Split hot water bottle led to a visit to the burns unit

My polite, concise and honest review, saying as much, was deleted from Tesco’s website.

My informative e-mail to the company, explaining a recent incident involving said hot water bottle, was replied to, but the company made it very clear that it ‘can do nothing about it’.

The incident in question was my making up the hot water bottle, that I had purchased a year ago, used and stored as advised, and dried upside down after each emptying.

I made it up for my husband, who had experienced an adventurous weekend in the company of the norovirus and who had been left with a severe case of the chills.

Suffice to say, he felt much warmer once he had the hot water bottle.

A tad too warm perhaps, given the third degree burning of his thigh. For upon holding the hot water bottle, it simply split open, pouring the contents across him.

Following the advice of placing the area under running and tepid water, as per NHS instructions, we thought little else about it except for obscenities directed towards Tesco and a visit to the pharmacist the next day.

Being a man, my husband didn’t wish to visit the walk-in clinic (sorry for the generalisation, menfolk), until I dragged him there a week later.

The blisters and dead skin were peeled away by a nurse and photographs were taken, ready to be e-mailed through to Salisbury Burns Unit – where we found ourselves two days later.

He’s been very lucky as it transpires. Most of the burn is healing well, but one area is a much deeper tissue burn.

There was a possibility of this needing a skin graft, hence his referral to Salisbury, but thankfully they don’t think it will be necessary. We return there in a week for a review.

I’m amazed, however, that Tesco isn’t willing to warn anybody of what might happen with this particular product – so I’m attempting to do so here myself.

CHRISTMAS TREE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK HIDE THE REALITY

The Lush family Christmas tree has gone up. The photos look great on Facebook, belying the fact that, in reality, the kids were smashing each other to a pulp in the background, whilst mummy and daddy Lush communicated with one another through gritted teeth. Or from behind the wall with hand gestures.

Mummy Lush promptly left daddy Lush to sort out the lights himself, as he clearly knows best, and sought refuge in the more placid task of placing festive trinkets around the house.

No sooner had she commenced this self-soothing task than she was ordered back through to ‘hold the tree straight’.

‘I said straight. Is it straight?’ he barked.

Behold, the season of goodwill.

READING FROM PANTO STAR HAD NO EBULLIENCE OR CHARISMA

My family and I went to The News’ Christingle service held at St Mary’s Church in Fratton this year.

Now usually at this event there is a panto star who has a giggle with the audience and attempts to convince as many of us as possible to go out and get tickets to see the show.

Sadly, this year, I felt the ‘star’ lacked charisma and left me about as enthusiastic to attend the panto as I would be to sojourn to Syria for Christmas with my loved ones in tow.

The Chase’s Chaser, Anne Heggerty, who stars as Blackweed in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Kings Theatre in Southsea, didn’t address the audience.

She then gave a reading distinctly lacking in ebullience. Disappointing.