Duckling reviver

Many people seem to regard an Aga as something posh. With a modern one that's undoubtedly justified, given that it will cost the price of a small car to install in your kitchen.

We have an Aga, but posh it isn't. We inherited it with the house when we moved here over 30 years ago, and it has been a permanent fixture throughout our time here. It's actually much older than than that, celebrating its 6oth birthday this year.

Originally it ran on solid fuel, Phurnacite stove nuts shovelled into its hungry stove-top mouth night and morning, with ash needing removal from a low down aperture at the same time. But we eventually tired of that, and the constantly sooty surfaces in the kitchen, and had it converted to gas.

Over the years it has been our trusty oven, hob and more besides - hot water provider for the house, clothes airer, wet raincoat dryer, even duckling reviver when we kept ducks and geese and an occasional ailing youngster needed a bit of therapeutic warmth.

No, our Aga's not posh, but it is a much-loved and - for me - indispensable part of family life.