2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

2Scratters said:

@Laura_Elsewhere I'd be communicating with the RAC that time delay is far too long. I am surprised the police didn't chase you too. There is only a small window of 30 mins (I'm sure it is) that is "permitted". Not good enough, glad you were all safe in the end.

2 Scratters xx

That was the fastest it could be done - 4pm on the day of the second rail strike... police and Highways authorities knew, we alerted them first of all - they moved us the first time to a less-dangerous place, and then it took another hour for the breakdown to reach us to take us right away because it was massively-heavy traffic... 
So we were recovered by Highways Agency within 30 minutes and they moved us from a very dangerous place to a temporarily-safer place. 

MrsCD

TwibbleDee said:

MrsCD said:

TwibbleDee said:

I have not purchased anything new, but have been on the hunt for new shorts to wear underneath my ever-present sleeveless wool dresses.  I haven't yet found any that I like better than what I have currently.  I need to see if certain items can be seen if I carry them in my shorts pockets; if they conceal well enough and stay in place, I think I'll just stick to this kind and hope I can order more.

I think I've been watching too many spy movies! I wondered what you would need to conceal....or are you really training for SOE, @TwibbleDee?

In my area, there are quite a few wild and feral critters.  We don’t so much as go for a long walk without some means of protection, whether it’s from wild boars, rattlesnakes, or feral stray dogs.  My cell phone falls out of my dress pockets when I sit down, and means of protection should definitely not be treated that way.   I was being intentionally vague as I don’t want to start thing on the differences in politics and culture in that direction.  It tends to be a hot issue, with no clear answers but very strong opinions.

Totally understand where you're coming from,@TwibbleDee!
It was a tongue in cheek question really.  I just had visions of you doing 'War Work'! 

@Laura_Elsewhere
What an awful experience. Glad you got back safe and well.

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

2Scratters said:

@Laura_Elsewhere I'd be communicating with the RAC that time delay is far too long. I am surprised the police didn't chase you too. There is only a small window of 30 mins (I'm sure it is) that is "permitted". Not good enough, glad you were all safe in the end.

2 Scratters xx

That was the fastest it could be done - 4pm on the day of the second rail strike... police and Highways authorities knew, we alerted them first of all - they moved us the first time to a less-dangerous place, and then it took another hour for the breakdown to reach us to take us right away because it was massively-heavy traffic... 
So we were recovered by Highways Agency within 30 minutes and they moved us from a very dangerous place to a temporarily-safer place. 

Incidentally - and I know you know this @Laura_Elsewhere - if you break down on a motorway, anywhere but on the hard shoulder, your first point of call should be the police. Second point of call, first if on the hard shoulder, should be Motorway Control via the emergency phones.  That gives them your location and enables them to keep an eye on you via the cameras.  It also means they will call the RAC, Greenflag or the AA on your behalf, which tends to make them turn up faster.  (They’ll ask for your mobile number and phone you back to check on you, if you’re there for a while.)

Yes, I’ve learned all this the hard way.

- Pip 

PollyWollyDoodle

Thanks for that advice Pip, I didn't know that.  A private dread of mine, especially as I'm often alone when driving.  the last time I actually broke down I was 500 yards from home, and I managed to coast downhill and turn onto a side road (my drive sloped upwards and I'd never have got the car up there!) 

The idea of breaking down on the motorway is scary, but that's why I pay for breakdown cover; even though I know how to change a tyre, I doubt if I could manage it these days and definitely not on the side of a motorway! It always worries me when you see people standing on the hard shoulder, I do know that the first thing you should do is get out of the car and behind the crash barrier.  Unfortunately quite a few bits of the motorways I use have no hard shoulder ... 

PipneyJane

PollyWollyDoodle said:

Thanks for that advice Pip, I didn't know that.  A private dread of mine, especially as I'm often alone when driving.  the last time I actually broke down I was 500 yards from home, and I managed to coast downhill and turn onto a side road (my drive sloped upwards and I'd never have got the car up there!) 

The idea of breaking down on the motorway is scary, but that's why I pay for breakdown cover; even though I know how to change a tyre, I doubt if I could manage it these days and definitely not on the side of a motorway! It always worries me when you see people standing on the hard shoulder, I do know that the first thing you should do is get out of the car and behind the crash barrier.  Unfortunately quite a few bits of the motorways I use have no hard shoulder ... 

