[West Ender]

Forty years ago we lived in an Air Ministry house in Whitby. The only forms of heating were a coal fire in the lounge, a heated towel rail in the bathroom and very small wall-mounted electric fires in the kitchen and bedrooms. The windows had metal frames and were single glazed and we lived about 200 yards from the sea.

It was absolutely bloody freezing in Winter (though we were hardy, then, and barely noticed it) and all our windows used to be covered in condensation which often froze - on the inside. We found a product that was supposed to be like double-glazing. It was plastic sheeting, like a thick cling-film, that you taped over your windows then heated with a hair dryer until it went taut. It really did reduce the draughts and cold air and it stopped the condensation. Unfortunately I can't remember what it was called and I don't know if you can still get it.