As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

greenbee

Softstuff wrote: »

I'm not commenting regarding drink driving lest I be banned.

*****************************

I'm a bit concerned about this volcanic ash though, since I'm due to fly to England next week. Quite worried about being stuck in another country part way. Especially since I've barely got enough money to buy a drink in the airport half way :rotfl:

On the first point I've decided not to go off topic... But will on the second to put your mind at rest on the cash-flow situation... Today they think the problem will soon be gone, so you should be ok but just keep an eye on things, check your airmen policy and your travel insurance. Take snacks and make the airline hand over a bottle of water so you have some to take off the plane if necessary.

ceridwen

Hope you manage to have an uninterrupted trip Softstuff.

Mixed feelings here - hope peeps won't be disrupted part way through necessary trips on the one hand but I am looking forward to the possible prospect of several days of no aircraft flying overhead again on the other hand. I recall a lot of peeps I know commenting that it was lovely to have several days of no aircraft at all - and I was "making the best of it" and hoping it went on for as long as possible (one of them did get heads turned towards her though when she commented that she wanted to go on holiday by plane soon and hoped that would still be possible - straight after having agreed how lovely it was to have no planes around at the moment:rotfl:).

SOFTSTUFF - If you do get stuck anywhere in Britain because of this - then I think your best bet would be to tell us all - as chances are that there will be a few of us near you at that point.

GreyQueen

Morning all. Boy, have you lot been busy since I last looked about 3-ish yesterday afternoon.

((Hugs to all in the gales)). Hope everyone is all right. I can recall some blimmin' hairy weather when I lived in Scotland and being on the Outer Hebrides in a Gale Force 9; I'm by no means a featherweight but nearly got blown off my feet and it was a long way down. Cowering on the floor while things blew around outside and smacked into the building.

We've been fortunate here in that although it has been a bit lumpy it hasn't been too evil but I had a shocker when I opened my door yesterday and found a bit of the Towers' roof embedded in the grass outside my door. Not a huge bit, but you'd've died if hit by it. It's duly reported to the council so they'll have to get up and fix it. I think there's an inspection hatch from the top floor onto the roof.

My day worked out just fine and I got in at 10.50pm, shockingly late for me on a work night, but we girlies had a grand time catching up and there was also the matter of the animitronic tranatula (:eek:).

nicepeach going back to your speculation that you might have a leak on your water meter, I was taught the way to test for these by the water company. Turn off everything, read the meter, use no water at all for 1 hour, read meter again. If it's moving, you have a problem. Because I'm in flats, my water meter is in the bin cupboard beside my front door (it's a cupboard which is recessed into the flat so effectively the meter is "indoors"). If it leaked, the leak would be very visible. I understand that some houses etc have meters in the garden under a small cover and I wonder if, in such a set-up, it might be possible to have a leak of water that had registered on the meter and didn't show up indoors?

My home contents insurance policy has a clause which covers for loss of metered water as standard, which is reassuring to know in the event of an emergency.

My dive into Little Mr T on the way home yesterday was very productive; 5 loaves of Warburtons seeded batch at 29p each as opposed to £1.40. Happy happy, freezer is full. Brought out the stock I made from a chicken which I roasted several weeks ago and have that defrosting in the fridge to form basis of a hearty soup for tonight's tea. I lurve rubber chickens, they go on bouncing.

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment about inflation being a lot higher than 5% in the real world. Lots of basics have gone up 50-100%. I have a pretty simple lifestyle anyway and there's not a lot of luxe to pare down esp since I've given up the chocolate so it'll mean less going into the Rainy Day Fund and less security long-term. With chronic health problems and a limited ability to earn my living, I'm big on security. Almost everything I own is elderly; the 6 y.o WM is the youngster among my applicances but will just have my fingers crossed that the letter I'm due to receive about the new pay grading this weekend will see me transferred across the new scale at approx where I am now, not going down in income.

Still, mustn't grumble, still have a job and that's a blessing. This is my 3rd major recession since I joined the labour market and I know what it's like to hunker down. At least we've got these forums as a valuable resource and a comfort in hard times. I never ceased to be amazed at what people knowthe answer to!

Going to have a nice weekend visitng family, it's Nan's 88th and we'll have a wee bit of a fuss, not too much because she gets tired easily. Then a lovely family Sunday and....and......bootsales on 2 consecutive days. (beams at screen, loves a bootfair). I need some new-to-me clothes and housewares, a few things have gone west lately.

Hope you all have a great day and that not too much damage was done to your homes and gardens if you were caught in the rough weather.

