Keep The Home Fires Burning

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25 March 2014 at 22:48

I think I may have passed my celtic pyromania onto my sons.

I've been so cold and miserable recently I finally gave in and laid a fire in our newly installed grate (using the bits of waste timber from the house renovations). 

The boys were fascinated. 

Thunderthighs even left his laptop and tv, came down from the loft and spent most of the evening with me. 

Once it had got going we found all sorts of naughty unrecyclable rubbish to throw on - most of which went up really well (sorry ecowarriors but it's a toss up between our enjoyment and landfill).

Fester came out with a good point "You're warming your mind as well as your body." 

True the central heating works perfectly well but a fire is more convincing at making you feel warm.

And I could bore Thunderthighs rigid with stories of how his grandma and greatgrandma used to lay fires, the use of blazers and banking up coal fires with llidy*.

Hendlady  Did you make real toast on the fire??????

Bentonbag  No, the only toasting fork I have is my Granma's antique brass one with a Rabbie Burns handle.  Also I've not yet got back the knack of getting a good red glow going - not sure if I can manage it without coal.  But I'm on the look out for a poker and/or set of fire irons if anyone knows where I could pick some up.

Drummermant  You forgot to mention holiday cottages...

Bentonbag  "You can be sure of a warm welcome in Wales"

Being pedantic it was second homes rather than self-catering cottages which at least give some sort of income and a little work on change over weekends.  

(That's my guilt at using holiday cottages assuaged 😀)

Mrs KA  TRUE quality family time spent watching the flames dance. very theraputic too.

Maughans in Whitley bay sell companion sets but look in Featonby's first.

Mrs Poet  Warming your mind is lovely.

Mrs Frayarn  I used to love that at my grandpa's, making a fire and keeping it going, hypnotic and very relaxing.

Dulcima  Wouldn't be without my coal fire.  It warms the fabric of the house like no central heating ever does.

* I honestly don't know the English for this as it was what Granma always said.  'Coal dust' perhaps - tiny little bits of coal the size of grains of rice.  She would scrape the bottom of the coal shed and keep an enamel pie dish of llidy by the fire which she would use to 'bank it up'; to keep the fire going slowly and safely if she was going to be away from it for a while.