I've remembered to put the hot water on. Last bank holiday Monday I forgot, and when I went to have a bath at 4pm the water was cold, cos of course on weekdays the hot water isn't set to come on till just before I get home an hour later.

When I got home tonight, it had been such a cold miserable day that the heating had come on.

Get some blankets - save yourself the money! I was thinking the other day that I miss draught excluders. You had to really need the loo to make everyone sit for a minute without the benefit of the draught excluder. That's what's wrong with the nation and today's youth - central heating.

I mean, look at that police cadet who fainted the other day. She's had an unbelievable amount of sympathy pouring her way. If she's going to be clubbing protestors and standing guard in all weathers she's going to need to toughen up. Namely, learning the lost skills of fainting discreetly without expectation of international well wishing, and basic bladder control. These young people nowadays just think they can go to the loo whenever they feel like it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of ice on the inside of a bedroom window.

In fact, right now I have the windows open in my living room, my bedroom, and the kitchen. All three have been open since February. I allow my son to open and close his according to whim, although I'm not particularly happy about it - "but mum, it's soooo fuc**ng cold" cuts no ice with me. He's allowed the heating on through the night when he's unwell and that's that. Apart from hot water, heating is for the unwell and the elderly, generally speaking.

I have a fan heater in the bathroom to ensure that it's nice and warm when I'm 'sitting' in there.

Namby pamby nonsense. I've noticed bars and restaurants are starting to put their outdoor heaters on. I was under one the other night and my face felt sunburned. It also gave me a hot ear, which I hate the sensation of.

I've been uncomfortable with outdoor heaters for a while now - during a lunch where I was wearing a pleather olive green bomber jacket, it melted like a plastic bag. It's a wonder I'm still alive and not scarred for life.

I don't have that problem - my bathroom doesn't have a window so the temperature is always moderate regardless of the weather.

Have you considered floor length cashmere curtains? They are very effective, and you still get a nice breeze coming in. Sleeping in a hot room gives me a headache.

It's so cold I've put my heating on. In June.

I've got my top off and the window open.

It's freezing here.

Heatings come on.

In August.

My heating woke me up at 5.20 today by rattling. It's been doing that lately. I'm guessing the pump needs replacing.

I really ought to get someone to look at it before the winter. But I probably won't bother.

I fixed the rattling - there's a square aluminium pole which is used to pull down the loft ladder, and I keep it in the airing cupboard. Last time I used it, I accidentally leant it against the metal box of the 3-way valve, and they had been rattling with the vibrations from the pump.

I've set the third slot on my heating so it additionally comes on from 10.40am to 4pm. As it looks like I'll be working at home every day for the foreseeable future.

This is the first time I've ever used the middle slot for the heating.

The central heating's packed in. I'm assuming the condenser pipe's frozen again.

I still haven't turned my heating on.

Not once in this flat, ever.

The thermostat in this hotel room keeps resetting every 2 hours. I have to keep glancing paranoiacally at the temperature display to check that it's still 21.5°C.

Nightjar wrote:

I still haven't turned my heating on.

Not once in this flat, ever.

Heat sponge.