Memories of Cleaning Fireplace In An Instant

When my family were young, we lived with our beloved Nanna.  When tiny, we used to toddle around behind her, getting in her way as she did her housework;  I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t brushing rugs over the washing line, or sweeping out her fire place and carefully resetting her fire – a massively messy job.   Funny how certain jobs trigger memories.  I have never set a fire myself but I recall her taking out the spent ash, setting aside any still useable coals;  once all the rubble and ash had dropped through below the grate, she would sweep all out with her small long-handled broom into her dedicated firepace shovel – then out into a covered container in the back yard.   Then would come the endlessly fascinating task of resetting the fire with scrunched up newspaper – not too tight, followed by twiggy kindling and then the coal or a coupl of logs.  Then the massive clean up would continue.  Sweeping the messy dust, bucket of very hot soap suds and the ‘fireplace cloth’ which would swich round every part and after that, the dry down with the old towel – until it all shone magnificently.