DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY: Not ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, just different!

A Real Coal Fire

When we moved into our Victorian house there was an open fireplace in the kitchen. This was not the first time I had had a coal fire, so I knew how much work was involved, but I decided to keep it even though we had gas central heating installed. I have never regretted that decision.

We light the fire only when the weather is really cold, using coal from the bunker outside our back door. I also keep a bag of coal under the stairs in case the weather gets really wet or snowy, so I’m not obliged to go outside. I don’t mind being Cinderella in the morning and clearing away the ashes. If it is really wintry we keep the fire going day and night for weeks at a time, but over the past few years our winters have become a bit warmer so we often let the fire go out for a couple of days before re-lighting it, as the house stays warm for quite a while.

My partner remembers coming downstairs when he was about eight years old and finding a famous singer in his house. His father played in a band, and sometimes American singers or musicians would come over on tour. They were sometimes glad to accept his invitation to stay the night in their home, rather than in a hotel.

This particular American singer was very well-known in his day. His name was Johnny Ray, and he had a big hit with a song called ‘Cry’. As well as having a good voice he was also famous for being partly deaf. My partner remembers squatting down with him in front of the open coal fire, which Johnny would occasionally prod with the poker.
“In America, only the rich folks have fires like this,” he remarked.
The boy replied: “That’s funny. In England, only the poor people have coal fires.”