Thursday 16th July

On Monday Sainsbury's opened both entrances so the supermarkets now seem almost back to normal but with social distancing.

It might have been a catastrophe but I like solving problems. The inlet valve on my upstairs toilet broke and water gushed out so I had to turn the water off at the mains. Washing and drinking without water are impossible, so I disconnected the lead pipe and bent it over the bath to collect any water. I could then turn on the mains just long enough to collect water and fill a kettle.

Eastleigh no longer has any practical shops so I had to walk over the to the Woodside Industrial Estate, which fortunately is only just over a mile away, to find a replacement valve. B&Q did not have the right kind, but I could not check with "Screwfix" or "Toolstation" because they only do 'click and collect' during the lockdown. It took two more jaunts to Woodside to get what I needed as I had to go home order and pay on line and go back to collect the items. The new valve arm could not move far enough to shut of the water. So I had to fill the cistern using large bottles of water and a ladder.

Next day, after two more trips over to Woodside I 'click and collected' a brass plug to block of the toilet water supply. It worked but the lead pipe leaked so I had to click and collect some waterproof tape. At last I had water on tap.

The saga continues- a tap on the lead pipe might save me having to use bottles of water to fill the cistern. A tap ordered today should arrive tomorrow.

I like trying to solve problems and have patience enough to keep trying. It all shows how troublesome the lockdown can be.