Thursday 25 September 2008

Thursday.

Late morning. Had a 'phone call from Ann earlier to say there had been a 'drama' in London where she is child minding Lizzie's three. Last night just, after nine, Matthew was preparing his kit for a weekend cadet camp (he is now a full corporal in the school cadet force). He got out his rucksack (which had not been used for some weeks) and found it was rather smelly. So Matt gave it a good squirting, inside and out, with a spray deodorant. Continuing to check his kit he then got out a lighter and clicked it to make sure it was working. The rucksack exploded, burning Matt's arm, hand, and face. Matt got into a cold bath and called his sister Georgia who galloped down and got Granny Ann. After which it became textbook first aid procedure - cling film, a 999 call to the ambulance, and the burns department of the local hospital. Things in fact weren't too bad - Matt was eventually allowed home, and the burns specialist even said that he could see no reason why he shouldn't go to his cadet camp this weekend - I must say I found this detail very reassuring.
My immediate reaction was that I aught to get myself up to London, but Ann firmly negatived this idea, saying that Matt was asleep in bed, there was no permanent damage, and there was nothing I could do when there. As the only thing I could think of to do if I went would be a Corporal Jones act (rushing up and down shouting 'Don't panic, Mr. Mainwaring') I eventually allowed myself to be persuaded to stick to plan A and go up on Saturday morning.
I think I must place on record that Matt (who is a first aider), and Ann (who was a nurse), did all the right things. Ann also says that both the girls, Georgia and Beth, behaved very well and gave all the assistance they could. I am very proud of my family.

2 comments:

Nea said...

Exploding rucksack next to tube station in central London? Whose side is he on?

Crowbard said...

Must admit I'm shocked that with our nanny state purveyors of deodorants and such-like sprayables are not obliged to declare IN BIG WRITING that the contents are highly flamable.... or that manufacturers are not expressly forbidden to use flamable materials as propellants. (I almost said accelerants!)
Must admit I do admire Horners, nobody like 'em in an emergency. Pretty damned bombproof, what?
If your reading this Matt you can tell all the girls that you're pretty hot stuff!