To wonder why so many houses have blocked up fireplaces?!

[FallingOver]

I just don't get it! I'm looking around for a new rental at the moment - moving to Sheffield in the summer - and I am flabbergasted at the amount of seemingly nice houses that have blocked up fireplaces. Some even have blocked up fireplaces with horrid electric heaters pasted on the walls! Gas fires I can just about understand (even if I think they're not quite the same), but the thought of a home without a nice warm fire blazing away on a cold winter's night... WHY?

Everyone I know who had a fire when I was growing up also had huge metal fire guards round them - not very sightly tbh, and certainly means no romantic cosy view of a fire.

Open fires were most definitely the cause of house fires in the past.

And yes, children were burnt because of them.

They can be very safe if used properly and with a guard however, and children are supervised at all times when a fire is going.

oh i don't have guards, children and dogs know to stay away from them
but romance in front of a fire? oh well, that's a new one on me :o

Because coal fires are filthy and I'd never be able to use one with the kids.

We took ours out entirely when we took out the back boiler. It liberated loads of space in our small-ish terrace.

And open fires are incompatible with my children. Even being in the same room as the oven is.

My mum used to dry socks and underwear on the fire guard.

I wouldn't have a coal fire as it's a PITA to clean, light and stocked up.

I meant the romantic notion of having a fire to curl up in front of, rather than romantic events one may or may not wish to engage in in front of said fire!!!

I'd love an open fire, we were going to get our chimney checked and reopen it etc but never got a chance and we're trying to sell now so maybe that's a project for the next people. If we ever sell.

Romance in front of an open fire...oh yes, brings back some memories