Keeping warm

Shandy57

As a 60's child my Dad constantly worried about the possibility of pipes 'bursting' in the winter - I should add he is an eccentric. We had a gas fire in the 'back' room, and an open fire in the front room. My Dad would rush around with bottles of paraffin for the fire in the bathroom plus one on the landing, and he would wedge open the loft hatch.

As a 64 year old adult I still have the fear of it happening, I know it's ridiculous. How cold does it have to be for pipes to freeze?

oh yes, burst pipes was always a topic of conversation in long ago winters. I don't remember us ever having any.

The only place warmer than the sitting room was my Dad's greenhouse where the paraffin heater resided!

I do seem to feel the cold more these days and an extra cardigan doesn't always do the trick. However, a good thermal vest does make a difference. Maybe we should also bring back the liberty bodice!

I am interested in those who do not want to put warm clothes on in the cold weather but would rather turn the heating up. Clearly their choice - and not illegal - yet!

I am interested in the rationale that says that this is the best way to go when we all know that we need to conserve our precious resources.

After Martin Lewis's show last night I decided it was time to be disciplined in switching off all my electrical standby items, at the wall.

So funny this morning when half awake I stumbled into the lounge, switched on the tv for the news - and nothing. Had a 'I've had a power cut' moment - then realised!

Totally agree- this 'new' concept that one should be able to live around the house with shorts and t-shirts year round is nonsense, and an ecological disaster.

We all need to re-learn how to live with the seasons, with foods that are seasonal, and stop this 'strawberries at Christmas from plastic greenhouses far away', etc, and dress appropriately. We are so luck now to have amazing materials which are so warm and soft too.

And yes, hot water bottles, or as I prefer, barley and lavender bags- I make my own.

BTW I don't own a cardigan either- and use the layer method- much more comfortable and flexible. And a fleece on top if it gets really cold.

Lucky to have a massive woodburner, made with alpine stone that acts like a storage heater- and an old house with 90cm thick walls (oh dear, I should have used Imperial!)

When I am cold i put a fleece on, I have a pair of fleecy PJs and would like to buy another pair, am hoping to get some for DH, too, then we will be snug as a bug as well!

Luckygirl

I am interested in those who do not want to put warm clothes on in the cold weather but would rather turn the heating up. Clearly their choice - and not illegal - yet!

I am interested in the rationale that says that this is the best way to go when we all know that we need to conserve our precious resources.

If I have the CH on it's always on the very lowest setting, just to give background heat - I live in a small flat and it's enough to keep me comfortable.

As for the rationale that this is the best way to go - as I said earlier I don't like to be bundled up at home and I consider that my resources footprint is low. I haven't owned a car for 16 years and walk most places or use public transport.

I know you live rurally Luckygirl - do you have a car? If so, I suppose you could ditch the car and rely on taxis for when you need to be out and about; would probably be cheaper overall, bearing in mind initial purchase, insurance, and petrol, But it likely suits you to jump in the car, if you have one, just as it suits me to have some background heat on at times, rather than be swaddled in throws, beanie hats, and 4 layers of clothes!

Not being hostile here, but you did ask!

I feel the cold really badly and it brings on all sorts of aches and pains. It affects my mobility and increases the risk of falls. Mr. B is the opposite and is always too warm. I wrap up like the Michelin Man ?

I just got some Anyday thermal leggings and tops from John Lewis, they’re lovely but obviously made for very tall people!

rockgran

I do seem to feel the cold more these days and an extra cardigan doesn't always do the trick. However, a good thermal vest does make a difference. Maybe we should also bring back the liberty bodice!

Oh, those liberty bodies!

How did they get the name?
Liberty = freedom and they were anything but.

Bodices not bodies

Autocorrect

The ‘Liberty’ was the freedom of not wearing a corset, apparently. Didn’t they have rubber buttons that were really hard to do up?

I'm ten years older than my husband and he just didn't get it when I started to feel the cold more, but now he's aging nicely and I notice him layering up and commenting on the cold more often himself.

