Preparedness for when

pineapple

VJsmum wrote: »

I wonder if a raid on bank accounts and pension funds would include property such as ours?

There might well be some sort of levy on investment property in the future but your having bought it with pension money should not be a factor.
I was in a similar position. I lost out in that I chose to convert as much as possible to capital. All of that is spent now or out of reach. I also chose not to defer the state pension - which in normal times is probably worth doing. I just took the view that in the current climate I preferred a bird in the hand....

[Deleted User]

Our local street lights are still operating as normal, but the street lights on a stretch of our local motorway, are permanently off.

As for the power cuts in the 70s, the first time we had one, I got home to find the whole family huddled around a single tea light, which was the only candle in the entire house.

GreyQueen

Afternoon all.

Parts of Provincial City have their street lights off after midnight as a cost-cutting measure. People aren't happy. It doesn't effect me here in the city centre as TPTB pointed out that there was no point in having CCTV cameras to deter crime and then plunging the centre into darkness.

I do know how shockingly dark I find the countryside on the rare occasions I venture out into Da Sticks after dark. Good thing I always carry a torch in my bag.

catznine, the youngsters are living in a bubble world of plenty and probably can't imagine a world where they can't buy whatever they want, whenever they want it. Long may their innocence continue, but once you've had a few days (or longer) of uncertaintly, your perceptions are forever changed. We happy band who were there in the 1970s know what jolly fun can be had huddling around tealights........:rotfl:

Have been to work and come home again today. Interesting.

Re money safe in banks/ pensions/ property.........the answer to is it safe will be....depends.

VJsMum, sounds like you made a wise move with OH's pension and in the nick of time, too. I guess that the Government makes the rules and the Government changes the rules to suit themselves. They could do anything, to any kind of asset, depending on how desperate they are and what they think they can get away with. As we cannot know ahead of time what they may choose to do, we can only do our best with the information which we have available at any given time.

Presupposing your crystal balls are as foggy as mine. I predicted a few mins ago that it would rain, based on the fact that it is nearly dark and the temperature is dropping and I was exactly right as it's pertiddling down.

Right, off to eat a light supper of a half FB pie, hg spuds and whoopsied broccoli at 9p a head. Livin' large.

RAS

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

As for the power cuts in the 70s, the first time we had one, I got home to find the whole family huddled around a single tea light, which was the only candle in the entire house.

Sounds like my shared house where I arrived home to find one housemate trying not very successfully to light a fire with a dodgy lighter to get some light (the boundary of the blackout ran along our street so we had some diffused light from streetlights further down the hill).

Since I kept a torch near the kitchen door, I headed off upstairs and raided my candle stash and matches (was was the only person owning any of these items).

Got them illuminated downstairs and went for the camping gear. By the time the tea was brewed they had also managed to get the fire going. Soup and sarnies followed.

[Deleted User]

We had no camping gear back then, but fortunately (doubly so, since we had an electric cooker) we had a coal fire, on which we cooked and boiled water.

metherer

I was born in 1980, so missed the 70s cuts. I did, however, grow up in the dales and have lots of memories of cuts in bad winters.

As I remember, lots of toast cooked over the fire, neighbours round to play cards by candle/fire light, and a sense of community that a lot of places lack nowadays. Yes, even that same village I grew up in (35 houses) has changed beyond measure and that community feel has mostly gone. A huge shame.

I live in town now, but still always make sure I've got stuff in, just in case. Thankfully, my husband agrees that it is common sense, so I don't have to convince him.

[Deleted User]

metherer wrote: »

lots of toast cooked over the fire

That is THE perfect way to make toast. :cool:

happydays89

With all this talk of power cuts.....don't forget on channel 4 tonight at 9pm BLACKOUT. Showing what happens when the power goes off.

[Deleted User]

Those of us, of "a certain age", know what happens when the power goes off.

And we're ready and able to cope.



We're a hardy breed.

Teenagers nowadays would see it as TEOTWAWKI, if they couldn't use their I-Phone for a few days.

GreyQueen

happydays89 wrote: »

With all this talk of power cuts.....don't forget on channel 4 tonight at 9pm BLACKOUT. Showing what happens when the power goes off.

Thanks for the reminder; just phoned my folks and asked them to record it for me.

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Those of us, of "a certain age", know what happens when the power goes off.

Wot, going to be really early after playing cards by candlelight?