We have just returned from our annual chimney sweeping visit to south Wales. This involves sweeping the chimneys of Claire’s dad’s friends in the Wenvoe farming community and a couple of addresses in Mumbles Swansea, for free! Claire’s dad, David Phillips lives and farms at Vishwell Farm, he has a Clearview Vision 500 Multi-Fuel Stove on a factory-made chimney. The other sweeps were at Wristone Farm & Annex, Gilbert Farm in Barry, two addresses in Walston Road in Wenvoe,  an old miners cottage in Llanbradach, Mumbles and Bishopston Swansea. Although he is 88 he’s still farming 150 acres with around 80 head of beef cattle, runs a sizeable caravan site and has two converted stone barns to manage.

This year we swept nine chimneys in total, all of which were lined stoves, bar one standard open fire, which makes things quite easy. As usual, much tea was drunk, and cake and biscuits consumed along the way! We were fit to burst from all the kindness once we were done!

The sweeping included two Clearview Vision 500’s, a Villager Flatmate, a Villager Chelsea, A Hunter Hawk, an ACR Woodpecker, and a Double-sided Woodwarm Fireview. Truly a busman’s holiday in another country.