Remember me saying how things seem to keep going wrong at the moment (of the “it’s going to cost me money” sense)? Well, today is another such day.

I get to work to get a very early phone call from my wife. The shower’s not working. The light on the pull switch is on but the standby light on the shower is doing nothing.

So, I ring an electrician who says that it is, quite probably, the shower so I should get a new one and then ring him again and he’ll come around and fit it. Now, I don’t want it to be a big job and I don’t want new holes in my bathroom tiles, etc, so I decide to plump for the same shower (or as near as damn it) – a Mira Sport Max. I ring around the local DIY shops and none have it in stock. The local plumbers merchant don’t have it “but could order it”. Bum. My plan was to get one today and get the electrician out tomorrow.

Anyway, if I can’t get that model I’d get something similar so confident, I’ll get something at least, I ring the electrician back to ask him to pop around. “May be able to do this week – maybe last thing Friday”. Oh. Well, I’d ideally like a shower earlier than that, but it will have to do.

Meanwhile I’m chatting to my work colleague Ganesh. He asks if I’ve tried ScrewFix, a company I’m aware but haven’t bought from before. Sure enough they stock it. Great, I can get it for next day. Even better, I’m told, there’s a depot just around the corner. So I visit and pick one up.

Well, the day’s getting better I guess. The stress of the shower has already stopped me eating.

Then a van driver backs into my car in the ScrewFix car park. No damage is done other than a small ding in my number plate, but I take some details anyway (although he seems strangely reluctant to give any).

My colleague had also said that showers were dead simple to fit in, so I should do it myself. Yea. Stupidly, I tried it. Well, I say “stupidly” without meaning it – because I did it! One fitted shower, all working. Better than the original.

However, I have a dinged car and I’m lighter by £240 (yes, that’s how much the shower cost!) plus petrol. At least I don’t have to pay the electrician – which reminds me, I should cancel his visit. After we’ve tried the showers in the morning 😉