A Very Cold Day

The central heating pump went U/S this morning and it took most of the day to fix.
I tried to remove the pump by using the isolating valves on either side of the pump but they were solid and would not turn.
I then went for the next option of draining the system from the lowest radiator, that was not a success as the washer was stuck to the seat of the drain down valve.
As a last resort I removed the pump by breaking the seal on the fittings either side of the pump. This worked but X amount of water was produced during this operation, needless to say I used a few towels.
Bracken, although being a terrier and should be used to a bit of hardship, was not impressed and took refuge by the oven that we were using as a heat source for the kitchen plus a fan heater in the lounge.
It is now fixed and we are back to normal with hot water and heating. Bracken is curled up next to the radiator in the lounge as I haven't lit the fire this evening (he really is a "big girls blouse"), and all this seems many years away from when I was a kid and had to scrape ice off of the inside of the windows upon rising on a winters morning.