Preparedness for when

mardatha

Maybe that's one of the reasons we were better off GQ, cos my dad was a miner. I never realised you had to actually pay for coal until I got married and had to buy it!

pineapple

GreyQueen wrote: »

I can't look at those pictured from the Phillippines there without wanting to cry. There was a bloke on the radio this morning, with his old Dad, who was two days overdue for his dialysis and getting very ill. And when you look at homes, even very modest homes, reduced to matchwood and sodden debris, you feel it to your core. One of the interviewees said it was as bad as if a nuclear bomb had gone off.

Re Fukushima radiation, I honestly think that the scientists don't know what will be the long-term outcomes for the rest of the world as it disperses around the planet. It may mean a sharp uptick in cancers in 30-50 years times

We got all dramatic over our recent storm but this is something else entirely. Some people trying to survive in the ruins of their homes knowing their families bodies are somewhere beneath them.. Makes all my aggravations seem like a minor niggle.
As for Fukushima - being of the tin foil hat persuasion, I'm still not convinced that radiation was not a factor in the Schmallenberg virus - bearing in mind the timing and the symptoms.
Whatever - it will be hard to pin down any increase in cancers, birth defects etc to this cause, it's difficult enough to prove cause when there are spikes around suspect sites. Plus it is not in the gubberment's interest to acknowledge as they want to push ahead with nuclear and there isn't much they can do about it anyway. There isn't much we can do either - apart from trying to make our immune systems as healthy as possible and maybe taking a look at some of the herbal defences.

jk0

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

morning all

When we eventually move into our little smallholding, ( in the middle of a major restoration, doing it VERY slowly, when we can manage to save a few pennies) One of the rooms, I want to turn into a larder/stock room, I like the look of some of the ways that peeps store their stuff on American preppers, but I would go as extreme as them.. so instead of everything spread around in different cupboards, or different parts of the house, it will all be in one room..

CTC, if you are going to do that, is there any way you could make the door hidden during the renovations? That book I mentioned a few weeks ago suggests hiding the edges of a door behind the uprights (and top shelf) of a shelving system.

VJsmum

Goldiegirl wrote: »

GreyQueen, your recollections seem very similar to my own.

We never had a car - my dad used to cycle at least 10 miles to work and back again each night, and was doing that well into his 40's, when he invested in a small moped.

We had a tin bath and outside loo until about 1973, before we finally had some alterations done and the luxury of an inside loo. No central heating either.

But I certainly didn't feel deprived. In fact as an only child I was considered to be very fortunate in that I tended to get more toys for Christmas and didn't wear hand me down clothes from older siblings.

Holidays were a week away in somewhere like Margate. Although I live in Kent now, I grew up in Essex, and the trip to Margate seemed epic. My poor dad lugging two suitcases (actually by today's standards the suitcases were very small) down to the station, a train to Tilbury Riverside, the Tilbury ferry to Gravesend, on the train to Margate, and then the excitement and luxury of a taxi to our 'digs'.

As a child, I could never have for seen the travelling that I'd do and the life I now have. My husband and I have always worked hard to achieve what we have. But as he's from a similar background too, we never ever take for granted our current life - we remember our roots.

I grew up in Kent and a trip to Margate was a luxury for us too. Did you go to Dreamland and go on the scenic railway?? I loved that, it was so exciting. Took the kids a few years back and it was a sad and sorry sight, still had that roar though. My nan used to take us once a year for the day - she was a "Pilkington's pensioner" and got some vouchers for us to go (ever OS!). I don't think my kids were as excited going to Disneyland as we were to go to Margate (well, maybe, but it's close!).

I too, did not go abroad until I was in my early 20's (apart from 2 day trips to Boulogne with school) and didn't fly until my mid 20's. It seems inconceivable that I have been to so many fabulous places now.

I have, very excitingly, been to A NEW TIP today :j and it has A SHOP!!!!! Unfortunately it was shut but, rest assured, I shall be back soon to see what riches it may have to offer.

[Deleted User]

I love to go to the tip with He Who Knows, we have the shop too and I can't see how rescuing something from there is in any way different to buying something from a charity shop. They are a lovely helpful bunch of polish guys who run the tip, will always help unload if it's something heavy or bulky and are spot on eagle eyed for things to recycle and not throw away, we've rescued things occasionally and never paid more than a few pounds for something perfectly good, just discarded by its original pwners. Cracking good system, Lyn xxx.

greenbee

One of my neighbours has been banned by his wife from going to the tip, as he always brings back more than he went with...

Hollyberry

I'm looking forward to going back down to the tip before Christmas. They always have a great display of recycled Christmas decorations on the road that leads to the gate. Perfect!

