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Hotties? Or leccy blankets?

(146 Posts)
MawB2 Tue 10-Nov-20 10:48:21

Brought up in a north facing stone cottage in Scotland I always had a hotty or - height of luxury in my teens - an electric blanket.
Over the years I have had both - or neither- but the other night I fell asleep with my leccy blanket on (thermostatically controlled, so safe) but woke up imagining I could smell singeing - so at 2 in the morning, I whipped it off, bagged it up and it went out with the bins yesterday!
Quandary -what to do last night, so I looked out the little furry hotty I keep for visitors and popped it in, moving it down to the foot area when I came to bed.
One of the best nights sleep of the last few months!
So ——
Do you use either?
Which do you favour?
Or are you like this posh lady?

Joesoap Wed 11-Nov-20 17:58:54

In the UK recently I treated myself to a hottie after all the years living outside the UK,I didnt really need one but it was so lovely to have this one,I slept so well.I left it behind as where we live we dont need one, but I know where it is next visit to the UK.whenever that might be.

Dianehillbilly1957 Wed 11-Nov-20 17:59:32

After my hottie burst and almost scolded me ( I had it very hot as it's during the early hours I get cold) I now have an electric blanket, it has a foot warming only dial, so I use both to warm up the bed then turn off the top end and set the foot warmer on low setting and have comfortable feet all night. Bliss....???

CarrieAnn Wed 11-Nov-20 18:17:03

I lived in a very small village,with no electricity until I was ten.My gran used to take a shelf out of the black leaded grate oven,wrap it in an old blanket and put it into my old feather bed.It was like heaven,other than that we had stone hot water bottles

Kim19 Wed 11-Nov-20 18:28:55

EB devotee until my friend's went on fire. Hairy. Got rid of ours immediately. Now use HWB but never overfill it. Best bedtime experience was when we had a water bed. Fix temperature. Bingo!

jerseygirl Wed 11-Nov-20 18:43:57

Hotty Bottle every time!!

BlueBelle Wed 11-Nov-20 18:45:47

When I lived out in Malaysia I sent home for mum to send my a hottie bottle out as the night times were so cold
A few years ago I was in Spain and it was cold and rainy I was sharing a room with a friend of a friend we were both moaning about being cold so I had a brilliant idea of filling two lemonade bottles with hot not boiling water and we were both thrilled to use them to get to sleep she thought I was very inventive

Iam64 Wed 11-Nov-20 18:53:29

I love a hot water bottle in my bed for half an hour before I get in. I like to lie and read, so the bottle got where my back will be. I get into bed and push the hottie down to my feet.

The alternative is to throw a dog on the bed. I'm down to one small dog currently and miss my huge furry dog, who would lie along side me like a living hottie (but not under the duvet, I have standards). My NZ friend tells me that the Maori people have a saying "it's a three dog winter" for when its very cold.

Kryptonite Wed 11-Nov-20 18:57:44

Hottie for me, lately two - one for feet, one to cuddle. Been a good comfort to me all my life, and my daughters love them too. Put one in your bed early evening and you'll have a nice warm bed. Wrap your pyjamas round the other one. Also good for sore backs, tummies and heads. Can't imagine life without my hottie. ?

Shizam Wed 11-Nov-20 19:18:37

I have two hot water bottles, one for my back, other for feet. Seem to have ice in my veins and my house is freezing. Keep toying with idea of electric blanket, but still not sure about the whole safety aspect.

biba70 Wed 11-Nov-20 19:27:18

I have a small collection given to me by a lovely friend when she moved - Doulton, Nunn Bros, Bourne Derby, and one sold by Boots, the Adaptable HOt water bottle and bed warmer, by the Old Fulham pottery. All beige eartheware- no idea of dates. Never used them though.

MrsThreadgoode Wed 11-Nov-20 19:35:13

It’s a cold bed for me, feet out, no heating on........and yet during the day I wear 2 layers and the heating is on all day. Odd.

BlueBelle Wed 11-Nov-20 19:45:19

Oh I forgot I have a long bottle anyone else got one it’s nearly the length of my body fantastic for cuddling I got it from Dunelm last winter

CanadianGran Wed 11-Nov-20 19:45:46

OK I assumed some translations:
Leccy = electric blanket
Hottie = hot water bottle

But I am stumped by a stone bottle. Is it carved from stone, and how on earth would you manage to carry and fit it into a bed?

