UK Snow

Everyone moans about snow in the UK! How the country grinds to a halt! The airports can't run fully, the roads aren't gritted, the schools are shut etc etc.



It really really annoys me. When I was a youngster, we used to regularly, well more often than we do now, get snow in winter. People just got on with it. Schools where never shut, playgrounds had icy slides the children had made. Health and Safety was not heard of. Mums where at home in case of any accidents and life was brill!



Now the counties run out of salt for gritting the roads, and that's after a couple of days of snow. I came home from Swindon on a sheet of glass, last night, as no one had gritted. I passed a young girl of about T's age who had pulled in and probably had no idea how to drive in such treacherous conditions. Well we don't need to teach them how too as these conditions so rarely happen!



Buses don't run because its too dangerous, but what they really worry about is someone suing them for Health & Safety reasons because something is wet, icy or just to darn slippy!



Sadly a young girl was killed sledging yesterday, no doubt some silly law will come in to stop children sledging! We have to take some risks otherwise where is the fun in life.



Other countries cope! Yes they do but then they have snow falls most winters and so have all the equipment. I would go out and buy chains for tyres, special boots for walking, I would pay for my girls to learn to skid too, if I knew this was going to be a regular occurrence.



So stop moaning UK, take your time, walk slowly, drive slowly and enjoy this very rare occurrence!

Rant over!!!

The whole, yes the WHOLE of my house is going to be cleaned! All my carpets cleaned, curtains, duvets, pillows, walls, ceilings, suites, lamps, you name it, it will be cleaned, because of smoke damage! If the carpet in the lounge and in fact the walls and ceiling don't clean up well enough I will get a new carpet and be redecorated!!

Now I didn't think it was quite that bad but it is! Excellent says I, thinking I won't need to clean the house before my party........ WRONG

This is the culprit



my chimney needs to be reboarded



and it can't be done in time, hrmph. So instead I will get it all spring cleaned afterwards!!

Fire!

The weather is turning colder here in the UK. Apparently we will be getting the biggest snowfall for 18 years!!! In our 180year old cottage it is difficult to eliminate all the drafts (giraffes)so to prepare for this I lit the front fire yesterday! For some unknown reason it took off like I have never seen it, before



It was soooooooo cold, even Jake took to bed!





During the day, we had an awful smell of smoldering wood, which got worse and worse! My neighbours have a wood burner and only burn wood and I wondered if somehow the smoke was coming through as we share chimneys. Sadly no.

By the afternoon it was so bad, we decided to shovel out the fire. Which involves basically using a shovel to scoop out the fire into the ashcan and carrying a red hot ashcan outside, praying to goodness the bottom doesn't drop out! Then raking out the rest so it goes out!

This appeared to make things better, and whilst it cooled we went through to the kitchen to eat our dinner!

After dinner I came back through and the lounge was full of smoke, the stove was cool to touch but the chimney board which blocks the chimney was red hot!



we called the fire brigade! They came as you can see, and pulled out the board and in one corner was a small pile of soot which was smouldering! They checked the whole of the chimney, up through the house with there 'thermal imaging camera' and found that to be fine. They then proceeded to sweep the chimney.

I am fanatical about 'fire safety' as I have two solid fuel appliances in the centre of my house and get the chimneys swept every year without fail.

Anyway they said it was very obvious that I have had the chimney swept. Tidied up and left.

They did a brilliant job and I thank them from the bottom of my heart as there was no way we could have dealt with it.

But..........



my lounge is covered in soot and cinders and stinks and to be honest I'm not sure where to begin! So I shall call my sweep and see if he can recommend someone to come and refit the flue and board. I will then phone the insurance company and see whether they can help with the costs of this and cleaning the carpet, curtains and suite. I will keep you posted!

I have been away visiting my mum, hence the lack of blog posts, but I put all the names in a hat



of everyone who entered my giveaway and the winner was......



Lottie!
These will be winging there way to you, once I can get to the post office!