In times past there was a great deal of pleasure to be had from an open fire, especially on a cold winter's day, when the fireplace was generally the centre of a room.
Watching an open fire burn gives all of us the kind of primeval comfort that our ancestors probably felt.
It is that very same primeval comfort that encourages people to cuddle up close and enjoy the crackling of burning logs and the scent of wood smoke.
There is a definite sense of romance to be gained from watching bright flickering flames dancing in an open grate.
These days sadly many couples spend cold evenings simply turning up the central heating and watching the TV in modern rooms that are deprived of the charisma of an open fireplace.
While there are many obvious advantages of opting for modern heating methods, convenience for one, there is nothing to touch the tangible warmth and life that an open fire brings to any home.
For a start it immediately creates a focal point for you to gather round instead of drifting to different parts of the room, or even the house.
When a fire becomes the cheerful centre of the home it is only natural to want to inhabit the space around it therefore you will automatically become closer simply by occupying shared space instead of your own individual space.
When people sit down, or even snuggle close in the small space in front of the fire they automatically get closer, talk more and generally form a tighter bond.
If those same people are already in some sort of relationship the very fact that they are enjoying the fire together means there is an even greater chance of becoming closer especially if they are sharing the enjoyment of throwing wood on the fire or watching sudden bursts of beautiful flames shoot to life in front of their eyes.
How many couples can derive the same pleasure from sitting in a featureless room with no central fireplace as they would from lying on a comfy sofa in front of a roaring log fire, surrounded by a beautiful mantel made of antique wood or marble? Yes of course the room may be easier to manage and keep clean, with slightly less manual work, but it is never going to have a soul like the room that has a wood burning grate.
This said however, once you have decided to install or resurrect an existing open fireplace it is vital to use the right kind of wood such as oak or fruitwood as these give off the most heat.
Also be sure to only ever use seasoned wood in your fireplace.
If you try to burn green wood the heat produced by combustion must dry the wood before it will burn and you risk a buildup of creosote in your chimney which creates an imminent fire hazard.
Never ignore the other basic fireplace safety rules such as ensuring that your fire doesn't get out of control, that small children and pets don't get close to the flames and in particular ensure that smoke and toxins don't leak into your home through having a faulty or clogged up chimney.
Always have your chimney professionally swept several times a year and avoid using any type of flame accelerant in the fireplace.
However tempting not to bother for 'just a few minutes' don't leave open fires unattended or without a proper safety approved fire guard.
Always store hot ashes outside in a sealed metal container and certainly don't burn rubbish on a fire or you could have a bigger flame than you intended or even an explosion if a canister gets on the fire by mistake.
Do keep your fireplace hearth free of anything combustible and never wear any kind of loose clothing or billowing nightwear near a naked flame; you have only to read a little bit of history to realise that this was a common cause of death in days gone by, when people wore long thick flannelette nightwear to stay warm.
Finally be sure to install smoke alarms in every room and carbon monoxide detectors.
Follow these essential safety rules for guarding against lethal accident and you will always get untold peace and pleasure and indeed renewed romance from your wood burning fire.