GCH

First off, it isn't astonishingly cold here. The Reading area appears to be marginally colder than Southampton, which was on the coast. We have had two mornings of frost here, whereas in Southampton there was hardly ever a frost, even in the middle of winter. Despite not having the sea to slightly moderate the temperature it is, as they say, a damp cold. For a Canadian example, the temperature is nearly identical this week to Vancouver, only with much less rain.

The thing is, furnaces are kicking in all over the lower mainland as autumn sets in. Us? Well, we don't have a furnace. It's funny, they advertise gas central heating (GCH) as a feature on rental properties here. It is becoming abundtantly clear why one might think that a feature rather than a "nice-to-have". I must first qualify that we have been very lucky to have been let the place we're in: it is inexpensive, shockingly convenient for both Ange and I, it has been entirely flexible and it is very clean. It is however an old building and the flat we're in seems to have been squeezed in at some point, as it was needed. Rather than central heating, it has four wall-mounted electric heaters. One in the lounge (common room), one in our bedroom and another in one of the other two bedrooms. Haphazardly, there is also one in the hallway. So, for those who are paying keen attention, you'll notice I haven't mentioned two critical rooms: the kitchen and the bathroom.

To round out the picture, I will explain that when most of these older home in Britain were built, "singled glazed" windows were installed. In other words, a single piece of glass. And if one might think that a lone piece of glass doesn't act as insulation, in addition to being right, they'd also have to appreciate that most of these old wooden window frame don't actually meet and seal, so windows are essentially always open in some capacity. So, put together a night of frost, a house full of open windows and nothing of substance to heat the house with the open windows and you have the picture more or less... Not surprisingly, rental accomodation also advertises "UPVC double glazed windows" as a feature.

With our windows and feeble electirc heaters, only two rooms are currently moderately unlike being outdoors. Regardless, it is cold in our accomodation. I don't honestly think I'd be lying to say that the fridge has become reduntant in our kitchen. But, we're only 10 days from double glazed windows and gas central heating, using radiators. Glorious radiators.

Yesterday, Anna and I trecked down to Ashford, Kent. I have an aunt and uncle there and my cousin, with her husband and three children are also there. Anna had a wonderful day playing with Max (6), Freddy (3), and Mimi (6 months) and all of their toys. It was great. Dad even dropped by on his way back to Norfolk from a job on the south coast. Anna was also given a super-cute toque and mitts by Aunt June and Uncle Ron, so she's all ready to go into the kitchen, bathroom and third bedroom of our flat. Mimi, Freddy and Anna pose for a photo: