Preparedness for when

nuatha

smileyt wrote: »

Thank you for explaining about bail-ins, Nuatha.

'Tis a pleasure to be of service.

We get chuggers all the time. I just tell them I'm on the dole (not true but I don't earn much above dole level). Some of them still try to get money out of me!

With the single exception of the local residents association I don't support any organisation which knocks on my door expecting money. So far I've changed utility suppliers (gas, electric and both landline and mobile phones) cancelled direct debits to three charitys. In each case a letter to the registered office of the organisation concerned explaining that I won't support a company that is so ill mannered as to knock on doors demanding money - and in one case pointing out that paying someone to disturb my peace then insult me was hardly going to gain my support - to the extent that I won't even cross the door of their charity shops.

The earlier discussion on ATM withdrawals - I heard yesterday that the UK broke all records for the amount withdrawn from cash machines £622 million just from the LINK network on Christmas Eve. I suspect very little of that was in fear of the banks not reopening after the holidays.

GreyQueen

Good on ya, nuatha. I'm going to do the same, but I am going to design me a little for-the-front-door notice too. Making it quite clear that chuggers as well as political canvassers and religious proselytizing and sales people aren't welcome to disturb my home. It will be polite and artistic and, if it's ignored, I shall be rather curt with them. Being on the ground floor makes it all to easy for them to pester me, unfortunately.

I wasn't part of the great Christmas Eve withdrawal, but took out a few hundred the day before, just to make sure if anyone got creative with the extended holiday period, that my exposure was minimal.

I've had to move a chunk of my water cache out from the area alongside the washer as part of the removal of the old one last night and this morning's delivery of the replacement. Once I am fully satisfied that everything is running smoothly, I shall put them back. It's a nice little hidey-hole, with just enough room to slip 2 litre bottled between the washer and the corner of the undersink cupboard, and would otherwise be dead space. It's part of the water supplies hidden in strange places around the flat. I consider 17p for a 2 litre bottle of water to be an excellent investment in peace of mind.

Water mains continue to rupture around the city, I'm aware of at least 2 burst per week and there may be more. Subjectively, my team feel that there are more of them than ever, but since we don't work for the water company and have access to their data, it may just be our opinion.

I do know that the 5" main which serves Shoebox Towers doesn't go more than 2 years between bursts and there's stilll a mess where the last one was late in 2014. It's several feet underground, but the engineers on site at bursts tell me that it will keep happening because the pipe shifts against stones in the soil. Bearing this in mind, two canny pensioners (SG and one lady of a similar vintage) have thoughtfully stashed water and SG knows I would always be happy for her to let herself into my flat with my spare keys and help herself if necessary.

Now my new washer is being delivered, I can catch up with the backlog of laundry about the place. It called to mind a post on a blog which I read recently, the people concerened were having to evacuate due to wildfires in US and one individual was so backed up on laundry that they couldn't pack their clothes and had to pack the dirty laundry hampers into their car.

Since water and electricity (not to mention malfunctioning washers) can go off at any time, I shall feel better prepped when there is less than one load waiting to roll, rather than 4 of them.

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

Good on ya, nuatha. I'm going to do the same, but I am going to design me a little for-the-front-door notice too. Making it quite clear that chuggers as well as political canvassers and religious proselytizing and sales people aren't welcome to disturb my home. It will be polite and artistic and, if it's ignored, I shall be rather curt with them. Being on the ground floor makes it all to easy for them to pester me, unfortunately.

I have such a notice, have opened the door to chuggers and sales reps avidly reading it. I now make a point of asking for ID and noting the details before I let them start their speil, and interupt their speil to point out that I think its an obnoxious way of making money and that I'm not prepared to support organisations that indulge in it. Having their name and organisation makes it easier to follow up visits with a letter and if they've decided to insult me, then that gets pointed out to their employer.

I do know that the 5" main which serves Shoebox Towers doesn't go more than 2 years between bursts and there's stilll a mess where the last one was late in 2014. It's several feet underground, but the engineers on site at bursts tell me that it will keep happening because the pipe shifts against stones in the soil. Bearing this in mind, two canny pensioners (SG and one lady of a similar vintage) have thoughtfully stashed water and SG knows I would always be happy for her to let herself into my flat with my spare keys and help herself if necessary.

Now my new washer is being delivered, I can catch up with the backlog of laundry about the place. It called to mind a post on a blog which I read recently, the people concerened were having to evacuate due to wildfires in US and one individual was so backed up on laundry that they couldn't pack their clothes and had to pack the dirty laundry hampers into their car.

Since water and electricity (not to mention malfunctioning washers) can go off at any time, I shall feel better prepped when there is less than one load waiting to roll, rather than 4 of them.

