Beech logs for wintertime

I recall one in a village I lived in long ago, one of the huge old beech trees shed a massive limb one night in a storm which several of us set to work on with a variety of saws. An awkward wood for splitting & chopping, it got a few of us through a particularly bitter winter. A friend of ours from the Tyne Valley folk scene even wrote a song about it - Carole I think her name was but it was such a long time ago I can't remember. I do remember her husband was a dulcimer playing copper (Dave?) AND they had a Raymond Greenoaken broadside of The Hexhamshire Lass framed on their living room wall (as I recall it illustrated a hapless suitor stuck in the mire as his lass looked on with wry amusement). Happy days!

Our log stove has resided in the in-laws' garage since moving rom the Durham countryside to Lancashire Fylde coast 5 years ago. It's a long term project to open up the chimney breast in the back room and install it, but when you're living in an urban environment you quickly lose the urgency on such matters - at least I do. I used to love gathering and sawing up firewood & piling it up in the nook, but these days I'm quite happy with the convenience of gas central heating.

One day, I hope, we'll get back to the country, but the seaside's just fine for now.