to think that however mean you are with your own comfort, when you invite guests round you should turn up your heating so that they can remove their outdoor garments with some degree of comfort?

[LittleWhizzingBella]

I bet loads of you are going to tell me there's a credit crunch, times is 'ard etc., but in that case don't invite your friends round to spend the morning freezing their arses off at your place. Turn the bloody heating up, or come round to mine which is what I suggested in the first place, suspecting that I was letting myself in for a morning of freezing discomfort and trying to avoid it by holding the event at mine.

Oh why are the English so bloody inhospitable?

Rant rant rant.

Stands back, waits for excuses condemnation.

Or silk underwear. Not the red + black Christmas specials designed for men to buy and their wives to return. Nice slips that, because they're silk, keep you warm when you're cold.

Really silk? Is it better than thermals? I do wear a thermal vest in winter sometimes

Have checked the temp here. It is 22. I don't think that's unreasonable, it's comfortable for just sitting, arguing on MN and reading. It would be too hot if I was actually exerting myelf and moving my arse...

Yanbu, little whizz

It is used in a lot of ski wear e.g. here. I don't know why it's so good but it is.

It feels really wrong to me to have it too hot but to be able to open a window. That's all that expensive energy floating out - environmentally and financially daft.

AND i think that it's not MEAN but necessary. I'd rather have the heating on, I hate being cold, but having it on all day absolutely not possible.

I bought a load of vest tops for early morning dog walking in winter. They really make a difference.

Ah that's a question of opinion though Boco.

For me, being comfortable in my own home is a necessity. If you can't be comfortable there, where can you be? I'll willingly cut back on other stuff, but not comfort in my own home.

Agree it's ridiculous to open a window with heating on though. But if a guest was staying who had to do that to be comfy, then I would rather they did that than be uncomfortable.

But it's not just opinion is it. Our bills have doubled since we moved here, but our wages haven't gone up at all. if your mortgage has also gone up and there's nothing left to cut back on - you simply can't pay, then it's not an option.

I feel the same about comfort, but for some people it's not about comfort but debt and getting by without sinking deeper into it!

True, I take your point on that. But that's not the case for my DF, she's reasonably well off

Ah well she's mean then.

Ooh I've had this lately. I just know now so wear oodles of layers to prepare for it

I wouldn't invite anyone round in the winter as the house is so farking cold I'd be ashamed.

Does she realise how cold it is? I mean, DH grew up in a house where there was only heating in the kitchen. He is uncomfortable in what I would call a warm house. We are currently bickering over whether to set the thermostat above 18 degrees. However he at least realises other people live differently. PIL still regard ice on the inside of the windows as the norm, and our 18 degrees is a sign of my decadence. They don't get out much

Oh dear, I have my heating on full blast, and everyone still keeps their coats on when they come to visit. Combination of gappy floorboards in the whole of the downstairs, and single glazed rattly sash windows.

On the plus side, dc's are now hard as nails and strip down to their vests at any available opportunity, including yesterday when playing in a play barn that was partially open to the elements!

DH has the thermostat firmly set at 17 degrees; anything higher brings him out in a cold sweat. It's growing up in Bolton that's done that to him . I on the other hand am a Southern Softy and would happily have the heating on all day if I could.

I grew up in a draughty house, and now live in another one, and hate going into houses which are (to my taste) over-heated. I find myself willing someone to open a window. It's possible that guests find my house cold, but as I don't feel cold there, I wouldn't know!

DH always grumbles about the cold, but he should just wear more pullovers. At least it's easier to do something about being too cold than it is when you're too hot.

My DCs don't notice the cold at all - they were out today wearing t-shirts in 5 degrees. I did have standby coats, cardies and so on - but they weren't needed. Are all northerners hardy?

We have the same in the car. I hate going in other people's cars, because they are always so hot and stuffy that I think I'm going to pass out. I don't recall ever using the car heaters!

LOL Dottoressa you are a hardy lass

Does anyone here have an actual thermometer to see what temperature their house really is? I'm sure our thermostat isn't as accurate as it should be (and the one in my parents' house is about 20 years old), so one person's 18 degrees could be the same as someone else's 20.

PS YANBU if DD was putting on coat and balaclava

Bella, I am with you. I feel the cold desperately unless I am moving around, I wish I didn't but I do. My hands & face & feet freeze if it's 'too' cold. Our house isn't very warm (we don't have room thermostats so I don't know what the temp is) although DH is fine as he doesn't feel it. He says I am a lizard & he's right: I need a direct heat source such as a radiator, fire or hot water bottle. I wish there were a cure, honestly, as the British are very suspicious of those who feel the cold (funnily enough, it's completely acceptable, indeed worthy of sympathy, if one suffers the heat - why is that?!) I grew up in the north-east & we didn't have central heating til I was 12 so it's not that. As a child I was always hogging the fire or the Rayburn.
As the DCs have been around for half-term & it's been chilly outside, I've had the heating on during the day. Next week I'll just suffer... [martyred emoticon]

YANBU - I agree with you, bella.

I remember one terrible new year, staying over with friends when dd1 was 1 and their baby was 6 months.

Our 1 yr old was up at 5.30am, jumping around as 1 yr olds do. Friends were tucked up in bed with their baby, sleeping soundly. They didn't get up and their heating didn't come on till 8am

We went a walk round the local park on new year's day at 7am because it was warmer than being in their bloody house

Eeh, it's grim oop north.

Given that our crumbling sash windows don't shut properly, it'd be a waste of heating anyway...

YANBU

In fact, we have had ours on this afternoon as SIL was visiting. Normally I would add a fourth layer, but guests don't bring a selection of additional clothing.

so we splashed out and put the heating on. I must admit that in my head I saw images of ten pound notes on fire as we enjoyed the heat, though.

I'm anohter cold-houser! My Mum always moans that she's cold at my house, I tell her to bring a jumper

I hate overheated houses. My PIL house actually makes me queasy when we stay there, I have to turn off the rads and open the bedroom window its so STUFFY

[Yorkshire emoticon]