We have always worn extra layers to combat the cold and every sofa has a blanket across the back that's not just for show. When we FaceTime our children and grandchildren we're always pleased to see they're usually snuggled up together under a throw too. But I do worry about our youngest son who lives in a rented flat in a very exposed area (on a cliff top) and gets his energy via a meter card/key. His flat 'passed' its EPC Inspection, but our son is fully aware that it was fiddled and should not have done so. His energy bills have already skyrocketed and I fear he faces a very cold winter.

Just looked Liberty bodices were meant to free young girls from corsets.
I hated mine and looking back for school wore a vest, liberty bodice underskirt/petty coat to the rest of the world, long-sleeved blouse and handknitted twin set, so did my mum plus a bra, we must have looked two sizes bigger than we were but we were warm.
No heating upstairs and winceyette nightie or PJ's, a hot water bottle plus a cardigan for bed, mum had quilted bed jackets and we all had bed socks if it was really cold.
I squirm when I see tee shirts and shorts and people complaining about heating bills

I too, grew up in a very cold house, just a fire in the living room, ice on bedroom windows, we learnt very quickly, to dress warmly. Get a blanket for your knees when sitting around, I have a few nice ones in the sofa ready. Hot drinks, get out for walks get the circulation going. I don’t look forward to it but I think we will all have to turn down the thermostats.

I grew up in a house with a gas fire in the sitting room and no other heating. Married, I’ve always had central heating and here we also have a gas log burner. We find that the log burner keeps the house warm downstairs without the need for the central heating to be switched on just yet. Upstairs we use an old Dimplex plug in oil filled radiator which takes the chill off. We layer up and I feel the cold more than my DH so layering up is a necessity in our house.

I wonder how folks today would have coped way back in years when we had NO central heating and was queuing for coke or a bag of coal in the 1940s to keep one room warm and having to boil a kettle on the fire for a cup of "Rosie Lee" to keep us going.
How they would have to cuddle up together to keep warm to get through a bad winter while spending Christmas down an Anderson shelter being bombed day and night.

I remember the cold winters. Born in the 40s we had no central heating and my bedroom window would have icicles on the inside. Freezing lino on the floor didn't help. It would take the coal fire a while to heat the living room and
I would get dressed very quickly.

I still wear warm clothing in the house and see my heating as a luxury.

Last winter I decided not to put my heating back onto the Hive schedule. It’s connected up to the Alexa app, so we just asked Alexa to boost the heating for an hour or so each day when it got to feeling cold. The difference in the winter bill was noticeable.

I also invested in one of those heated fleece throw thingies - very economical to run and lovely to cuddle up to, watching the telly on cold winter evenings.

Blossoming

The ‘Liberty’ was the freedom of not wearing a corset, apparently. Didn’t they have rubber buttons that were really hard to do up?

Thanks for the explanation, Blossoming and Yammy
I'd never really thought about it before now.

Same here Galaxy! Been there, done that, bought the T shirt. Now in our retirement years we enjoy the small luxury of central heating on if and when needed. Had enough of living in unheated houses to last me a life time! We don’t do much else so we want to enjoy our home.

I must say I don't miss the painful chilblains. No more standing in the bathroom balancing my foot on the toilet seat at 3 am applying more Snowfire! When my Grandma used to complain I hadn't realised how very itchy and painful they were.

Regarding the possibility of burst pipes in winter.. Now is the time to check that you can access your stopcock and particularly that you are able to turn it off! When DH drilled through a pipe on the landing I discovered I could barely reach ours behind the water softener and that it wouldn't turn anyway through lack of use. We discovered a gadget called Surestop which was fitted under the kitchen sink so that we can turn the mains off at the flick of a switch without having to crawl into the cupboard.

We wear warmer clothes in the winter but wearing layers isn't for me or sitting under a blanket. I like our home to be warm so like you Bluesky we have the heating on when we need too.