Love my hot water bottle (rubber) on cold nights. I wrap it in a flannel baby receiving blanket, but would like a proper cover for it, like a small bag I assume. I'm not sure if I could purchase one separately.

Suzyb Wed 11-Nov-20 19:48:56

We’ve been married 48 years and used an electric blanket for many of them. We moved into our apartment 12 years ago and have never used one since even with cotton sheets.
We’re out at our holiday home in Spain now and even though the weather is cooling we wouldn’t dream of using an electric blanket. All our friends have them. We keep each other warm and toasty.

hollysteers Wed 11-Nov-20 19:51:16

I remember those stone hwb as a child and hated them! So heavy and I used to think if they fell on your foot they could break it!
Just after my husband died, I bought a cute dog hot water bottle, it was a little comfort, living alone with no pets.
I have a semi detached cat now (asleep on my knees), a nice arrangement with my good neighbours. ?

hollysteers Wed 11-Nov-20 19:56:49

CanadianGran, the ‘stone’ bottle was ceramic, sand coloured with a stopper on top and heavy. One sometimes sees them in antique shops and I hope they stay there!?

hollysteers Wed 11-Nov-20 20:00:57

Stone bottle

biba70 Wed 11-Nov-20 20:02:43

yes, earthenware ceramic, with the ceramic stoppers. Would love to have an idea of dates. We live in a very old (16C) house and they are on the window sills, top of stairs.

BlueBelle Wed 11-Nov-20 20:21:46

Stone hot water bottles are a antique thing they aren’t carved just made of pottery keep the heat too I don’t use one but have my Nans which you can see in the photo
Not cuddly like a rubber on

BlueBelle Wed 11-Nov-20 20:22:49

Snap hollysteers your picture hadn’t appeared when I posted ?

Oopsminty Wed 11-Nov-20 20:26:32

My Grandma had one of those. She had it on display on top of her kitchen cabinets. It was one she'd used as a child.

As I type I am sat in my sitting room, on my sofa, with a hot water bottle between my back and the back of the sofa

It's a marvellous help for aches and pains

I do love my hottie bottie smile

biba70 Wed 11-Nov-20 20:26:47

yes! Just like those. the Boots/Old Fulham Pottery one is round and flatened. I also have some metal ones from my grandparents- they used to be put inside a blanket, felt pocket or jumper, to stop burning.

LOL this old house is a bit of a Museum ;)

Grandmafrench Wed 11-Nov-20 20:28:19

Jane10

None of the above. My memory foam mattress plus brushed cotton sheets keep me toasty warm.
Living in an old house in Edinburgh as a child, hot water bottles or electric blankets were unimaginable luxuries! Breaking the ice on the inside of the windows by breathing on it at least gave us enough light to get dressed. Great days!! grin

Jane10 I was sure that you would go on to describe how you had to live in t'paper bag in t'middle of t'road (one you had to lick clean) just like the guys in the Monty Python sketch! Fortunately, you said "great days" grin

Like Maw, I really love the idea of an electric blanket but wouldn't relax sufficiently to enjoy it. Fears of sudden combustion would keep me awake - and I do feel the heat. Sadly my little hot water bottle - Bear Bottie - in this house, with its teddy bear cover, revealed a perished bottle after a number of years. Not sure what they've done to rubber bottles but I then bought two and each one split after about half a dozen uses. So Bear Bottie may have to settle for early retirement. A large memory foam mattress, down pillows and duvet and a glowing' human bean' for essential feet warming is perfect now.

When I was very small she had a big warming pan - my Gran -and used to put red embers in it and run it over my freezing sheets to make the bed comfy before I climbed in. The bed was high and I used to sink in the middle. I did have one of those stone hot water bottles, but again, the fear of that sliding out from under the covers and crashing down onto the floor boards was enough to deter me from thinking about cuddling it. Winters were tough......but so were we.

BlueBelle Wed 11-Nov-20 20:30:07

canadiangran now this one is the forerunner to the ceramic hot water bottle again my Nans they used to put the hot ashes from the fire into the brass part shut it up and put in the bed to warm it before getting in Its called a warming pan

BlueBelle Wed 11-Nov-20 20:31:38

I ve crossed posts again sorry grandmafrench