Do you have a weapon ready in case of burglars and is it a good idea?

absentgrana, I keep my knives in a chef's canvas roll. It fits nicely in the drawer and prevents them from getting damaged. Also, it's impossible to grab a knife without unrolling them first. My veg and cooks knife are always in use so I don't bother rolling them up.

We have a baseball bat-sized rod in the living room - husband is trained in the necessary skulls from his days in special forces way back when.

Me - I don't know what I'd do if I was alone and our house got invaded. I might scream and run, or I might stay and throw something at them - then run.... Meanwhile our big soft golden retriever would be licking them to death. I could set the chickens on them - they can be quite vicious when annoyed.

So our burglars could be licked, pecked, bashed or bombarded.

Oh no! That won't wash, Ella, will it?

nanadog
"Security lights fitted at the back of the house, and a dog are good detergents."

Nanadog - no joke:

"The WI movement began at Stoney Creek in Canada in 1897 when Adelaide Hoodless addressed a meeting for the wives of members of the Farmers' Institute. The first British WI meeting took place on 11 September 1915 at Llanfairpwll on Anglesey in North Wales. The WI was originally set up in the UK to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War."

(plagiarised from Wkik)

I only know about this because a friend who is a stalwart of the Scottish WRI told me about a 'pilgrimage' she made to Stoney Creek when she was last in Canada.

Nanadogsbody It's happened.

Yes, but can imagine the headlines? 'Pensioner fells burglar with rounders bat. Police to prosecute' . Not a chance!

You could put them in a knife block and keep that in a tall cupboard!

If you attack an intruder with something you have specifically set aside as a weapon, such as a cricket bat, you are likely to be prosecuted for assault. Also, as has been pointed out, if the intruder takes it away from you, you have just handed him a weapon.

By the way, many burglaries happen during the evening while people are watching television rather than during the night when they are asleep. Most of them, of course, happen while people are out.

merlotgran Storing knives in a drawer is very bad for them. Put them back on the magnetic holder.

I saw a burglar being interviewed some years ago and when he was asked which houses he would avoid he said those with dogs, even little dogs that yapped loudly.
I am very secure in my second floor flat - even if Spiderman accessed my balcony, he would have to deal with heavy wooden shutters.
I have lived in several very isolated houses in France and I have rarely felt the need to lock my door. The only time I have felt nervous was when I lived in Lower Sloane Street and had to get out of the tube at Sloane Square.

Seriously though, the best way is to make your house as secure in the first case. Most burglars want to be in and out as quickly and quietly as possible. Security lights fitted at the back of the house, and a dog are good detergents. The local police recently recovered a haul of stolen goods from a thief's garage. There was also a list of local streets, several addresses were crossed off. When crossed referenced against a list of local burglaries none of these had been burgled, but the common factor was they all had dogs.

Oh, whoops, crimson I didn't mean to alarm anyone!

That child gate idea is a good one except the only one I've got is to keep the dog in the kitchen . Sleeping downstairs tonight with the telly on....

I honestly think you would be better off losing a few valuables rather than getting you head bashed in. Its just not worth it, and with that nice thought at 23:45hrs I will go to bed and try to sleep. Goodnight ladies!

Hairspray is for wimps. Try a can of lighter fuel instead.

You are joking anno aren't you? About the WI? Well fancy that.

Point of information, Nanadog - the WI was started in Canada!

OK I get your point. I shall sleep with a can of hairspray under the pillow.

Is this the spirit that made The Empire Great? That fought and died for our wee bit hill and glen? That manned (?) the fields in time of war and knitted socks for our brave soldiers. The nation that invented The Woman's Institute, the Christmas Pudding and Peter Rabbit?

Play dead? sleep though it? Keep a mobile handy? (the battery would doubtless be out of charge or 'you are held in a queue, we value your call, all our police officers are currently engaged, please call back at a more convenient time').

I think not.

Have good strong doors and lockable double glazed windows. Can't think of any weapon that would do any good, so have my mobile and a house phone by the bed.

as well, I mean

greatnan I used to keep knives on a magnetic holder on the wall until a friend pointed out the obvious risk. They are now kept in a drawer. Any burglar would have to work out which drawer.
Ella Burglars may well smash through a locked internal door but as we are in a bungalow we would be climbing out of the bedroom window while they are doing it. We were advised to plant a pyracantha under the window so we'd have to climb over that we well.

My defence would be to play dead. Being a wimp (and a pleb) I can't think of a weapon that couldn't be turned against me.

Of course I'd use anything to hand. I have a good selection of soft toys to throw at them, various sprays (deodorant, perfumes) and if all else fails there's MrDogs smelly socks. He of course would sleep through it all as he takes his hearing aid out at night. . They'd never make it upstairs anywy....as there's are child gates, one at the bottom and one at the top of the stairs.

we were burgled whilst we slept (they even put milk down for the noisy cat that we had at that time)!! we didn't here a thing ...¬

Absolutely not! I can't imagine being able to use a weapon effectively. My only experience of burglary happened on holiday in a tiny, out of the way village on Crete. My purse and both our phones were stolen from the living room whilst we slept in the next room. Didn't hear a thing.