Day 2 on the scrapheap.

Even with the 3 little horrors off school today, I have still made astounding progress with the smoker.

Did you know you can burn an entire bale of straw to nothing in 90 seconds just by putting it in the drum with an oily rag hanging from the bottom and setting light to it. All toxins now burnt away from the inside of the barrell.

The fire box is now attached to the oil drum, the doors are fitted to both, the shelf and hanging pole are installed in the drum, the whole thing is mounted on legs and, as we speak, there'e a sample peice of pork smoking away merrily.

As for utilising the chimney for smoking, by opening up the fireplace, the updraft from the chimney would take all the warmth from the house, hence the need for the smoker. Not only that, being the proud owner of so many other essential outdoor cooking tools, the spit, the paella burner and the double barrell barbecue, the smoker was an obvious addition to the collection.