News on the domestic front

Oreo the water would keep for ages, but the bottles degrade, so I swap them out every year or two. They are kept in the dark in a cool place (the bottom of a cupboard) so aren't in the way, and cost very little. Yes, the bottles have to be recycled, but frankly, if we needed drinking water that would be low on my list of priorities.

Doodledog

Oreo the water would keep for ages, but the bottles degrade, so I swap them out every year or two. They are kept in the dark in a cool place (the bottom of a cupboard) so aren't in the way, and cost very little. Yes, the bottles have to be recycled, but frankly, if we needed drinking water that would be low on my list of priorities.

I understand but have you ever needed to drink them because circumstances meant you had no drinking water?
In all my 60+ years I have never needed bottled water and if anything were to occur with mains water then the water company would supply bottled water or I could get it from the supermarket.
Come the Apocalypse then I may envy a small store of water but failing that I can’t see it would be needed.

Anyone else store water please?
(Thank you Doodledog)

I have over 500 litres of rain water in 4 butts, filled from the shed and greenhouse roofs for garden use. At a previous property on a private water supply in the 80s and 80s whenever the taps ran dry we just used rain butt water for cooking and washing dishes and people. It's safe to drink after boiling.

In my childhood , our only water supply was from a well in the garden, fetched in buckets (filled via an iron hand pump).That water was far dirtier (and contained more wildlife) than butt water but we still drank it (boiled).

I have rural friends who only drink water cold and fresh straight from their own mountain spring which is convenient to the back door :-) The house does have mains water they use for laundry, showers , WC etc but they don't drink tap water.
The spring is ancient, locally reputed to have healing properties, and has never run dry.

No, I've never needed to drink them, but then I've never needed bandages either, but I have them in the first aid kit.

I don't know if I dare tell you, but I have a box of water purification tablets in the emergency box too . Again, cheap, easy to store and will probably never be needed, but if ever I do need them I'll be pleased I took 30 seconds out of my life to order them.

Same as the big knickers in the grab bag - I'd rather have them than risk my husband bringing in ones that might rub on an abdominal scar, in the event of an emergency operation.

Oreo - I can access my prescriptions and some records on the nhs app. My mobile needed charging.
The consultant at A and E was unable to access my nhs or hospital records via their computer system. I was 200:miles from home. My paper copy was invaluable on this occasion, as were my meds. Same when I needed antibiotics when in a remote mountain village in Spain. The gp there understood my medical history from the prescription list I handed her. Internet access wasn’t great there ( as it in int in the Lake District , somewhere we north west folks visit often 🌞

I’m increasingly of the view I want a small bag of essentials ready in case of emergencies. When my

Iam64
You never know when you might need one.
One morning I had need to phone the Dr. They gave me an 11 o/clock appointment.
He did an ECG and said i want you to go to the hospital now They are expecting you
I didn’t come out until midday the next day. All I had with me was what was in my handbag.
I had to sleep in my clothes because tge bedding was so awful and it was cold.
My phone was dead. I didn’t get a drink until 10 at night. Nothing to eat until the next morning in the ward.

Exactly Petra. I was fortunate my daughters were with me, ensuring I had meds, bathroom bag, prescription list etc. they got food n drink as well tho I’d no appetite but water welcome. A and e emergency ward gave me sandwich and water, then yoghurt for breakfast. Couldn’t fault anyone, every staff member was tip top.
I’ll definitely get a basic bag ready

As said earlier by me, a small hospital bag for anyone old and living alone may be a good thing.
I don’t think this is what ‘the government’ as quoted by Whitewavemark2 was talking about.
I can’t see what use a grab bag would be for other reasons for the great majority of UK citizens but if it makes anyone happy to keep one plus bottled water and so on, then have at it.

Doodledog

No, I've never needed to drink them, but then I've never needed bandages either, but I have them in the first aid kit.

I don't know if I dare tell you, but I have a box of water purification tablets in the emergency box too . Again, cheap, easy to store and will probably never be needed, but if ever I do need them I'll be pleased I took 30 seconds out of my life to order them.

Same as the big knickers in the grab bag - I'd rather have them than risk my husband bringing in ones that might rub on an abdominal scar, in the event of an emergency operation.

Who doesn’t have plasters and a roll of bandage and germolene in the house for first aid? A hidden stash of bottled water is in a whole other league as are water purification tablets but each to his/her own.
A few lightbulbs would be more useful tho.

Whitewavemark2

Utilities

Burnham has long been an advocate of re-nationalising energy providers as well as water.

In order to ease the way in taking control of water, the law on insolvency needs to change in order to make it as easy as possible for the government place them into special administration and then control.

