a personal comment on this stockpiling

Everyone seems to assume this (pick your own catastrophe) will happen in the winter. I haven't read the Government instructions but it could happen at the height of summer when staying warm and darkness won't be an issue.

I saw an interview on TV yesterday.
A man in Ukraine from a town which has been devastated by bombing.
He said they ate grass and made a salad from weeds.
Cold baked beans are a luxury in such circumstances.

Dylis

Everyone seems to assume this (pick your own catastrophe) will happen in the winter. I haven't read the Government instructions but it could happen at the height of summer when staying warm and darkness won't be an issue.

In which case, it's a win, isn't it? The torches and radios will keep till next winter, and people can eat the beans nice and hot, in a sunny house.

Bad weather is more likely in winter, though, and malicious forces are more likely to strike then, too.

Nobody has been advised to stockpile.

www.gov.uk/government/news/households-encouraged-to-take-small-simple-steps-to-stay-prepared-in-an-emergency

All anyone needs is a small supply of non-perishable food and bottled water at home plus some means of light for evenings and keeping warm in winter months.

If you are vulnerable make sure you are signed up to the Priority Service Register:

www.thepsr.co.uk/

I know, Graphite, but we keep being told that buying a few bottles of water and a radio means we are panicking and living in fear😀.

Why treat UK citizens like kids? No wonder people complain about the nanny state.
For anyone on GN, who aren’t young we don’t need to be told to do anything or advised or any other word do we?
I don’t think you’re living in fear Doodledog or anyone else who’s prepped as a result of this news from the government , it’s your choice, just as it’s mine not to bother with lots of bottles of water, piles of blankets, whistles and the whole shebang.

malicious forces are more likely to strike then, too

Like what?

Sadly ,a lot of atrocities have been carried out in broad daylight.

greyfur16

*malicious forces are more likely to strike then, too*

Like what?

Sadly ,a lot of atrocities have been carried out in broad daylight.

Cyber attacks. They are increasingly regular and paralyse systems very quickly.

So if they are regular, they don't always come in winter?

I feel sorry for families on low income, who live one pay check to the next, the cost of stocking up , Water £1.00 for 2 litre, Toilet Rolls £4.50 for 6, Torch & Batteries £10.00 Wind up Radio £20. That's before you start on food, with tinned soup and beans cheapest are 70p a can don't start on things to eat cold, tuna , tinned ham, Nuts, crisps, biscuits.dried fruit. It soon mounts up .
Are we heading for another war zone type situation like certain areas of the world.

If the water is returned off for any reason, the utility company usually delivers bottled water, at least enough for drinking.

You’ve lost me, cyber attacks can happen at any time, so why is it relevant if it’s winter or any other season? You still need a torch in the middle of the night whenever.

Bad weather is more likely in winter, though, and malicious forces are more likely to strike then, too

Never mind.
We are all doing our best.

greyfur16

So if they are regular, they don't always come in winter?

Well, no. But if you were a malicious force, wanting to disrupt services and cause maximum inconvenience, when would you do it?

greyfur16

*Bad weather is more likely in winter, though, and malicious forces are more likely to strike then, too*

Never mind.
We are all doing our best.

It’s self evident that attackers who want to cause maximum disruption are going to go for what will do that, and so many services are relied on more heavily in the winter. I don’t understand why you’re labouring the point, or do you deny that is the case?

Try island life where it’s a constant consideration. If the supply boat can’t come in, this happens, then shops are short of stock.
It’s a way of life to be prepared. Occasionally having to appeal (these days generally on social media) for something you don’t have enough of.

I don't understand the resistance either. I realise that people can do what they like, and that it's not a 'one size fits all' thing. People with children or the sick/disabled in the house, single people, those with large gardens, those with nowhere to put a water butt, those with a budget that allows a bit of extra spending, those living from week to week - all have different perspectives, as well as greater or lesser needs and opportunities to prepare.

But there does seem to be a refusal to accept that this is just advice, not an order, and that it is based on trying to make people self-reliant in the event of 'something' happening, so that the genuinely vulnerable can be prioritised.

People on here swapping ideas that others may not have considered is just that, and can be useful. If others aren't interested in doing that, fair enough, but persistently posting to tell people they are being treated like children or falling for scaremongering is reminiscent of those who post on TV threads to tell people they think a show is beneath their notice.

62Granny I agree that it must be worrying for those with no financial wriggle room. It would be good to see something put in place for them, but I suspect there would be a furore if that happened.

I was anti this idea when I first heard it, I have had a turnaround, the windup radio/USB charger has arrived, and I have got some bottled water in the garage.

As I always have a house full of candles and tea lights, nothing needed on that front. Always have cash and we also always have gas bottles for the BBQ so cooking is not a problem.

As I have posted up thread our AC treat my larder as a free supermarket so no need to add to that other than to replace what has been used.

But there does seem to be a refusal to accept that this is just advice, not an order, and that it is based on trying to make people self-reliant in the event of 'something' happening, so that the genuinely vulnerable can be prioritised.

I have begun to wonder if, if it was a tory government proposing all this, then some more on the left then wouldnt prepare, and some more on the right, would?

Just a thought.
I had no idea, until I came on this site, quite how many are biased, and by how much, to any political party.

Very true fancythat
Andy Burnham isn’t Moses. We will all do what suits us on this matter.😃

fancythat

^But there does seem to be a refusal to accept that this is just advice, not an order, and that it is based on trying to make people self-reliant in the event of 'something' happening, so that the genuinely vulnerable can be prioritised.^

I have begun to wonder if, if it was a tory government proposing all this, then some more on the left then wouldnt prepare, and some more on the right, would?

Just a thought.
I had no idea, until I came on this site, quite how many are biased, and by how much, to any political party.

The Tory government were originally who released the guidance in 2024, with a checklist included. The new guidance hasn’t materially changed, it’s just received more publicity.

Petra- i agree.ive lots of book,wouldnt burn them.

I don’t have anywhere to store anything to stockpile, so.

I have begun to wonder if, if it was a tory government proposing all this, then some more on the left then wouldnt prepare, and some more on the right, would?

I can only speak for myself, but my stance has nothing to do with party or politics - I have always had an emergency box, since I married at age 22. It has had different things in it over the years, and has, on and off, been depleted by teenagers, or had its contents revised as the household has changed.

I am revisiting it now, in the light of the new advice, but a lot of what is in mine has been there for ages, eg by replacing tea lights with battery lanterns for safety reasons. We have a lot of lanterns, as we had some of our own, and I bought a few for my late MIL, which we have now repossessed. I now realise that I should probably have kept the tea lights as they can be rigged up to form a heating source for water, but obviously lanterns are safer for lighting. New additions include a stash of batteries, so they should last for ages, and I'm going to start a routine of charging everything rechargeable every Sunday, so they are ready to use when needed. I've gathered together things like the head torch that was in the kitchen drawer, so I know where to find it if needed.

Things like power banks didn't exist back in 1980, so they have been added, and the same applies to rechargeable items, but the principle is the same - it's a simple box of items that might come in useful collected together so I know where they are if we need them. Nothing to do with politics, panicking or being told what to do - just what my granny would have called good housekeeping.

I find the advice from Andy B strange,as we are usually told by government NOT to stockpile.I think he is just trying to be different to other pm's.But he's failing miserably.Still,his pension&future's secured now eh? Thats all i think they get into politics for these days,not to help their country in any way.🤨😤