Canvey Island: cradle of innovation for gas heating and home to music makers Dr Feelgood, who drew inspiration from the Mississippi Delta. New Generation Thinker Sam Johnson-Schlee is an author and geographer based at London South Bank University. His essay remembers the influence of Parker Morris standards on heating in the home, songs written by Wilko Johnson and the impact of central heating on teenage record listening and playing instruments.

Producer: Julian Siddle

You can hear more from Sam in Free Thinking episodes exploring Dust and Sound, Conflict and Central HeatingNew Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by the BBC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to put research on radio