Lynne, Dorset

4 February 2011

After 10 years of living in a cold, damp rented flat my daughter is delighted to have moved.  Even while spending a fortune on electric heaters the flat never felt warm and cosy due to the damp.  Three months after she painted some walls they had to be redone, due to the damp.

My grandchildren's thrill at finally feeling warm is a joy to behold.  My four-year-old grandaughter can play in her own bedroom for the first time.  My grandsons no longer have to wear pyjamas plus dressing gown and slipper socks to bed to be warm enough to sleep.

Simple pleasures indeed.  But ones most of us take for granted each winter.

My grandchildren were born in the 21st century - but they've endured one illness after another due to the cold and damp.

And these conditions affected the family's ability to live a normal life.  To try to stay warm, they spent most of their time together in just one room - with very limited space for the children to play and no privacy for the parents.

My family are much happier now.  But how will the new tenants fare in that cold, damp flat?