I was out with my usual organised walking group the other week. We’d driven out to a very old and well established village and we really enjoyed looking closely at the houses and cottages along the once hectic highway . . . . There were some seriously old properties and we were fascinated to spot some equally old windows – there were bits of wood and casement missing from the surrounds and obviously the glazing itself was pretty old. As it was a sunny but very crisp morning, we were all wondering how chilly it must be in a house without double glazed units! There are so many wonderful designs these days and many of the older properties had received sympathetic window replacements over the years. We saw some very attractive aluminium ones and the owner was proudly telling us that the slim frames suit them very well as they look less obtrusive and are inherently secure – being such a strong material. The slim frames also allow more light into the room, which in an old house, can mean a great difference between light and airy and dim & dull!