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A fire will take a good hour to impact on the temperature of a room, so it’s always wise to light it well in advance of sitting down. The art of lighting a fire has eluded many of us from the ‘radiator generation’, but those born before the war, such as grandparents, are a great source of information when it comes to firelighting

Our Guide to Laying a Good Fire

Step 1

Loosely scrunch some newspapers – about 5 or 6 pages (the business section should do).

Step 2

Lay some kindling above it. These are small “sticks of wood”.

Step 3

Create an arch with two smaller, dryer logs on either side of the fire (preferably from a pile that has been inside).

Step 4

Place a handful of coal pieces on top of the fire.

Step 5

Put a match to the newspaper, and, when the crackling has died down and the flames are large and well established, you can add some coal and some of your larger, less dry logs.