As I pressed the button to start the washing machine I had little idea that later things wouldn’t be whiter than white.

Up early and out with a camera, packed more in hope as I knew I wouldn’t have that much time, for a swift trip into central London for shopping. It needed to be swift as K was coming over later with a full programme of Saturday evening TV to watch.

Saturdays in London on the Tube are being more and more like a Mensa test. Lines are closed; stations are no longer stopped at; tourists wander around the ticket halls looking for someone to tell them how to get from Caledonian Road back to Kings Cross, despite the fact that “improvement works” meant they crawled through it a few minutes ago with the doors of the train staying firmly closed.

Shopping done I headed to the Photographer’s gallery to browse the gallery and look in on the bookshop. I was surprised that they stocked Lomo cameras, the small, quirky, plastic lensed cameras which, through their motto of “don’t think, just shoot”, emphasise spontaneity. I’d love to try one and I love the effect you get from the lens which is so different to the precision I get from digital cameras but film just doesn’t work for me. Especially 120 format film. I can’t scan it easily and I’m too used to going out, taking pictures and then processing them in Photoshop the same day. It’s a shame as the quirky colours really appeal.

Well quirky colours in the right place do : not when you open the door of your washing machine and find your whites an interesting shade of orange. It seems the money I saved from the Lomo needs to be put towards another new kitchen appliance …