Fireplaces.

[sheddie]

Have you got a fireplace and is it the focul point in your room? X:)

[Rustic Pumpkin]

We have. A stone one, built when the house was built, with a shelf running to the corner where it has a larger triangular shelf for the television. I hope you understand what I'm struggling to describe (given that Co. Bonnie knows where I live, it has unnerved me and I am not my usual clear thinking self!) It is the sort of thing that appeared in almost every house built circa 1980-ish.

Today, it houses a gas 'fake coal' fire. The shelf now presents problems as televisions have changed so much that they don't fit properly and as it is a purpose built shelf we have no where else to site a tv, so the tv has to be bought to fit the space! A digression from the fireplace.

[sheddie]

I used to sell original fireplaces and mantels then reproduction ones and little ones for the bedroom.I wondered if people did still bother with having a fireplace as their focul point. X

[Crocus]

We do have a fireplace, but haven't used it up to now, believe it or not. It's in the middle of the living room, open both sides, the dining room being at the other side. The living and diningroom is open plan, but we had to build a wall or something to support the roof as it's 5 metres high. That's how the fireplace came about. xx

[dragonfly]

I used to have a large white marble fireplace with a real fire in my Victorian house, now I have a gas fire with 'living' flames through pretend coal, in a black granite and wood fireplace.

I really miss a real fire, there is nothing like it . I know I am lucky that I had one for 20 years but I don't feel lucky. The gas fire hisses instead of crackles. It just doesn't have the same feel at all. Still it could be worse I could have one of those virtual ones.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

Dragonfly, I, too, miss the ambience of a real coal fire, but it triggers my asthma worse than anything, and I had a miserable childhood because of coal fires, of course, we didn't know back then what my allergen trigger was.

[Clunkshift]

Our open fire is in one corner, it has a back boiler which we don't use at present but we may link in with the gas central heating one day.

Just like me, it is simple and rustic

p.s.
I have looked at the photo again in the cold light of day and realise that my steam train picture has become the unique "boiler explosion at Loch Rannock" but otherwise we are very pessimistic folk and the logs, candle and oil lamp are all ready for electricity supply cuts.

[franbee]

This is the fireplace OH made last Winter, he built the cupboards at the side and the mirror above is the secret door to a cupboard.

[dragonfly]

Rustic I was ok with coal fires but most log fires gave me hay fever.

Clunk our chimney breast wall is a similar red to yours which I think is a nice warm colour. I too have a few candles ready.

franbee what a clever oh you have.

[sheddie]

Clunk love the picture, I'm mad on steam trains and they do say my OH looks just like Fred Dibner when wearing his cap and glasses, he is a lot like him and lets nowt beat him. Also love the fireplaces, wish I hadn't lost the pics of the ones I used to sell, but when computor had to be changed I lost the entire lot. X

[dragonfly]

Sheddie I was worried about losing all my photos which are on computer so I bought a memory stick and put them on as a backup.

[Clunkshift]

Sheddie, we have several steam train pictures around the house as we live in earshot of a steam railway line. When the children were small the loved all the (original) Thomas the tank engine stories and though steam was normal and would shout "look, an electric train" when we went on a journey.

The bricks are all reclaimed and partly laid by me, replacing a cheap 1960's tiled concrete horror.

Dragonfly, and other digital photo owners, It is worth investing in an external hard drive which has its own power source and plugs in to a USB port. I back up my music and photos on a 500GB drive in case of computer failure. the "tech guys" at PC world or any other professional computer nerds should be able to show you reasonable drives for £60 - £70. That may sound a lot, but is just one hours labour charge if your PC breaks down!

Clunk x.

[dragonfly]

Thanks for the advice Clunk, I am going to look into that. I have taken hundreds of photos that I would be very sad to lose.x

[joyceybug]

we are about to choose a fire surround for our recently installed wood burning stove, of which we are decidedly underwhelmed. The idea of this stove is to help us to use less oil, so we have had a neutraliser fitted.The stove is a huge, Charnwood Island jobby. Like a fool I chose a cream one, only to find that it is completely uncleanable. Contacted the manufacturer who recommend spray painting it ! How can they offer a colour like cream if it's impossible to clean it?! I have tried everything.The radiators sometimes get hot, sometimes don't and we have fiddled with thermostats for hours.Anyone else struggling with one of these horrible things?

[TIGGYWINKLE]

I love my open fire. I look into the flames and dream. I built in a mock fire place in the kitchen with an electric fire, which I love, as it makes it a cosy corner.

[Gentian]

I love your lounge fireplace Tiggywinkle, sometimes I think I would like to change ours to that style.
This is what we have, it is made from Hornton stone from a quarry near Edgehills and I designed it about 42 years ago. It is 7 feet long and was the fashion all those years ago. It was an open fire but it has been adapted to a log effect living flame gas fire (I should have lit it before I took the photo)

[TIGGYWINKLE]

Gentian, There was a low white marble fireplace in that room, but as it is a large room, I felt the fireplace was out of proportion, and the new one hqas given the room a whole new look, and is much more balanced. I have a little iron like yoours, belonging to my grandmother.

[Gentian]

The irons were my grandmothers too

[dragonfly]

My fireplace is usually quite boring but I dressed it for Chrstmas

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[Crocus]

Looks lovely DF! xx

[Treehugger]

We have a lovely log burner which is the focus of the room and is lit constantly. Saves us a fortune in heating bills!

I've probably asked this before, so apologies, but I have a picture that I would like to show you all and have no idea how to do that. Can anyone help me?

[Crocus]

Hi Treehugger, if you look in "Troubleshooting", just scroll down to the heading "Pics on RM". I've explained there how to put pics on site. X

[Treehugger]

Brill thanks Crocus

[Treehugger]

Here (hopefully) are pics of our lovely log burner.

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[Treehugger]

Oooh, a bit dark. I'll get the hang of this at some point!

[Crocus]

Practice makes perfect eh? The pics are very atmospheric TH - lovely. X

[dragonfly]

What a lovely warm glow treehugger, there is nothing like a real fire.

[Gentian]

Looks cosy TH, I would like one, but not sure about us being in a smokeless zone.

[Treehugger]

My OH is presently putting a new fireplace in our dining room - keeps him out of mischief whilst I am revising! I'll put some pics on when I have time.

[sheddie]

Come on TH where are your other pics? X