Preparedness for when

THIRZAH

We were without power for a whole day last winter while an electrical fault in the road was fixed.

I could use the gas fire to keep warm, had a battery radio and could use the gas hob. Cooking by candle light was an experience that I wouldn't want to repeat too often.

The main problem I found was boredom. It got dark early. I could do plain knitting for a while but couldn't see to pick up dropped stitches or count rows.After that I made sure that my Kindle was always charged and asked DD for a Kindle light for my birthday in the summer.

I know that if we were flooded out or had the roof blown off I wouldn't worry about being bored but at least I know I'm prepared for another power cut!

mardatha

And if I flood then yer all in REALLY serious trouble.
Think ark.
:rotfl::rotfl:

ginnyknit

But Mar with a handy guy like Peter living in your shed you will be fine - he can make anything you need.

Craigwvy keep your chin up hunny, as long as you have your sense of humour you will get through. I do think its cruel of companies keeping people waiting for decisions that will affect their lives. Best get out the santa suit and give it a press

[Deleted User]

Hi all, I was in THE WORKS yesterday ans they have Paperbacks of Richard Mabeys FOOD FOR FREE for £2.99p if anyone hasn't got one yet, Cheers Lyn x.

mardatha

Somebody on UKP started a great thread today -
"what if the S hit TODAY - what have you got in your garden?"
I just need a recipe for docken leaf soup... EEEK

nuatha

jeanniefaethecarse wrote: »

My prepping today has been investigating various types of skill sharing networks and finding out how I can contribute and gain from skills in our local area.
I used to live and work in what the papers call "one of the worst areas in Scotland" an area that had (among other useful community minded things) a toy library, allotments, a "materials" library which consisted of low cost hire for various types of DIY/cooking/gardening equipment and a LETS scheme. ALL put together by the local community, for the local community, but with local authority support (generally via the community education dept) I was reasonably active in these, not taking on an organisational role as such, but supportive- I both used and contributed.
20 miles up the road (albeit in a different, more prosperous county) I'm struggling to find the least little thing.
Living in a small town I see myself as part of a community, and I enjoy skill sharing, having benefited from it myself, and having spent quite a few work years in a role where I was helping other people gain skills.
I would like to see the spirit I saw in some of the "written off" areas I lived in, transferred to the area I now live in, particularly as I regularly see older people in my work role who would love to be involved in letting younger folk share their knowledge and also gain knowledge in turn from them.
I see it as invaluable for prepping as being able to do things is always a bonus!
It's just, how to go about actually doing it. Does anyone know?
Thank you - xx Jeannie

Sorry for the long quote.
Many moons ago I was involved in the setting up of a food co-op and a set of craft workshops.
We fell into it almost accidentally, a small group of friends who would end up at the same friends house after the pub to continue conversations. If memory serves, someone was moaning about the price rice had risen to, someone commented that an Asian grocer had 20Kg sacks for less than £10 across the other side of the city. Arrangements were made to buy a sack and split it between us. Kitchen scales and a roll of cheap polythene bags and we had 21 bags weighing 1Kg (the sack had been £8, and actually contained just over 21Kg). We started exploring other bulk options and ended up opening an account with Suma wholefoods.
We had some advice from a local wholefood cafe - who put us in touch with Suma. We were too small a group to sustain regular orders, but word of mouth had brought some other friends on board and we decided to open up the group wider so it was mentioned at couple of local moots.
There were some folk who were interested but found the idea of bulk wholefoods scary, a recipe booklet was compiled. A couple of bread making workshops happened.
At one of these, it turned out there were several people interested in candle making, which resulted in the purchase of a 50Kg sack of wax pellets as well as people sharing moulds and another workshop series. Various workshops were arranged on the back of those, someone volunteering the use of a living room or kitchen and small groups of interested folk taking part. These ranged from embroidery and dressmaking to learning languages and IT skills.
We even bought a communal retreat.
We started very small, our expansion was via a religious social group (though involvement in the co-op and workshops were never limited to that group) and we were completely self funding, though we did have access to advice from an established co-operative business.
HTH (and happy to expand on any of this)

vanoonoo wrote: »