Good luck on the great laundry mountain (and the not so great Mount Tobe Ironed that follows (sorry VJsMum)
I've recently added half a dozen carbonated water to the stash - I find it more pleasant and refreshing for drinking water.
Clothes, clean or otherwise wouldn't be my biggest priority if I was evacuating due to wildfire (or anything else)

GreyQueen

:huh: Ironing, ironing.............hmm, I think I may have heard of that. I'm sure VJsMum mentioned it at some point, not sure if it's something I'm licensed to do, isn't hot metal supposed to be involved? I'm sure you need extra edjumication before you're allowed to i-r-o-n. Or possibly a City & Guilds qualification.

I find it shocking the amount of info on MSE OS about cleaning ovens, too. Doesn't everyone put an old baking sheet in there to catch the fallout and just wash that? Ooops, another epic fail at houswifery, then.

I now have a polite and rather comely notice on my door, at eye level, but will keep a notebook and pencil in the hall ready to capture details of those who cannot, or will not read it, for further action.

Nuatha, the wildfire in question had been running for two weeks after some absolute idiot set fire to a tree in his g/f's backyard after a tiff. It ran for over two weeks in Sept 2014 (The King Fire) and there was a manadatoy evac order for over 20,000 homes. The area to be evac'd kept being widened, so some people had a realistic probability of being affected and time to do stuff to ease the uproar.

Of course, if the fire is lapping at the property, you run. If you have a day's notice, or a few hours' notice, and you will have to go somewhere and not know if you when you will return, or if everything in your home will be destroyed, having a few clothes will be a great assistance.

I could evac in seconds with my bug out bag which includes a change of clothes, something to sleep in, essential docs inc a USB stick with other docs on, sealed in a tin. But if I was given say 15 or 30 mins, I would approach it more like packing for a holiday and have more items, and thus more options.

Doveling

Radio 2 talking about TTIP. It's on now

VJsmum

Hmm?

What??

Did someone say ironing?? I didn't realise you need a surstifikit to do it!

the pile is growing as we speak - DD came home from uni over christmas declaring that she never did it. So i didn't do hers My MiL offended me on the ironing front recently when she declared that OH was "ever so good, isn't he? he's done the ironing FOR YOU". Of the ironing 4 things were mine, 5 or 6 were DS's and about 15 things were OH's :mad: Apparently he is also good, because he cooked the dinner for me - of which i only ate a quarter, and MiL herself had partaken also :rotfl: You gotta laugh.

My route to the office involves walking down the main road of one of our major cities, where you run an absolute gauntlet of chuggers. But fortunately, living in a close, we don't get many at the door.

GreyQueen

Surstifficates are applicable to all kinds of domestic arts, VJsMum, and those of us without the proper credentials will be rounded up and sent to The Good Housekeeping Institute for re-training soon.

The first washload in primarily unmentionables, which don't need ironing, thanks to the wonders of stretchy fabric. You have comprehended that the end of industrial society means an end to elastic in all its wondrous forms?

I dwell in the horrors of it frequently.

1Tonsil

ivyleaf wrote: »

Thanks 1Tonsil. I was confused when I read your post, because I knew you must be right, but the list of religious festivals in my filofax said "Christmas Day (Christian Orthodox) Jan 7"....but I've just looked at it again and at the bottom of that list it says "Christmas Day (Greek Orthodox) 25 Dec".

ETA thanks to you too, maryb.

I'd thought all the Orthodox Churches had Christmas on the same day. That'll teach me not to make assumptions! Oh well, I'll know better in future.

So you were right too perplexed pineapple, apologies. Though it sounds from what 1T says as if some of the money drawn out probably was used to buy presents.

They were all at the bank drawing out money to pay their tax installments believe it or not...every month the bank is absolutely chaotic as all the different payments fall on the same day each month. I did a deal with them and paid all mine at once, as I could not face the triple parked cars and the five hours waits to get to the front of the queue. I avoid the bank like the plague on those days. You can't believe all the reports of folks not paying their taxes...if you don't pay them the officials can take your house and auction it once you owe four hundred euros.

They can also take it directly out of your bank account and if you can't prove you paid them in previous years then you cannot buy anything new...like a car or even a new telephone. You also get taxed from the first euro of your income, there are NO personal allowances here and you are taxed on world wide income. Most of the folks not paying taxes are the ones rich enough to be able to pay their way out of trouble.

The Greeks I saw who were shopping were buying basics and getting a few bits in to offer hospitality to anyone who might come to wish them seasonal greetings. Children mostly get one toy of their own choosing, usually something small, like a doll or a football or something.

[Deleted User]

Home Bargains.

A 440 bag sack of Typhoo teabags, for £3-99. :cool:

Butterfly_Brain

This is disgusting!

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/13/gm-crops-to-be-fast-tracked-in-uk-following-eu-vote

:mad::mad::mad:

Off to do a reals seeds order before they stop us buying heritage seeds