Heard a strange loudhailer noise in the street today. Stuck my head out of the window and listened carefully; a Cambridge Water van was driving slowly down the street shouting very loudly about a burst water main and warning me that the water would be off in my street for two hours.

Indeed, it's now off. Just as I was planning a nice hot bath. Though I suppose it could have been more frustrating: the bath could have been half run.

Even more annoyingly than that, though, I stupidly failed to actually note what time the van went past, so as to know when it was two hours after that and I could expect the water back. It might have been ten minutes, or an hour ago: I really wasn't paying attention. What I need is some household object which will make a loud noise when it gets wet, so I could leave it under an open tap; but I can't bring one to mind…