We're all fired up!

Due at 9.30, the fireplace fitters were 15 minutes early and after exactly two-and-a-half hours, the new fire was in and looking pretty damned good.

Just having that awful gaping hole plugged has made the room look so much more complete. The end is now enticingly near. I just have some woodwork painting to complete and we can order the carpet fitters. Oh, and I need to pour some self-levelling compound in front of the new hearth. It's marginally shallower than the previous hearth, so there's a small gap. Too small to be cemented in - it would crumble eventually and leave the carpet sagging in front of the fire.

As with the radiator, we had to suffer a test firing, but at least it was only in the one room this time, and only for a few minutes. Looks brill with the flames on, btw.