"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
I think that I need to have a bonfire (3 compost bins currently buried
under
huge pile of "woody stuff") but am not sure how to go about it. In
particular - how far from teh house/hedges etc does it need to be? Can I
do
it on grass (i.e. will it regrow?) and what will burn - i.e. do I need to
leave all the stuff to dry out first? TIA,
Hayley



Seriously, you've never lit a bonfire before? Well anyway, it won't do your
grass
any good at all, I should cast about either for a better spot or try and
protect
the grass somehow. The only way comes to mind is to buy a galvanised
incinerator
( costing from £17 up to £23 depending on how much your supplier is gouging
you )
or lay a sheet of something non-flammable ( corrugated iron springs to
mind ) on a
collection of bricks so as to raise it off the grass. Probably the grass
will still get cooked
unless there's something else laid directly on it to protect it ( like
paving slabs ).

You'll have to see what is suitable you have lying around: or char the
grass.
The stuff you want to burn needs to be relatively dry - if it's too wet
it'll smoke a
lot and not get going properly. Also don't make an enormous
heap and burn it all at one go if you are restricted to space. A small open
fire in still air shouldn't toast anything too badly that's 6 feet or so
away.
You could bring that down to 4 feet if you're short of space and don't mind
taking a chance.

As for the house, your average bonfire is at the bottom of the garden for a
good reason, to keep the filth and smoke nuisance down. Your neighbours
won't like smoke drifting in through their windows. Also check for washing,
some people get a bit irrational if you light a bonfire when their washing
is on
the line.

Andy