I've been spending the last few days moving things around and sending our surplus to the charity shops and/or recycling. Our big American fridge freezer has finally hung up its icicles, and gone to the great polar region in the sky. I can't grumble as it was a gift and has lasted about 19 years, which is pretty good by today's standards. Only problem is that it is enormous, and we had to take the kitchen door off to get it in. Since then we have not only failed to put the kitchen door back, but have also colonised the hallway with useful bookcases that I needed to empty and move. As another plus, I have for the first time in several years opened the door to the butler's pantry, where I found a grand stash of diy type stuff, a carpet cleaner I didn't know we had and a camping stove.

So despite my considerable embarrassment at having moved into uncharted territories of the house, I'm delighted at the riches it's provided. And now to buy a new fridge and freezer...

elaine241

Hello all

Very minor SHTF this week as the washing machine has packed up and they cant repair it until the parts come from Italy! They shut the uk parts depot! (Hoover/Candy).
This is no fun when you have small kids and you live on a farm! I have shipped a black bag of washing to the MIL but washed all the smalls, uniforms and lightweight stuff by hand.
Having to do this has made me realise that if there was no power or a SHTF scenario our clothes would definately get more wears between washes, except the smalls!
Our woodburner keeps the hot water for free (unless you count our labour chopping and splitting) so we would probably would wash as much but after slaving over a pile of hand washing our clothes would have to last! It makes you wonder how "smelly" our predecessors clothes were; were they heavier and harder wearing materials that could be worn longer or brushed off rather than washed.

Prepping wise I havent done much although there is plenty to do!! I still havent put my winter "get home bag" in the car and will probably will regret it unless I pull my finger out!
Charity shop bargain this week was a hand crocheted blanket for £1.99, I've seen them on e*ay go for £20.
I've bought some heavy duty pulling chains and adjusters on ebay for £37 although they are more suitable for farm vehicles rather than cars etc.
I am still trying to learn more sewing skills although I find it difficult to keep up with the others in the class as I always seem to be so busy.
I was particularly lucky when a child, dad had a good job, mum grew most of our fruit and veg and bought 1/2 bullock, 1 pig and 2 lambs in bulk from the local farmer, freezing them in large freezers bought from Bejams (think Iceland) when they changed the store. As a result we were pretty self sufficient, relatively frugal and had a good standard of living.
Nearly every weekend in the summer we were shipped off in the caravan often staying at Certified Locations as they were small and cheap. We often stayed on farms with just us on the site.

I love keeping up with this thread, its made me more self reliant and prepared than ever before.

ALIBOBSY

OH did some reading online, then some messing with the car, as I understand it he cleaned out a number of "bits", changed the pollen filter and adjusted some "stuff" and now we seem to be getting a lot more miles to the gallon lol. Plus its all greased up/tuned up for the winter. What would I do without him .

Interesting posts regarding childhoods, I am wondering if we were kind of the next generation along, when things started to change? OH and I were both born at the start of the 70's. No central heating when small, but I know when we moved into a new house at the start of the 80's mum thought it was a big deal that it came with a new boiler and central heating.

I don't recall not having a TV, but I do recall black and white. The TV was one of those wooden box ones which always seemed to go bang just before Christmas. I remember Dad fixing stuff a lot, certainly wasn't this idea that when stuff broke you replaced it when I was younger, mind you Dad was an electrical engineer so had the skills to fix a lot of stuff. I recall him and granddad with the bonnets up on the cars on an almost weekly basis. My Dad had a series of bangers, one had literally been painted by hand on the outside and you could see the brush marks in the paint lol.

One car he got from the "met" auction and was an ex police car. They had replaced the roof, but not the roof lining and it still had zip where the police light thing would have gone. Dad thought he was very Starsky and Hutch in that car-bright red avenger rofl.

No holidays when very small and then just in caravans in this country, usually with grandparents whom I suspect looking back paid for all of us. A friend of a relative had a static at black rock sands so we had a few years there.
First holiday abroad was by coach to Italy when I was about 12-13, and to go Venice was amazing. I had, had a day trip to France with school at about 11-12 though.

Didn't fly until my twenties.

I remember the first computers, spectrums, commedores etc and my mate getting an Atari game system. So perhaps that's when things started to get crazy.

We used to have the shop van when I was little, and the pop van where you took your empties back for cash off your next lot.

I suspect in the post peak oil world we will slide back through these stages, even now people are chosing between food and fuel, and once you get to that stage you are not even considering spending on the many consumerist items the economy would need us to spend on to boom again.

Just be glad you don't live in Venezuela, with inflation at 54%. The gov there are now forcing shops (at gunpoint) to bring down prices, but are shooting looters.

Ali x

jk0

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