"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:36:58 +0100, "Mary Fisher"

wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
. ..

What did you do in 1947 when your outside toilet froze?

My Dad hung a paraffin lamp from the cistern.

but it didn't solve the problem of the backyard being like a skating rink.

We didn't have a backyard. Ashes from the coal fire prevented pedestrican
(almost everyone) slipping.

We did the same in the 1962/3
freeze-up - and showed other people in the street how to overcome the
problem.

The mains never froze, only the pan and cistern and overground pipes were
affected, if a small source of heat was left in the place it raised the
temperature enough to prevent freezing.

My dad used a small paraffin heater made for very small greenhouses.

That's a different application.

Mary