'supporting each other through really tough times'

maryb

My woodburner is actually a multifuel stove so can burn coal as well. However because we are in a smoke free zone, if we burn coal it has to be smokeless. Wood is OK because the stove is on an approved list as being efficient. That wouldn't be the case if we had a back boiler fitted to heat water - then we would be limited to smokeless fuel. Lots of permutations and it's important to make sure you get an approved installer to keep you the right side of the regulations. Then you need to ensure you get the chimney swept at least once a year. It devours huge quantities of logs which you need to store if you want them to have time to season properly. Having a woodstove is actually quite an expensive hobby, but I just love it - and I know that in a power cut we would still be warm and could boil water and heat food

shegar

fuddle wrote: »

Good morning.

It's very frosty here this morning. So beautiful.

I was up in the early hours of the morning (couldn't get to sleep till around 4.30) and I was shocked at how cold it was in the house.. and this is a house that was heated till 8pm. I can't stress at how much we need to heat our homes, just enough to take the chill away.

Can I ask a question? What was all the smokeless zones about in the 90's? Are people allowed to have open fires these days?

A woodburner is a dream for me when I own my own place but the reality and more cost effective way would be an open fire. Will I be allowed though?

Where that dreaded built in wardrobe is (not talking about it!) there's a patch cemented where the chimney is. There's also some sort of cement on the floor boards in that area so I suspect there once lived an open fire in the bedroom too.

I just find it a travesty to have a house with all the bricks in place for heating of that kind but we're stopped from using it (government/LL)

I too was brought up with open fires, they did everything, air the washing all the time, warm the room , banked it up overnight so the room never went too cold, as that was the only room in the house that had heat.........

Ive got an open fire now and love it, just to see the flames cheer us up. plus the heat you get from it,no wonder woodburners are so popular, but they do cost a fortune, when they really only heat the one room.................But on a day like today which is really cold its nice to light the fire...............

Ive got dam arthritis bad this past month or so and decided to go to the drs next week , I hope he will give me some anti inflametry tabs to help with it.......

Im now going out to feed and water the hens and collect eggs, and that will be the only time I go out today, its blowing a gale and raining heavy.........Keep warm and safe all......

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE - Just been having a skip through t'internet and searched Yule Celebration Traditions.

Always have an evergreen tree - it symbolises immortality.
Evergreen decorations in the house - do the same.
Holly and Mistletoe fruit in the winter and symbolise Growth and Fertility.
Yule Log - Traditional to burn a large log sometimes poured on a libation of wine. Now in Scandinavia it is replaced with a big fat candle in the hearth lit at dawn and burned until midnight for luck.
Lamps were lit to ensure the light returned with the sun.
It was traditional to eat and give fruited breads and sweetmeats to family and visitor.
Decorations on the tree were usually home made and sourced from nature i.e Pine Cones,nuts, fruits, flower seed heads, bright leaves,Late berries anything you like, collected by the family on a walk, usually when collecting the Yule Log.

Sounds like it would be a lovely thing to do.

Modern suggestions include writing down positive,happy things on leaf shaped pieces of paper and putting those on the tree along with things you aspire to and doing the same with negative,sad feelings and burning those outdoors on a little bonfire or on the indoor fire if you have one.

Hope that helps, I found it really interesting, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Forgot the most important thing - A Wassail cup which is an alcaholic beverage based on anything you prefer from cider to brandy and( put in a big container originally,and passed round from person to person) given to family and guests as a big part of the celebrations!!! L x.

mardatha

Wrap up well shegar xxx. I don't burn logs at all although it is a multifuel burner. I always found for us they weren't very hot, so we use smokeless eggs and some cheap anthracite on top overnight. It stays on 24/7 most of the year. As you say Shegar- it heats the house, the water, the stone walls, and dries the washing. But costs the earth lol -although my neighbours who have elect are cold and the neighbours who have oil are warm but skint. So there's not a lot in it

mardatha

Mrs L I dono where Northamptonshire is either. Top, middle or bottom, left hand or right? LOL I don't know English geography

Aria`s_Tail

Morning everyone.
I had every intention of catching up and posting last night but it just didn't happen. Had a phone call yesterday morning asking me to do a shift in our local pub (2 till 7) which I did. £36 extra now in my purse, have a gig to go to on Monday and Tuesday nights so this will cover my bus fares and a few drinks (tickets long since bought and paid for).

OH went to stay with his brother and see his kids yesterday afternoon so I got back in, put the heating on for an hour and fed me and the pooches. Switched the heating off and curled up in a fleece blanket on the sofa with the laptop. Woke up just after midnight! Went to bed and slept till 9.30 this morning.
Do feel a bit better for it though (been feeling urgh for a couple of days). Have scratted through freezer this morning, have taken some dog meat out for pooches and some YS smoked cod for me and OH for tea, will do some HM wedges, a spicy tom sauce and some sweetcorn, yum. Also have an apple on the turn, was going to add some blackberries to it (also from freezer) and do a crumble but I now have a strange craving for syrup pudding. :rotfl:. May do that tomorrow as I have the week off.

Am wanting to empty a drawer of the freezer so I can stock up for xmas, Only me and OH we think this year so will get a Al%i 3 bird roast when they appear. Can't plan around fresh food as my work are making no effort to sort out Xmas rotas yet (Should be my rest week but i'm not counting on it) so can't make any plans. Would love just to have a couple of days of peace and quiet, just the 2 of us for once but doubtful.

I get on really well with both my parents but as for the rest of my Dad's family, can't stand most of them (aunts, uncles and most of my cousins) To the point where I politely say hello and then make my excuses at the obligatory family gatherings (generally funerals) although I even try to avoid them where possible. (My Dad sees my point and doesn't push it!)

[Deleted User]

OK MAR - Higher up than London,Lower down than Nottingham,not as far west as Birmingham and not as far east as Cambridge. If you draw a line from west to east from Builth Wells in Wales in the west to Worcester, to Stratford upon Avon and keep going east but NOT as far as Cambridge you find Northampton!!!!!! which is in Northamptonshire - You will of course need an atlas or all of this is gobbledygook, Do you have an atlas MAR? Hope that isn't even more confusing, but I know what I mean, Cheers Lyn xxx.

annie123

Snow map http://uksnowmap.com/#/

Molly41

Northants is sort of in the middle, south of Watford Gap - I think!
I live close to Silverstone Race track - if that helps.

Stopped now and not settled as rained before but huge flakes for half an hour. We think it is the earliest we have had snow in our memory of living here 18 plus years.

Molly41

annie123 wrote: »

Snow map http://uksnowmap.com/#/

NN13 on the map!