Petra, I promise I'll never complain again!
Steve's best friend Bernard was from Devon, his Dad was a master shipwright I believe. He lived on a boat in Little Venice and very sadly died in icy conditions - he was drunk and fell from the boat onto the ice and broke his neck. I think he was 49 when he died, so tragic.
Craftyone, sympathise with your bad logs from the past, since moving here I've discovered the 'blazer' you put over the fireplace to help it draw.. Mine was a big sheet of metal with a handle, like a shield. Disappeared a few years ago when I stopped burning coal. Such a mucky business, I hate doing our open coal fire and only do it when it's minus figures.
Our worst experience here was the snow of 2010. Icicles pulled all our gutters off, bulls were able to get out of their fields because the snow was so high, and the oil man wouldn't deliver to us because he thought he saw 'sharp metal' in the snow around our tank. It was actually the silver underlay you use with laminate flooring. I've never been as cold, someone the beast from the east wasn't as bad. I was probably in shock - five days of silence, completely alone here. Found out the fire wasn't performing because the chimney pointing had gone, athletic builder repaired it afterwards without scaffolding. Hope he didn't tell his family, I had to come in, was too dangerous for a cat really.
I made friends with someone on WAYUP and she had her own water supply which froze - I keep old lemonade bottles and always fill them in odd weather, just in case.
Really don't feel like cleaning but must start, I've just had a sandwich and it always makes me feel sleepy for some reason. Two more minutes on here .... !
Water Pollution -“ A National Disgrace”? A case for renationalisation?
How much do you spend on yourself?
Being moved along by someone who "wants your place".