Weekend

[armb]

I put a cowl on top of the chimney, so that's one New Year resolution sorted. No, not one of this year's. Too early to tell how much difference it will make. (It's a simple one like this, from Ridgeons.) Doesn't solve the problem of the downdraft from the chimney being cold - lining and insulating would help with that, but that's a big job. Ideally I'd like a large dormer on the west of our bedroom with a small stove in a second flue added to the existing chimney, but that's far too expensive to be plausible. Just making the chimney higher would reduce the wind blowing down it in the wrong direction (it's below the ridge of the roof), but make the "chimney being colder than the room below" induced downdraft worse.
Also fitted another radiator, mowed the lawn, split some firewood, and massively pruned a clematis montana so I could get into the corner where a fence post had broken in last weeks high winds, but haven't mended the fence yet, just propped it up. Also helped with the marmalade.