David, Winchester

19 January 2011

I well  remember  the cold winter of 1963  living as a student in Cambridge  in a rented top floor room in a house with a completely uninsulated roof,  badly fitting windows, a tiny, very inefficient gas fire and no carpet on the floor.

I was actually kept awake at night by the draught under the door causing the lino to flap up and down noisily!  I fed a substantial part of my student grant into a gas meter but still froze. I had to get into bed to do the reading for my course or sit wrapped up in blankets almost on top of the gas fire.

I certainly wouldn't wish this on anyone else and am horrified to discover that so many in UK spend at least 10 per cent of their income on keeping warm in winter as I did then.