It hasn't been particularly cold here yet this winter.
Our previous winters in France were very different to our winters today.
We lived in a 300 year old stone cottage, with no central heating. The only heating we had came from our own hard work, which always began at one of the log piles. This one below was the Oak pile.
Our wood, both Oak and Chestnut, was delivered in one metre length logs. As both our kitchen stove (George), and our sitting room wood-burner (Gilbert) both took 33 cm length logs, there was sawing to be done every day.
Of course I always kept a few days worth of cut logs in store, just in case of bad weather, otherwise it was out every morning with the chainsaw and wheelbarrows, to top-up reserves. We needed about two filled wheelbarrows per day to run both stoves.
In fact I rather enjoyed this task. It was 'real', and kept me in touch with life's essentials. These days we live with push-button heating; no dust, no smoke, no exercise, and no focus point to the room.
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It wasn't only us who appreciated the heat. Here are Monty and Bok showing their absolute pleasure, lying on the rug in front of the blazing wood-burner. They loved it.
Of course we didn't always have our Godin wood-burner. Previously we had a huge open fire with antique Fire Dogs, and a cast iron Fire Back, both of which you can still see to the left of the burner. Sadly the metre length logs would spit, and we worried that our nice rugs and sofas would catch fire. I regret the decision to install the more sensible wood-burner to this day, but it possibly saved the cottage from burning down. These days we can light-up, go away for several hours, and the burner will still be going strong when we return.
Central heating is all very convenient, but there is no romance in it.
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My parents house had no central heating, we had a Truburn (like a Rayburn) for cooking/oven/hot water, and in the other rooms open fires. Living on a farm, there was always a ready supply of wood, and as children one of our jobs in autumn and winter was sawing up and splitting logs. No chainsaw in those days though, just manual labour!
ReplyDeleteWe all know the old adage of 'it warms you twice', which is very true. I never disliked the work, it was simply part of my daily winter's work.
DeleteWe had an open fire before we bought our wood stove. The open fire only heated a couple of rooms and we closed off half the house and huddled round it. It was great for grilling meat though.
ReplyDeleteNowadays the wood stove heats most of the house. And we cook on it. Much better
Yes, I cook on ours too. Wonderful for long slow stews.
DeleteOur previous house had an open fire which also heated the back boiler meaning we could run the radiators from it without switching on the gas boiler, except in very cold weather when it needed a boost. The fire was lovely but messy and dangerous with several burn accidents from spitting logs.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been good to install a back burner in France, but the structure wasn't really suitable.
DeleteOur spaniel used to curl up in front of the Rayburn. Too close sometimes. We'd hear the 'Sssss' as his wet nose touched the glass.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! Our boys just lay there and snored.
DeleteMy wood was delivered to the front of the house. This meant me shifting by barrow to the back, stacking it, chain sawing to correct lenght to the sub stack, carrying upstairs to the stove, ashes downstairs. As we both aged, the help only with the chainsaw bit was lost, and I had had enough.
ReplyDeleteFlicking switches became the only answer but I do still miss the three stoves that have been in three houses. Power cuts have been fewer in the UK.
That flick of a switch suddenly becomes very convenient, but I think most of us miss all the smoke, dust, and type of heat that our open fires provided.
DeleteRe yesterday's post about the denim jacket......last night on I'm a Celebrity, Ant (of Ant and Dec) was wearing one exactly the same!
ReplyDeletePS Yes I do occasionally watch rubbish TV. Easy on the brain!
DeleteThey get everywhere these days; even in the jungle of Australia (?). I don't watch it myself.
DeleteI grew up with coal fires and no central heating. Though not as labour intensive as log burning, even coal fires made you work and not take warmth and hot water for granted.
ReplyDeleteWe had Coal fires when I was young. I don't remember any central heating. At school we had no heating whatsoever!
DeleteWhat about the Latin master?
DeleteOne of the joys of country living is being able to light our stove every night.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's a different way of life; and preferable to urban living.
DeleteAs children we had an open coal fire. I always remember my sister and I, virtually sitting in the grate and had blotchy red legs to show for it !!! We have the original Victorian fireplaces in every room in our house and used to have a real fire in the lounge but had a realistic looking gas one put in as the fire used to spit so much and burn
ReplyDeleteholes in the wooden floor ! XXXX
My son has recently installed a new fireplace in our old house, and he burns logs. It makes such a lovely atmosphere in a room.
DeleteIn the living room I have a gas log fire, which is never used as it gives out very little heat. It's more for decoration so is just a waste of space. If it wasn't for the mess and upheaval, I'd have it removed and replace it with a pellet stove, which is much cleaner, more economical and gives out more heat. I already have a pellet stove in another part of the house but these days rarely need to use it. The central heating on it's own is more than warm enough.
ReplyDeleteIt's a question of modern convenience versus old fashioned 'cosy'. Usually the the modern convenience wins.
DeleteThat's very true Cro, and the older we get the more we go for modern convenience!
DeleteI have never lived in a home without central heat, never owned one without central air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteI like very old houses, the heart of which is a big old fireplace, which was the original kitchen. I love all the dust, smoke, and flames.
DeleteI would hate to be without our wood burner, the room comes alive when it is lit and it feels to be a far more satisfactory level of heat. We used to fell our own wood, stack and store it. There is a saying that wood warms you three times, first in the felling, second in cutting to size and finally burning. We've done away with the first two stages nowadays and have it delivered!
ReplyDeleteIt does change the atmosphere of a home. Who has ever rung the praises of 'coming home to central heating'?
DeleteI rather like the idea of using the phone to get Alexa to get the C H going. On the way home or from my bed in the morning. No comment please from Yorky Pud !!
DeleteI hate the thought of giving up on a wood fire. Although I don't do the splitting these days as Doug insists on doing that and bringing in the wood I do my share when it is delivered, getting it moved and stacked. I fear that if I stopped doing things like that and gardening my health would deteriorate.
ReplyDeleteor my fitness would.
DeleteAbsolutely. We go past a farm in France where we regularly see an elderly lady carrying logs back to the house. She must be in her 90's, and is as fit as a fiddle.
DeleteAll of my houses have had central heating. That said, every house had at least one open fireplace and a wood burning stove.
ReplyDeleteWatching the flames flicker in an open fireplace is warm and cozy. I love the ambience.
I do know that I've had far more problems with central heating than I've ever had with fires. Long live wood fires!
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