What I forgot to mention is that with the RAC, you can no longer call them to report a breakdown.  Everything has to be done through their app.  Fat lot of good that will do you if a) you don't have a smart phone or b) you didn't have it downloaded to your phone before you broke down and are in a spot that has poor data coverage.  (I found this out the hard way.  You may remember that we broke down on the M25 earlier this year.  It took the RAC hours to come and fetch us and that was only after Motorway Control had nagged them multiple times.)

- Pip

Baileys_Babe

PipneyJane said:

PollyWollyDoodle said:

Thanks for that advice Pip, I didn't know that.  A private dread of mine, especially as I'm often alone when driving.  the last time I actually broke down I was 500 yards from home, and I managed to coast downhill and turn onto a side road (my drive sloped upwards and I'd never have got the car up there!) 

The idea of breaking down on the motorway is scary, but that's why I pay for breakdown cover; even though I know how to change a tyre, I doubt if I could manage it these days and definitely not on the side of a motorway! It always worries me when you see people standing on the hard shoulder, I do know that the first thing you should do is get out of the car and behind the crash barrier.  Unfortunately quite a few bits of the motorways I use have no hard shoulder ... 

What I forgot to mention is that with the RAC, you can no longer call them to report a breakdown.  Everything has to be done through their app.  Fat lot of good that will do you if a) you don't have a smart phone or b) you didn't have it downloaded to your phone before you broke down and are in a spot that has poor data coverage.  (I found this out the hard way.  You may remember that we broke down on the M25 earlier this year.  It took the RAC hours to come and fetch us and that was only after Motorway Control had nagged them multiple times.)

- Pip

This concerned me as my parents are with the RAC. So I had a quick look at their website and it said "Broken down? Existing members: report your breakdown online or call 0333 2000 999" I'm not sure if this has changed since @PipneyJane had problems earlier this year.

https://www.rac.co.uk/

TwibbleDee

PollyWollyDoodle said:

The idea of breaking down on the motorway is scary, but that's why I pay for breakdown cover; even though I know how to change a tyre, I doubt if I could manage it these days and definitely not on the side of a motorway! 

I am, technically, capable of changing a tire.  But NOT when they use the dang power wrenches to torque the lug nuts down so tight I can't break the connection.  On one of my previous vehicles, I literally had a 300-lb man jump on the 4-way wrench and be unable to budge it.  That is why I have AAA (they'll come change my tire, jump my car, put in some gas, or tow me).

We've also stopped in the middle of nowhere behind people who were obviously having issues changing a tire - 2 young military guys, in a rental car, who had never done it before.  The rental car service refused to come out as they'd stopped somewhere "unsafe" even though they were on the shoulder - it was right before a blind turn on a country road.  Luckily, we were in a large pickup truck on that trip, so it was much safer and obvious for us to pull up behind them blocking them from traffic with the hazard lights on and help rather than relying on the dinky lights on their rental car.

We don't let our kids drive out of town before they know how to change a tire, but they will also have access to our breakdown coverage if they plan to go out of town without an adult.  Hasn't happened so far, but I'll get them added if it does.  

Cherryfudge

That's very scary @Laura_Elsewhere, thanks goodness you're all right. Thanks for the advice on blankets etc in the car: I'd never thought of it for summer but it makes good sense.

On another note and nothing to do with clothes rationing or motorway breakdowns, I've just bought Elizabeth Craig's Economical Cookery (1934). Fascinating! There is some reference to food rationing even five years before the war, so I can see I'm going to have to do some reading around.

PipneyJane

Cherryfudge said:

That's very scary @Laura_Elsewhere, thanks goodness you're all right. Thanks for the advice on blankets etc in the car: I'd never thought of it for summer but it makes good sense.

On another note and nothing to do with clothes rationing or motorway breakdowns, I've just bought Elizabeth Craig's Economical Cookery (1934). Fascinating! There is some reference to food rationing even five years before the war, so I can see I'm going to have to do some reading around.

It’s little remembered but there was food rationing in WW1.  It was introduced in 1918.   I don’t remembered when it ended.

- Pip

PipneyJane

On a different subject, I am 5 rounds from finishing the knitting on my latest jumper and am desperately trying to work out what to knit next.  I am tossing up between Sarah Hatton designed Patti, Nora Gaughan’s Drift and Warm Jumper from Susan Crawford’s Stitch in Time Volume 2.  I have the yarn for all 3.

Or do I knit something-else from my queue…

- Pip