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A lot of 60s houses were built with fireplaces as central heating was still a bit of a luxery. In 1970 only 30% of houses had central heating rising to 59% in 1980 and 79% in 1990.
As the ever fascinating @mespilus mentioned somewhere on here recently mains (North Sea) gas only came along between the late 60s and mid 70s. Before that it was coal (town) gas which was stored in gasometers and piped around your house via those thick old steel gas pipes sometimes found when renovating older houses (I pulled a load out when we redid our flat).
I had no idea mains gas was such a modern thing until he posted that!
Fox-
You are too kind!
Those that have met(/endured) me at Wests
will know that I straddle the line between mildly fascinating and obsessive,
and suffer from a retentive memory.The introduction of North Sea Gas was even accompanied by a tv advertising campaign,
as there was trauma over whether old cookers could be converted,
or,
whether the gullible would be preyed upon by avaricious Gas Board salespeople.Solid fuel continued to be actively sold for at least a decade, (round here).
Alongside the Metropolitan Line, between Ruislip & Ruislip Manor was essentially a linear storage yard for coal/smokeless fuel.As 6th form Friday night drinkers we knew to stay out of the back bar of the Coach & Horses,
as the coalmen would have been on an early doors bender,
until finally summoned home by irate wives/partners.
mespilus
A lot of 60s houses were built with fireplaces as central heating was still a bit of a luxery. In 1970 only 30% of houses had central heating rising to 59% in 1980 and 79% in 1990.