Stanley is the name of our wonderful old, and I mean old, Aga type solid fuel stove in the kitchen. When we first came here, Stanley presented us with many challenges. He often used to belch out black smoke when he was a bit bunged up and needed a D and C (de-coke). Jim worried long and hard about each problem Stanley presented him with. He removed his chimney and emptied out several buckets full of black tar. Every crevice of Stanley was poked and prodded and cleaned and indeed he sprang into action with aplomb after this operation. Now J has the better of him alltogether and lights him every evening with little or no trouble (and some help from the odd firelighter). We burn wood from the land and marvellous little compressed peat blocks. We had radiators fitted, which Stanley now heats with pride. He hasn't quite worked out how to get the hot water above tepid, so we have to use the emersion from time to time. This makes the water so hot you could almost make tea with it!
We are planning to look into a new boiler, one of those wood pellet jobs. We're off to view one in December. We will be sad to see Stanley go, maybe we can freecycle him, or put him in the garden as an 'art project'. Now that would be good.
In the meantime, though we once viewed him with fear and trepidation, we have grown to love him for his foibles and battered but homely off white coating. Long may he burn...
2 comments:
What you don't know is that everytime I start one of the lighting Stanley sessions I mutter under my breath: "Right Stanley, any trouble from you and that spanking new wood chip boiler will be in here quicker than you can say 'Scrape out me ash'. Seems to work a treat.
You don't think Stanley can read do you?! .... Jim
Oh gosh, I never thought of that!! He belched smoke at me today, so maybe he can!!
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