In My View: Parting company with an old friend leaves me sad

Afterall, the relationship had lasted over a quarter of a century and there were never any complaints from my side because I had never been disappointed performance wise.

But, in the final analysis and after some deep reflection, I knew deep down I had made the right move.

So, it was out with the old and in with the new when I opened the door and welcomed the two-man team hired at no insignificant cost to come and replace my central heating boiler.

Before this particular firm had been invited to quote for the job to remove a system which had been condemned a decade ago as “dangerous” by our national gas supplier (they cancelled my three-star service contract, stuck a ‘don’t use’ yellow label on it and then sent a salesman round to give me their price for a replacement) a few other firms had been in to take a look.

And they all said the same thing: “They don’t make them like this anymore. When I was an apprentice I practiced on something like this. It will last for years.”

Reassured by such reassuring words, I let the issue slide. As I say, it came on and went off when it was supposed to.

Winters came and went, the rain poured and the wind blew and every room of the house was always nice and cosy.

What was it costing? I don’t know because Mrs B pays that particular bill.

However, we did agree that as we are approaching ‘later life’ heating the house efficiently and economically had to become a priority, so it had to go. Sad really.