Fixture

Some photographs are an annual obligation. This is one of them - the extra is the exterior view. We did not create this rather twee arrangement, but we have maintained it for ten years (at the cost of cutting through the phone cable while pruning, one year) and it makes us smile, especially on a sunny morning - the window faces east southeast.

It was obviously many years old when we came, so I'm sure we are looking at multiple decades old, and the minus 15C in January seems to have done it no harm at all. It comes from the Himalayas - hence its species name, 'montana' - so I suppose it can handle a little frost

It also survived us replacing the window. This particular window is the official fire escape if a blaze trapped someone in the room - the apparent central pillar is fake and opens with the window! The clematis does impede opening, but I think it would give way in an emergency. The old window was the famous 'Crittal' type - entirely metal, originally galvanized steel and later aluminium, with brass handles to open and close - much beloved of modernist and art nouveau architects.

All very historic and part of our heritage, but hopeless from an energy conservation viewpoint. The planners hoped we might keep them, but they don't pay the heating bill. Planning regulations have not really kept up with the fact we are in a climate crisis: people living in listed buildings have great difficulty getting permission to install double-glazed windowsp; many houses are still being built with no solar PV on the roof; and standards for house insulation are low by European standards

The clematis keeps this room shady in summer months but loses its leaves and lets in more light in winter. The perfect guest