Heat in the home

[mjr]

You can identify where the Dutch settled by the Flemish bond brickwork on the houses. There's a series on bbc2 about villages by the sea and they were in Norfolk.

You can also identify some Dutch-influenced towns by wider streets being called "Plain" (from -plein) instead of "Square": Agricultural Hall Plain, Bank Plain, Baxter's Plain, Church Plain...

Dutch-style gable-fronted houses are still built here. Sadly, they're usually no better than their contemporary English mock-Georgian mass-built stuff for insulation and heating, plus the shading from the gables higher than the roof tiles can reduce the area suitable for solar panels.

[francovendee]

Super U's are vast and sell a wide range of goods. Aldi and Lidl have a different model deliberately keeping their stores smaller with a limited number of very popular own range brands and selling much of the same goods as larger stores on a rotating basis in the middle aisles. Their turnover per square foot is massive. One store manager in a Reading branch said they have 5 lorries a day coming in.
Yesterday amongst groceries we purchased unbranded toothpaste at 55p, face cream at £1.49 and 2 toothbrushes at £1.19 the pair. With years of manufacturing experience those prices seem correct to me and without the massive markups other stores apply on branded goods.
Wednesday is usually a quiet day in Aldi but yesterday the car park was packed a really busy. It is half term but there werent many children about. I think folk are feeling the squeeze.

Baltika and Lituanica? I thought you lived in Norfolk, has it gone German?

Al

As we both know the selling price has little to do with the cost of manufacture. It's more about how well the marketing boys and girls sell the sense that your money is buying a better product. Mass produced items can cost very little to actually make but add on everything else and it outstrips this cost.
At least with their own brand products there isn't a great deal spent on advertising. Boots being an exception.
There must be a lot of profit in creams and potions.

[Jdsk]

"Air fryer and slipper sales surge as UK strives to reduce energy use":
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... energy-use

Jonathan

[simonineaston]

Now, almost exactly a year after I wrote the first post in this topic - a year during which a great deal has changed one way or another, the bedroom thermometer shows 18 degrees and I'm eying it up with some interest. The thermometer on the balcony outside shows 6 degrees. The ch remains resolutely turned off. Cosy jumpers lie on my chair, ready for application.

[Mick F]

9degC outside here. Wet and windy too.
18degC here in the livingroom.

TBH, I'm rather warm. I have a stinking cold and no doubt have a temperature.
Central heating?
Sit next to me!

[simonineaston]

Get Well Soon !

[pwa]

9degC outside here. Wet and windy too.
18degC here in the livingroom.

TBH, I'm rather warm. I have a stinking cold and no doubt have a temperature.
Central heating?
Sit next to me!

And get your stinking cold? No, thanks.
We have been tolerating 16 or 17c this last few days, and I can't say we have been uncomfortable.

[Mick F]

My cold came from Gambia!
How many people can say that eh?

Mrs Mick F came back from there last week, and although they have 40odd deg heat out there, the children are still snotty ........ and she caught a cold, and has given it to me!

She was out there doing charity work and it was the second time this year. Three months Feb to May, and now six weeks for her latest. Going out again in the spring.

[PedallingSquares]

Just got back from a dank,damp dog walk.8° outside,21.5° on the stairs where the Hive thermostat is and heating has just clicked on.Probably a bit warmer downstairs,maybe a °or so.I'm sat at the kitchen table with my back to the radiator, so warming up nicely

[al_yrpal]

Just back crom coppicing in the Community Woodland. Sitting in front of the log burner. Its 9 C outside and 18 in here.
So far this Autumn we have switched the CH on once a few days ago when there was frost for a couple of hours. The Aga heats the kitchen the bathrooms towel rails, dries clothes and of course cooks. Nice and warm in the kitchen diner.

Al

[Mick F]

Took the dog a walk earlier and called in at the pub for a couple of beers.
Chatting to a mate who lives with his family in a fairly modern house near the village. We talked about heating, and costs, and stuff.

He mentioned that they haven't turned their gas central heating on since last winter. It's the only heating they have.
He added that there is mould on some of the walls, and on some on the chair legs.

We've had damp dreary weather here for weeks and weeks. Note what Peetee has said on the "How's your Weather" section.

In the far south-west it’s been horrible/wet/damp for 6 weeks now with only the occasional let-up for a few hours. I can’t remember a single day in that time that hasn’t brought at least one bout of heavy rain interspersed with hours of drizzle.

It may not have been cold at all, but the damp and the dreariness gets in to the homes without any heating on.

[PedallingSquares]

Chatting to a mate who lives with his family in a fairly modern house near the village. We talked about heating, and costs, and stuff.He mentioned that they haven't turned their gas central heating on since last winter. It's the only heating they have.
He added that there is mould on some of the walls, and on some on the chair legs.

If ever there was a case for putting the heating on then your mates house is it.Mould in a fairly modern house?Summat wrong there,especially on chair legs!!?Sounds like the house needs drying out or possibly has water ingress from somewhere.Mould on walls etc is not good for your health.

[Mick F]

Yep.
We chatted about that.

Lives here ----- or thereabouts.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.52317 ... 384!8i8192

[Mick F]

PS:
We have both our fires lit.

[horizon]

Chatting to a mate who lives with his family in a fairly modern house near the village. We talked about heating, and costs, and stuff.He mentioned that they haven't turned their gas central heating on since last winter. It's the only heating they have.
He added that there is mould on some of the walls, and on some on the chair legs.

If ever there was a case for putting the heating on then your mates house is it.Mould in a fairly modern house?Summat wrong there,especially on chair legs!!?Sounds like the house needs drying out or possibly has water ingress from somewhere.Mould on walls etc is not good for your health.

If ever there was a case for turning the heating off then your mate's house is it. Get the windows open, the air blowing through, winter or not. The heating will simply evaporate the damp and hold it in the air until the next time the heating is off and the air is cold. The worst thing to happen to UK homes was double glazing and plastic windows. Houses need to breathe.