bren
master brummie
Not all the fires was the same, ours was a WorkWell, the fire was on the left with a large and small oven on the right. The hob extended back into the chimney breast and had circular plates in that could be removed and the kettle and pans could be set over them, i seem to remember there was like a baffle plate that could be moved to give more heat either to the oven or the hob. Over the hob there was metal racks and then above them was a plate you removed for the chimney sweep and just like you in the winter, the plates got wrapped and put into our beds. Ours didn't have a boiler for the water, all our hot water came out of the gas fired boiler in the corner of the kitchen, mom did the washing in it and if you was having a bath the water had to be carried in buckets to the bathroom. It was great when the council fitted a tank with an immersion heater but mom and dad hung onto that fireplace for many years after they started fitting gas fires and as you said, the house was never as cosy and warm once it was gone.
bren
bren