A long(ish) weekend!  Wonderful, just wonderful.  And the weather forecast says that there will be at least some dry spells. 

Today I've lost an old friend.  I've had my hairdryer for nearly 25 years and it died this morning.  It has been there for me through thick and thin - literally as my hair has thinned alarmingly since I had an op a few years back.  I shall miss my little hairdryer.

Why do so many appliances and gadgets all go at once?  They were not all bought at once so it is not as if the shelf life is up.  The fridge freezes things on a whim no matter what the thermostat setting is and the door is getting all rusty; the dishwasher is all rusty and the door is held on with curtain wire; the cooker is 30+ years old (old when it was new to us...) and the oven temperature is not as reliable as it once was; the gas fire needs a new lever thingy as I have to use a screwdriver to press the bit that lights it - we are quoted £130 for the part plus labour plus VAT.  I know the list could be longer but it adds up to a frightening sum of money already.  Ah well.