Pedal power

Vintage piano pedals have a robust iron core, coated with brass. Not that I had any idea of this until an hour or so ago, when I had the chance to cradle one of our pedals in my hand, because it had been broken off so cleanly that it looks as if somebody has sliced through it with a knife.

And it can't be metal fatigue, because it's not just one pedal, it's both. No more forte, no more piano. Both pedals have been cut with one clean swipe. They're lying on the carpet, stump ends still attached to the fiddly looking wooden levers inside the piano case.

The children deny all knowledge of having interfered with them. So does Francis. And, indeed, it's hard to see how it could have happened. You would have had to wade in with a heavy weight, supporting the pedals while you dropped it to ensure a good stress fracture.

As we stand round the piano, there's a crash from the next room. Francis' favourite picture has just hit the ground. Its extra-strength hook has sheered through.

It could be worse, though. Just imagine if I believed that invoking Bad Lindy's name could release powers of a magnitude beyond all human comprehension. And I don't........do I?