I love my hot watter bottle!

Last night I went out walking with my sister. It is one of the rare occasions these days when I get an hour to myself away from the madness. Although the weather here has been fab for the past week and the sun has been shining it was bitterly cold up here in the sticks.

My sister joked that she would be taking her hot water bottle to bed with her as her husband is away working and we suddenly started talking about hot water bottles.

What is there to talk about I hear you say - big deal! I'm so sad I know and should definitely get out more often but I must get this off my chest.

I think that the hot water bottle is possibly one of the best inventions ever and I didn't know who invented the modern day hot water bottle.

How can I know so little about something so great? We have about 6 hot water bottles in our house, all shapes and sizes and a few with lovely covers and then there is mine - an old blue one that's about 10 years old.

It's used for all sorts - pains and aches of all descriptions, heating the bed, heating the baby's cot before he gets put down, you can cosy up to it watching TV, it's great when you have to go to bed on your own ( or even with your other half) -  it has offered heat and comfort to the whole house down the years.

So, here's the facts courtesy of Wikipedia;

The earliest forms of hot water bottles dates back to the 16th century. They contained hot coals from the dying embers of the fire and were used to warm the bed before getting in.

The modern day hot water bottle was invented in 1903 by a Croatian inventor named Eduard Penkala (Budapest, Patent No 29276).

The hot water bottle to me is the most simple, timeless invention used by the masses, it's cheap and reliable and I love it. What nicer way to cosy up on a cold frosty night with your hot water bottle and a nice cup of tea?