THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

Nargleblast

Oh the thrill twice a year when the new season’s catalogues came through the door!

As a child I used to cut pictures of furniture out of old catalogues and arrange them to make room settings - a sort of 2D doll’s house, I suppose. And old Avon books - my mate and I used to cut out pictures of makeup and pretend to dress up and put makeup on (we were about 10 at the time). Can you imagine some of today’s children doing that without getting bored very quickly?

VJsmum

I use the Internet a lot. I use Facebook and Twitter. If I can't access them it's fine, but I get a lot of info from Twitter particularly..

I also read books, listen to the radio listen to music and watch TV on my tablet... But I can also do all those things without it..

maryb

Just had a phone call from DD1 She has just bought a flat so went to Oxford Street after finishing work early to look for stuff in Black Friday sales. Caught up in the panic with people running away from Oxford Circus and ran into a shop where she had to stay for a while until the police told them it was okay but to get away from the area. She's a bit shaken though thankfully safe. It doesn't sound as if anyone was actually hurt though there are all sorts of rumours about gunshots.

It's only a few months since DD2 was caught up in the chaos after the London Bridge attack.

You can't prep for this sort of thing unless you just avoid busy public places - and that's not always feasible

maryb

They are now saying they have found no evidence of gunshots, suspects or casualties. I wonder what sparked this whole thing? ETA seems like it may be gang related.

They are still keeping people inside shops until they can shepherd them away from the area

mardatha

I buy a lot online as well as get my groceries. But I also have a houseful of books, wool, and knitting patterns. I love reading and I love my library (mobile van.) If the internet died suddenly then I'm sure the shops would set up something else, they won't want to lose out. But I don't sit on buses texting away on my phone, I prefer to read. Us dinosaurs would miss it for a while but go back to how we used to be - the youngers ones would find it much harder.

[Deleted User]

Nargleblast wrote: »

How do you prep for an internet shutdown?

I've got a special corner of the room, where I can sit, sucking my thumb, while gently rocking back and forth.

[Deleted User]

mardatha wrote: »

But I don't sit on buses texting away on my phone, I prefer to read.

I can do either.

Concentrating on text, whilst in a moving vehicle, quickly makes me nauseated. _pale_

[Deleted User]

We've had snow here, overnight.

ETA: It's snowing again, right now.

maryb

Unbelievable but all that panic on Oxford Street yesterday seems to have been about nothing. The tube station ‘self evacuated ‘ and once one group of people started running others did. It doesn’t explain why the panic spread to the people inside shops - apparently that was because of the rumours about gunshots and of course once that took hold and there was a huge police response, you would assume the worst.

Thing is, it’s a very asymmetric risk. You lose nothing by playing safe. But she feels very cross this morning that she was so frightened over nothing

Karmacat

I have some sympathy for the panic-stricken people that ran - after all, there have been 4 terrorist attacks this year, and another in Manchester, just in this country. The BBC are saying there was a fight on a platform at Oxford Circus, and it erupted from there.

I can understand that people like your DD feel aggrieved at the wasted titme too, though - and for myself, all of this is playing into what the terrorists want fear and disruption. It's still real, though; a difficult balance to walk.

Prepping wise, I've been starting to unearth my bicycling gear from my renovated shed, and found a couple of padlocks plus a front lamp for a bike - my CD player/radio takes the same sort of batteries (D?) so I'm going to price up the cost of buying some good quality rechargeables and a battery charger for that size.