Last year was the first one where we didn't light the woodburner. Dad's not been able for several years, mum no longer can do it safely and my problems make getting down to load it up quite painful.

They got an oil filled electric radiator to go in front of the stove instead as the central heating doesn't quite manage that room on its own (it would need another radiator fitted somewhere - where?. I think it made for high electricity bills but people stayed warm. That said, the price of a load of logs keeps rising and we've never sat down and worked out the cost of a few (paid in cash) deliveries over the year.

As things stand, there are 2 pigsty sheds stacked with what by now will be lovely dry wood (I think mostly beech) and that's a nice stock to have should the woodburner get started again.