It pays to advertise

How about this for a timely advertisement, which I spotted on a local newspaper website?

Look at the subject of the news story, then check out the bottom of the page for the ad.

Still waters

Here's something that's really impressed me recently, and I'm surprised that Marks and Spencer haven't given it some publicity.

You're probably aware that some brands of canned beer have a temperature sensor, which indicates when the contents have been chilled sufficiently for optimum enjoyment.

M&S have used an offshoot of this technology to sample the purity of their bottled water, in case it becomes contaminated, or to prevent accidental poisoning, if the bottle is re-used.

I knew nothing about this until a friend drew it to my attention.

Unlike other brands, M&S bottles aren't labelled "spring water" or "table water".

Instead, they are reassuringly branded "still water".

It's so simple, yet so ingenious.

I had the same unopened back-up bottle with me during a recent walking holiday.

Each day before setting out, I checked the integrity of the bottle top, although I should have had more faith in the technology, as the sensor kept a constant check, and displayed the fact that the content was still water.

When we returned home, I couldn't resist testing the system properly.

I drank the water to confirm its purity, then refilled it from my wife's vodka bottle.

Within 30 seconds - as you can see from the photograph - the sensor had registered the presence of a foreign substance.

Amazing!

And the technology, I understand, is 100% British.