20 Things My Yorkshire Nan Did to Stay Warm Without the Heating On

20 things my Yorkshire nan did to stay warm without the heating on, from a flask by her chair to the one trick that wasn't about the house at all. Cheap, simple and still worth doing in any UK home today, in countdown order. I'm Frank, thirty years a copper in West Yorkshire. In the big freeze of winter 1962-63 I stayed at my nan's little terraced house in Barnsley, with ice on the inside of the bedroom window, no central heating and one coal fire that went out every night. And I don't remember being cold, not once. This is what she did, and how you can do the same today for next to nothing. The list (rough prices, October 2026 — they vary by store): 20. A flask by her chair, thermal flask around £5 21. A hot breakfast every day, porridge and soup 22. Rag rugs on the cold lino, a cheap rug for under a fiver 23. A knee rug, fleece throw around £3 24. The keyhole and the letterbox, draught brush around £5 25. Her chair away from the window and outside wall 26. Old tights stuffed with old tights, draught excluder around £5 27. A heavy curtain over the front door 28. Flannelette sheets in winter 29. A blanket under the bottom sheet as well as on top 30. Bed socks and a nightcap 31. A hot water bottle in the bed an hour before, around £5 32. The oven door after the Sunday roast (electric oven only) 33. Keeping the damp out 34. Curtains, the right way round 35. The chimney draught in a fireplace you never light 36. Never going to bed cold 37. Living in one room in winter 38. Never being still for long 39. Heat yourself, not the house Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:59 20. A flask by her chair 1:53 19. A hot breakfast every day 2:55 18. Rag rugs on the cold lino 3:54 17. A knee rug 4:45 16. The keyhole and the letterbox 5:41 15. Where she put her chair 6:36 14. Old tights draught snake 7:33 Let me step off the list 8:29 13. A heavy curtain over the front door 9:29 12. Flannelette sheets 10:24 11. A blanket under the bottom sheet 11:19 10. Bed socks and a nightcap 12:15 Stop the clock 12:42 9. Hot water bottle, the safe way 13:49 8. The oven door (electric only) 14:57 7. Keeping the damp out 16:03 6. Curtains done right 16:57 5. The chimney draught 17:53 4. Never going to bed cold 19:01 3. One warm room 20:04 2. Keep moving 21:07 1. Heat yourself, not the house 22:54 Outro Heat the rooms you use most to at least 18C if you can, especially if you're over 65 or have a health condition (NHS advice). Safety: never use a gas oven or gas hob to heat a room, and fit a carbon monoxide alarm. Use hot water bottles with warm water, never boiling, always in a cover, and check the rubber. Please don't use coal, paraffin heaters or hot bricks today. Only use a chimney draught stopper in a fireplace you never light, and take it out before any fire. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, ask your GP before putting your feet in warm water. This is general information from personal experience, not professional or medical advice. Old habits are shown for nostalgia; unsafe ones like coal or paraffin are not recommended. Shop prices are approximate, vary by store and change. Emergency: 999. Non-emergency police: 101. Frank is a dramatised character; this channel uses AI-generated visuals and voice. #UKPensioners #StayWarmUK #YorkshireNan