Lighting a fire is a little bit like untangling a knotted ball of string!  It is very difficult to stand by and watch someone else do it without wanting to join in and take over, in the certain knowledge that you can do it quicker and better!

However, for many of us, lighting a fire and keeping it going all evening is a skill that we have not had to use before.  It was something that our grandparents had to do in their old, draughty houses.  With the arrival of clean, efficient central heating, many modern houses do not even possess a fireplace.

The last 10 years have seen the rise in popularity of the multi-fuel burning stove.  The best way to set the fire is to start with loosely scrunched paper or newspaper on the top of the cast iron grate.  Next comes a layer of kindling – light, small pieces of wood or dry twigs from the garden.  On top of this, you can place larger off-cuts of wood, followed by bigger logs.  All wood needs to be completely dry.  Once the fire is blazing well, you can keep it going by placing more wood, logs and coal on top.  If you are getting too hot and want to slow the fire down, then you can shut the glass door and close or partially close the vents at the top and bottom.  This will limit the amount of oxygen getting in, causing the fire to burn slower.