Brit Brides Cheer Chimney Sweep Boom

English cleaning out their fireplaces as heating costs rise
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 19, 2008 2:25 PM CDT
Brit Brides Cheer Chimney Sweep Boom
A bride sits in front of a fireplace, no doubt waiting for a good luck chimney sweep.   (Shutterstock)

High energy costs in the UK are proving to be a boon for chimney sweeps, Reuters reports. A national group says they’re getting a bigger than usual rush of fall business as homeowners look to their fireplaces as an inexpensive way to keep warm. That means more chimney sweeps roaming about, which, if tradition holds, is good news for brides: In Britain, it’s considered good luck to see a sweep on your wedding day.

"People are opening up fireplaces which have been closed for years," said one chimney sweep. "People are also ordering in wood burning stoves, and multi-fuel stoves, with an eye to turning their central heating off entirely this winter." (More superstition stories.)

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