Home DIY

sounds like a radial circuit (15A fuse wire straight from CU to socket). As a 15A fusewire pops at about 8xFLC (was it the correct lump of fusewire, or a bit of wire nail?!) I'd wager the large inrush load has melted a bit of the copper cabling at either the CU termination, or the socket. Check the live, neutral and earth.

Also, consider replacing your re-wireable CU with a nice MCB CU with RCBO.

Would love to, but it's a rented flat. That would have been one of the first things to go if it were my flat.

It was the correct fuse wire in place and I refitted correct wire. The stuff that was there didn't look broken but I had some wire so replaced it anyway as a sanity check. I replaced the socket and took off a few inches of cable when doing so to make a "fresh" connection.

Must be something in the CU. Will email the landlord tomorrow and plead ignorant.