The very best thing you could do is have in your preps items that do not need cooking or heating at all but that are part of your everyday pantry items anyway - maybe peanut butter as it's high in nutrients and calories vs the volume to carry. not sure I'd want to eat pasta with dog or cat food tho! I'll stick to my tinned toms if that's ok

The canteen were I worked some twenty years or so ago did a very popular curry on a Thursday, the ingredients included three different varieties of PAL dog food. I've no idea how this recipe came about but it was certainly tasty. (Being the person responsible for ensuring the cook had all her necessary supplies, I know rather than suspect the ingredients used.)

CraigyWv - I hope your OH hears sooner rather than later, it can't be good for anyone's morale.

Butterfly_Brain

the_cake wrote: »

It was interesting, and rather depressing, I thought. I didn't know that the Trussell Trust (food banks) is a group of evangelical Christians. I thought the young girl (Charlotte?) was really brave and resourceful, I hope she goes on to have a very happy and fulfilled life, she so deserves it. The blimmin conman: it seems that where there is kindness and generosity, there also is often someone taking advantage (and a recent example here on the forum). !!!!!!. The young couple who said they needed at least £90 a week to buy food for themselves and their two children, seen giving their little boy a Mr. K*pling cake - eek! They are (I think) horribly, horribly sweet, must have tons of sugar in them. And I didn't see anyone cooking, or looking as if they might ... if only they could run cookery courses alongside the food banks, people might have a better chance of surviving (even thriving). Oh dear. What a country we have become!

I so agree with you, it annoyed me as well about the conman :mad: people like him make life for others harder. I really felt for young Charlotte, this is what the government calls looking after youngsters who have been in care? As for the couple with five children, why didn't they sell something? It looked like they had some good stuff, I am sorry, if it meant feeding my kids I would sell everything including the car.
I would have been out foraging as well.
The woman with two children could have tidied the house a bit, honestly I would have been mortified if my home was shown on TV looking like that :eek: as for her BF he looked like a right lazy so and so.
Sorry if I sound judgemental, but sometimes you want to give some people a good swift boot up the posterior

lally666young

I watched protect ans survive again last night, a lot of it made sense! And many of the things the goverment told you to do then, you could still do now! I havent quite got to were my shelter is going to be lol!!!! But the loo idea of were you do your nos 1 and 2 in a bucket with disinfectant. Was quite clever!

PipneyJane

GreyQueen wrote: »

Shoebox Towers is a notorious concrete tower block squatting in the centre of a small southern English city. Under it's RL name it's infamous among those tasked with maintaining law 'n' order in the region. If you need drugs, do call in; we have lots of dealers.............:rotfl:

SuperGran is the nom de internet of my friend and neighbour. She's a retired nurse, pushing 70, and one of the most fascinating people you'll ever talk to. All wrapped up in an innocuous lil ole lady package.

If I was ever tempted to underestimate little old ladies in the past, having known SG and met several of her peers has forever disbused me of the idea that they're innocent and harmless critters. SG knows no end of people and has connections in the most surprising of places.

Never judge a book by it's cover. Particularly if it's five feet nothing and busily-pretending to be harmless and a trifle soft in the head.

Glad you're all right GQ and lived to tell the tale. SuperGran sounds like an amazing woman. I'd love to hear her talk about her life.

It never ceases to amaze me that people think nursing is such a genteel profession for "ladies". I only nursed for 6 years but some of the things I saw could haunt me for life if I let them. No matter how gentle you are, nursing makes you tough on the inside. And strong. Put the uniform on and you can cope with anything - you have to.

I've heard far worse language in hospitals than on the construction site I looked after for work. Unlike patients/patients relatives, construction guys tend to apologise and look embarassed when they realise they're swearing/talking crude language and there's a woman around. (It's also the main reason I can say "F... off" in several languages.)

nuttyp

Pipneyjane that has had me instiches, omg i am envious of your multi language skills!!