How to Survive Winter

So you’ve got fire and you’ve got lighting. It’s also pretty essential to keep the space you’re in warm - while you can pull on extra clothes, it’s just not as comfortable to do so. It’s wise, if you’ve any choice in the matter, to check what the situation is with heating and insulation before you move into any accommodation. You’re looking for good central heating, which has been frequently serviced. If it’s gas, make sure before you move in that any pilot lights are burning, and ideally get the landlord or agent to show you how it all works.
Weather in the British Isles in winter leads to a lot of sedentary, indoor pursuits, and if you’re a student, you should probably be studying. Get a decent, comfortable chair, place it in the warmest part of the room, and consider putting a throw or a cushion on it. Beanbags are both comfortably and warm, but can be uncomfortable for prolonged periods. Make sure you can see your flames, and that your lighting is positioned to advantage. Opinion is divided on windows; personally I like to be able to see out if I’m above ground level, and not otherwise, but some people object to seeing more of the winter weather than they have to. Getting hold of good chairs - and armchairs and couches - is easier than you might think; try office supply catalogues, auction houses, thrift and charity shops, and your local freecycle list. And a sofa that I consider to be one of the most comfortable ever was retrieved from a skip in a posh area of Dublin.

One thing that really needs attention is the possibility of drafts. Housing in England and Ireland often still has single glazed wooden windows, and wooden doors that give directly onto living space, rather than coming through porches. In such cases, there’s very often shrinkage of the wood that allows for drafts of cold air to come in. Your best bet in the case of a door is probably the old-fashioned draft excluder; in effect, a long narrow cylindrical cushion which is placed in front of the door. Traditionally, they’re given eyes and a forked tongue to make them look like snakes. For the windows, your local hardware shop will be able to sell you a roll of window-insulating tape, a thick, rubbery stuff that you can stick on the facing surface of the window or frame. If the problem with a window is between the frame and the wall, fill it with putty, Polyfilla, or the like - or let the landlord know, in rented accommodation.