Read this warning if you have a #LogBurner:
Our chimney has a #cowl encased in wire mesh to keep out hornets and small birds. Amazingly, the wire mesh has burnt away, and now birds keep flying into the #flue, from which they can't escape. We obviously can't leave it like that, but the cheapest quote we've had so far is £660. Apparently, you can't legally fix it without the right certification, and where there's a certification scheme, prices go — well, through the roof.
I'm guessing this happened over Christmas, when we had elderly relatives round and I kept on burning wood all day. The flue liner will have had time to get seriously hot. From now on, I won't burn more than two consecutive loads of wood. If anyone has a better idea, I'd love to hear it.