Who was it who said “a watched pot never boils”? I stared intently at a pot of water over a stove and lo and behold, it started boiling at the ten minute mark. The boiling time will, of course, depend on the material and thickness of the pot, and the level of heat has its part to play too. I’ll also state for the record, that watching a pot boiling is quite mesmerising, in fact I was so entranced by the bubbles that I didn’t realise I’d scalded my chin, lips, cheeks and nose. Red faced, I walked straight out of that camping supply store, but disproving this proverb was a win in my book.