plug. I completed the job in less time than it took to boil a kettle.

A trip to Winchester Christmas Market last week (which reminds me; I bought a birthday present for Mum but can’t for the life of me remember where I put it). I had other bits and pieces to do early afternoon, so The Future Mrs. Barefoot caught the train there and I met her later.

I get to the car park and drive round three times looking for a space. Then realised I didn’t have enough change for the ticket. Well, not entirely true. I had exactly enough for 2-hours parking, but that included five-pence coins that the machine doesn’t accept.

I noticed the “pay by phone” notice. “Just text this number and we will call you back”. Brilliant, I thought. I can walk off into the city, and they can call me back while I am looking for The Future Mrs Barefoot.

Just as I stepped out of the carpark, my phone buzzed. A text message: “sorry, your account isn’t recognised”. Duh! I thought that was the whole point; you were going to phone me so I could create an account.

I return to the parking meter, and call the number. “enter your phone number”. So, I did. “sorry that account is already in use”. Well make your mind up.

Then I saw the sign that read “minimum card payment £4.20 (three hours)”. Sod it, I’ll pay the extra. I CBA’d to mess about any longer.

We’re heading back to the Christmas market again tomorrow – but will go by train. CS3 and friend are going ice skating. We’re not – far too cold and hard if we fall over. We will watch them for a while, then go and find the hot chocolate / mulled wine / chestnuts.

A sign outside a fuel station that offers an instant Costa machine: “our coffee beans are the same as the ones we use in coffee shops”. Hmm, don’t think I’ll be going there. If the coffee beans have already been used in a coffee shop there won’t be much flavour left.