draughty fireplace.... can anyone tell me if this particular cure exists? or suggest any other ones

[wombleprincess]

my mother seems to think that you can get a chimmney block which you open when you have a fire and close after. apparently a lot of people on the continent have them.. but i have never seen one here.

does anyone know if do exist or recommend any other solutions

You can get chimmney balloons for your fireplace. Give me a sec and I'll find the website.

I just get a load of newspaper, scrunch it up and stick it up the chimney (obviously I never light a fire in the hearth).

We have something similar tothis

Forgot to add, you obviously can't use the fire with one in situ!

i know what you mean re balloons but she seems to think there is more permanent solution, almost a shutter type thing which comes down when the fire is off...

In our old house we used to have just the thing you're looking for. It was a heavy duty metal flap on a hinge that you closed over when the fire was not is use. It looked quite old and seemed to be part of the victorian fireplace.

Perhaps you need to contact a fireplace specialist.

Here, I think. scroll down

Oops here