Oliver Dowden advises us to "stock up" but is anyone listening?

What has he advised us to ‘stock up’ with Margs?

Well this will certainly lead to panic buying and profiteering. It will be toilet rolls all over again. I wonder if he has shares in torch and candle manufactures.

Batteries for radios, bottled water, foodstuffs. Makes me think back to the days of Public Information broadcasts on behalf of The Civil Defence. Are Civil Defence still going - anyone know?

I think it’s good advice and am already stocked up with some tinned goods, candles, torches, firewood, and a basic cheap gas cooking ring that runs on gas canisters.We had several power outages last winter, one lasted two days.
Not everything a minister says is eye rolling stuff.

It seems pretty sensible advice - certainly people like me out in the sticks with overhead power lines and roads likely to become impassable in snowy weather make sure we have these things and more. Why would you roll your eyes Margs? Some people have to be told.

I think it’s sensible advice too. Having been cut off by snow and having no power a number of times because I live in the country and reinstating rural areas is less of a priority than towns, I always have enough to last for a while with no services. Environmentally friendly or not, I’m so glad I’ve got a woodburner.

Oliver Dowden was visiting Porton Down when he said this. It wasn’t a weather wearing. It was about precautionary measures in case of an attack. Batteries for analogue transistor radios to keep citizens abreast of the news in case of electricity outages.
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Excellent advice. We too live in deepest Wiltshire and it can be tricky in winter. We have a woodburner with three rings and a small oven, so at least modest cookery is possible. I always stock up a bit in winter, as you never know!!

Oh! No I don't think I'll be doing that sort of stocking up!

- in case of a cyber attack.

Mind you - who listens to Oliver Dowden anyway? He’s such a shirt button.

It wasn’t just that Urmstongran, it was to help people and businesses prepare for future pandemics, natural disasters and cyber-attacks. At a local level, being without power for days due to snow, floods or whatever makes you much more acutely aware of how vulnerable you are - which is probably why we rural dwellers take his advice more seriously than most.

What is a 'shirt button' Urms ? It's a new expression for me.

It used to be that people rolled their eyes at stocking up.
Seems to be much more common now to do so.

Also, people say one thing and do another sometimes.
I think it was Bar clays creidit card who said they could see that 60% of customers actually stock up.
Though whether just buying an extra packet of toilet rolls counts, I dont know.

"Shirt button" brilliant! I will use it whever possible.

I always have a well-stocked food cupboard, there’s a stash of batteries and candles because power cuts are frequent here, all year round 🙄
I need a to check the camping light has batteries in it and I have a couple of unopened camping lights that I bought during lockdown. I need to check I have milk in the freezer but otherwise we’re ok. I had a stack of wood delivered last week for the wood burner and I have a kettle I can use on it.

Margs

Batteries for radios, bottled water, foodstuffs. Makes me think back to the days of Public Information broadcasts on behalf of The Civil Defence. Are Civil Defence still going - anyone know?

My late father was employed as a Civil Defence Officer in local government in the sixties with many volunteers who would meet regularly to train for catastrophes. It was disbanded in the late sixties, IIRC, and he was redeployed into road safety and planning.

I've just found this information:-https://civildefenceassociation.uk/history/#:~:text=1948%20to%201968%20–%20from%20the,defence%20volunteer%20forces%20in%201968.

Aldom

What is a 'shirt button' Urms ? It's a new expression for me.

Been using it ever since I was courting Himself Aldom (50+ years ago) so not new.
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I think I still have my copy of "Protect And Survive" from the eighties. Must dig it out.

When we had no power because of Storm Alma Curry’s were inundated with people trying to buy transistor radios. I didn’t actually have mine with me but it has reminded me to take it with me if I go away.

The advice may have changed since then?
Think I read recently that go indoors and stay there for two days is the advice now for a nuclear attack?
Though people had better look that up for themselves, rather than take my word for it.

That was in reply to Desdemona.

Urmstongran

Aldom

What is a 'shirt button' Urms ? It's a new expression for me.

Been using it ever since I was courting Himself Aldom (50+ years ago) so not new.
😁

I think we say big girls blouse.. as an equivalent

Casdon

I think it’s sensible advice too. Having been cut off by snow and having no power a number of times because I live in the country and reinstating rural areas is less of a priority than towns, I always have enough to last for a while with no services. Environmentally friendly or not, I’m so glad I’ve got a woodburner.

Yay!! We've got MF stoves, only small ones, but the one is linked to the water and 2 radiators (gas runs 11) but winter 2009/2010, I switched off the heating as both stoves going with doors open kept house warm, that and cooking on them! Only downside is my Denby cast iron pots are heavy. LeC are way out of my budget. My Denbys cost me £40 each years ago before everyone got into cooking on the wood burner!

My son and daughter inlaw started buying and storing these things when the wars started in Ukraine etc both are ex military told me to do it too because Putin giving chance will hit Britain just look at the cyber attack today. I do have tin food candles just need bottled water then I’m ready lol