My sons house is between tenants this weekend so I have been roped in to
tidying the place up. One problem we discovered was the washing machine full
of water and not pumping out. Up ended and the pipe removed from the pump
and out came a two pence piece which had been neatly blocking the pump.
Behind it out came a child's sock!
Now if the coin had not been there the sock might have been chewed up and
pumped out never to have been seen again.

So that's one of life's mysteries solved:-)

Mike