EDIT; we had a heavy rainshower at about 7 pm last night, still no proper rain, flawless blue sky and sunny again.

scottishminnie

Well it looks like my best money saving efforts have been spectacularly blown apart. We've had no electricity since noon yesterday and have just been told it's unlikely to be restored today.
I know i't hardly life and death but with 2 freezers full of carefully prepared meals I just want to sit in a corner and cry. Scottish Power say we aren't priority as it's only 5 households therefore it's an isolated case. It may only be 5 but we are in the middle of the country so I can hardly pop next door to boil a kettle:mad:
I'm so angry with myself for splashing out at the weekend on a trip to the theatre I now feel like I'm getting my come uppance for trying to be organised.

We have oil fired heating but it needs power to fire the ignition so there's no heat either and the house is baltic. I'm hoping to get to my local gym tonight so I can at least get a hot shower.

I didn't have the heart to inspect the damage in the garden before I left this morning. Goodness only knows how my veg in containers would have survived yesterday's gales.

cat_smith

scottishminnie wrote: »

I know i't hardly life and death but with 2 freezers full of carefully prepared meals I just want to sit in a corner and cry.

Do you have contents insurance? A lot of policies include cover for freezer contents in the event of a power cut. Or is there someone you could take things to for freezing?

Do you have a hob? Or is that electric too? You could try cooking as much as possible.

(((hugs)))

culpepper

Very blustery here too in Kent.
We walked into town leaning against the blast yesterday.
OH has written a strongly worded letter to one of my 'clients' who still hasn't paid for 2 months freelance work that was done last October.
I hate all that confrontation stuff, it makes me just want to finish with it and go back to my gardening and frugal shopping/making/cooking and surveys.
DS still hasn't got his university results. They had a mix up and have only just printed certificates apparently. Not the end of the world I suppose but he doesn't know the results apart from it is a pass and so doesn't feel confident with job applications till he knows.
No work for me again this month so I have been clearing the veg garden a bit more. It has only got fruit growing there this year but it is quite a big area and soon becomes engulfed with brambles and weeds if I don't get down there and hack it all away again.
We have little tiny pears coming on the Wilko pear tree! I planted it about 4 years ago and this is its first fruit. The Apple that we planted at the same time, had lots last year and has lots again this year. They are the little plants about 18" high that they have on their shelves each spring.

Nicepeach

:j:j:j:j:j:j Yippee, it worked, have mango flavoured drinking yoghurt this morning, tastes nice but think it will be better when refrigerated.

Thanks for the advice, I always like to seek the advice & opinion of people who have actually tried & tested things, if nothing else you get an honest opinion & a bit of confidence to give things a try. So thanks again!

Greyqueen: Thanks for advice about Water Meter will definitely try it. My meter is in the downstairs loo (well, not in the loo :eek:, but in the same room as the loo). To be honest I think it mite be just my usage as I have a combi boiler & it takes a while for the hot water to come through so have to run the tap for a while before I get anything like useful temperature of water. I have cut back lately due to this & have started using a washing up bowl in my ENORMOUS kitchen sink, boiling a kettle of water & just adding enough cold to it.

Scottishminnie: I've read somewhere that frozen food will keep if the freezer is well stocked (& it sounds like you are organised & yours is) & will maintain it's temperature for a while but you could try covering them with some towels/blankets/old duvets if you have any to hand?

Thanks again for the advice. Hope everyone has a lovely day today, it's absolutely beautiful blue skies here & the wind has really died down.

scottishminnie

cat_smith wrote: »

Do you have contents insurance? A lot of policies include cover for freezer contents in the event of a power cut. Or is there someone you could take things to for freezing?

Do you have a hob? Or is that electric too? You could try cooking as much as possible.

(((hugs)))

fraid the hobs electric too (the joys of rural living!).

We claimed on the house insurance when it happened a few years back and I wouldn't do it again - they doubled the premium the following year so it wasn't worth it. Unfortunately we have at least 5/6 power cuts a year, mostly 6/10 hours at most but in November we had no power for 28 hours and it was way below freezing. In fact it was so cold there I had to scrape ice from the inside of the windows:eek: On the plus side though the frozen food was ok.

We did look into fitting a generator but £2000 seemed a lot of money for a "just in case" thing. It's beginning to look like we will have no option though as we simply can't rely on Scottish Power any longer

I don't have anyone who could take the food unfortunately so I'll just have to wait and see how bad the damage is I guess:(

short_bird

Found a copy for less than £5 via a google shopping search... not sure what postage is.

kidcat

For anyone looking for books try Green Metropolis, they have had books we have been looking for when no-ne else has them.