Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

((((((the cake))))))))) sounds a ghastly mess and sending best wishes to you and to Mr Cake at this time.

Lots of stuff can go wrong in life, from a multitude of different causes, but being of the preptastic persuasion is sure to be a help. Preppy peeps know that they'll always need food and fuel, and that family and friends are important, and that you need to keep your wits about you, because things can change at the drop of a hat.

I'm doing 'umble things with jars and cupboards, thinking about food, planning on growing more herbs next year, trying to take as much of my requirements out of the retailers' hands and into my own. Got the washer running and a sinkful of Le Parfait jars (most of them are the stubby little numbers) and am working on the candle re-melt project. Am expecting to experience some powercuts this winter, which will mean our industrial gas boilers at Shoebox Towers go down (electrical controllers which need to be re-set after every powercut) which will mean no heat and no hot water, bar what's in the tank already heated.

There are only about half-a-dozen engineers who work on the boiler houses of the council tower blocks. Easy to envisage a situation where they could be run off their feet and unavailable. As one ordinary gas safe register engineer told me about the boiler house Unless you're trained on industrial boilers, you'd be a fool to even go in there. He certainly wouldn't touch them.

Sobering to contemplate how many things which we take for granted are maintained by a relatively small amount of highly-skilled individuals.

Margaret54

hi everyone It is another lovely sunny day here where we are and I have the washing out on the line and will plug in the iron later when I finish here.
Lyn thank you for the tip about the cookery book we'll eat again by M Patton I believe it was ? I ordered it from Am***n for 59 pence and extra for the postage. Looking forward to it arriving:)
I agree as well with you that there are a lot of charity shops which are too expensive. I am not going to pay for something which is cheaper new elsewhere either. We do have quite a few charity shops in our town. Let me see now I believe we have six here. I have given donations of clothes and books into our local hospice one which has really lovely stuff in it and are reasonable, last time I was in it, and the staff are so nice. The Oxfam one is expensive and the books are dear too, so don't go in there. The BHF one is bigger and always very busy but expensive and the pdsa one is cheaper but have neer seen anything that good in it, however their books are cheapeer that some. Cancer Research and Marie Curie ones stock lovely things with really nice staff in them but the books are dear. GQ I am of the same mind in that I think some of these shops in our towns will close due to lack of stock.
I was sitting in the car a few days ago in a part of town waiting on my husband, and I noticed something which I have never seen before. There is a small shop open which said it sells your clothes by the kilo and it pays 75 pence per kilo. I then saw a man walking into it with a big black bag over his shoulder and the bag looked full and heavy. Then I watched two women getting out of a car next to it and they carried several black bags and went into the shop as well. I mentioned it to my dh when he came back and he said "well love in these times maybe people are doing that because they need the money desperately". Has anyone on here ever seen a shop like this one? Hugs to those who are going through tough stuff and hope everyone is able to have a nice weekend. x Margaret

moneyistooshorttomention

Have heard of shops like that and thinks I recall noticing one of them here in my new area.

Now wondering how many kilos of clothing would fit (and be possible to carry) in a standard size dustbin liner???

Not planning on doing it myself...but curious on that.

1Tonsil

Interesting to hear about Poland having the gas supply cut off, I fear it may be Greece next as they cut it once before when the EU imposed sanctions on them. I know they banned the import of fur from European countries this morning and that is going to hit the Greek fur trade, as Russia is their biggest customer.

We have been trying to make plans in case the gas/oil is cut off as Greece gets most of this from Russia. The Greek government have promised a tax/price cut on heating oil, but I suspect they have only promised that as it will be cut off anyway...... even with the reduction it will still be double the price it was two years ago.

We have enough cooking gas for a year. We can get the olive wood we burn on the open fire locally at a good price. At the moment there is no threat to our electric (well, besides strikes and storms!). We are stocked up on food and other things we might need, and if petrol becomes short supply we will both use the scooter when we need to. I have decided to start collecting pine cones to light the fire again, and a friend has promised us lots of wood off cuts again this year.

We don't have charity shops here so I am looking forward to the table top sales starting again so I can stock up on winter clothes and blankets. There are no onesies on sale here and I am not sure if I would wear one, but my thermals get lots of wear under my clothes in the winter, when it is cold or wet, but not at the same time.

The last few days have been stormy and the evenings cold, so much so we have put the quilt back on the bed. It feels like winter is here and many places are planning on closing early this year. It is not good news and I feel very sorry for the tourists who will be affected.

1Tonsil

England and Scotland may well get the Aurora tonight.....the easiest way to see them is to take a long exposure photo and check the results...the solar flare is so strong they may be seen as low down as Southern Germany if the sky is clear. Take care with electronics as they can be affected by the solar flares

fuddle

the cake I think the S is about to blow the fan up! What a wrangling mess of rag wringing you must do just to get what they!!! deserve and the right outcome for yourselves. Sorry you have to fill your days with such disgusting things that make you cross.

[Deleted User]

nuatha wrote: »

The same article states that EU countries have been stockpiling and have almost 20% of a years usage in reserve.

So under 73 days reserve.

Not what I'd call a lot.

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

If Europe runs low, I think they'll not be exporting to us, perhaps?

Not to mention, switching off the inter-connectors.

ETA: Out of interest, I just took a look at the grid status, and we are currently drawing 2GW (the maximum permitted) through the French ICT, 0.97GW (almost the maximum permitted) though the Dutch ICT, and feeding 0.25GW (half of the maximum permitted) into the Irish ICT.

That gives us a nett draw of 2.72GW, through the ICTs.

East-West ICT is at zero (ie. balanced) right now.

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Not to mention, switching off the inter-connectors.

More than likely. We could be in for a chilly winter, this year. Stock up on woolly blankets, fleeces and thick socks right now, ladies and gents. And maybe a good time to think about making something warming and very traditonal, such as [STRIKE]moonshine[/STRIKE] oops, my bad, meant to say cocoa. Or porriidge. Or even tea (better put t'kettle on now, brain on fritz).

[Deleted User]

Alcohol is the last thing you should be consuming, when it's cold.