Not sure yet anbout energy companies. I reckon that will be years down the line, but I’m sure there must be a way to limit their mind losing profits. - tax ?

Election reform.

Burnham has long been an advocate of electoral reform. I think that back benchers will hold his feet against the fire on this one. Expect to see a row some time during conference.

To return to the subject of the OP…
I agree with Burnham on the re- nationalisation of water and all the energy providers but it can’t just be done suddenly.
If Labour were to get in power again then I would hope it could be done by the end of that five year term.
Am not so sure about electoral reform if that means PR?

Must check my grab bag which I always kept checked and handy since I had two emergency admissions to hospital years ago.

Water is the essential, too.
It's all very well having a freezer full of food but if the electricity goes off, so will the food and we need some means to cook it.

I have light bulbs too. Not just for emergencies, but for when they blow. I do believe in having supplies - I've never been one to shop for only what we will use that day.

I don't understand the league system. Why are bandages (which I've never used) different from water I haven't drunk? Or a fire extinguisher, for that matter. You hope you won't need any of those things, but they are available if circumstances make them necessary.

I wouldn't keep anything that cost a fortune or took up huge amounts of space, but a few bottles of water and a box about 40cm square doesn't need its own extension.

I haven't been involved in any emergencies personally, but I have friends who've been evacuated because of floods, and others who have been trapped in heavy snow for days with no power.

The flood victims were evacuated to the town hall until they could be dispersed, and the more people able to bring emergency supplies (bearing in mind that shops were flooded and people couldn't get back to their houses to collect anything) the better. Being able to take a box of useful items to share (or have them to donate if your ow house isn't flooded) is very useful until normal service can be resumed. Similarly, if roads are blocked and there is no power, being able to survive at home, or to possibly get to a communal place of safety such as a pub is much better if at least a few people have useful items to contribute. A wind up radio, torches/camping lanterns and so on can make a huge difference to people's comfort.

My emergency box has always been intended in case of domestic emergency, but the days there is also a real chance of malicious cyber attacks, meaning that power and water supplies could be interrupted.

Why would the mains water go off?

I don’t think we can agree on this Doodledog but that’s ok.
I find my own few supplies in case of heavy snow or anything else that has never happened before is sufficient.

Oreo

Why would the mains water go off?

Cyber attack. Tech is what keeps the whole system running.

It won’t happen.

Exactly, petra. Or a failure in a purification centre.

Seriously I don't live in fear of these things, but there's no harm in being prepared.

But if it ever did, the supermarket round the corner has plenty of bottled water, after all unless you live in a mansion there’s only so much bottled water you can store.

eazybee

^Burnham will not vote in the assisted dying free vote, to avoid influencing other MP^

Failed the first leadership test.

Abstention? Cowardice.

Cowardice.

Feel inept now. Living a hand to mouth life, no savings, no grab bag.
Just the Maltesters.

Interested to read that some posters clearly have more information than the U.K. government when it comes to decide whether to prepare for sudden crises, and have opted to ignore the advise, which of course is their right.

For myself? I have no such information, and have therefore decided to get a grab bag sorted (when I get my arse in gear).

I already have a box with necessary items in case of prolonged power outages - such as my DD had a couple of weeks ago - without power initially for 11 hours then 8 hours - cyber attack - who’d think that would happen in leafy Sussex - but there you are.

Cyber attacks I think are highly probable in the future, which will cause commotion in all sorts of areas.

I will therefore ensure that I have physical cash to hand.

I am also giving consideration to adding stuff to my pantry. I might buy the odd extra thing on a weekly basis including water.

Water stored is pretty essential I think if you live in the south east where water is frequently cut off.

One would hope that none of this would be a common sense thing to do, but with idiots like Putin I can’t be confident that crises will not happen.

Yes, and we saw during Covid that supermarkets may have been open, but even those who have one round the corner couldn’t always get loo roll or other essentials. Supply chain disruptions are exactly the sort of things that cyber attacks can bring about.

Whitewavemark2

We are also going to be told to stock up on food and be prepared for emergencies. The government is issuing advice apparently.

Just hope this doesn’t lead to panic buying. I think the best way is to just add a couple of items to your weekly shop.

Also get a grab bag ready - not sure what to put in it. Passports I guess.

Yes, as below:

These will give you the basis for curries, chillies, soups, stews, pasta dishes, rice bowls, porridge, oat bars and snacks without needing fresh ingredients,’ she explains.
The list:
Canned chickpeas
Canned kidney beans
Canned cannellini beans
Canned chopped tomatoes
Tinned sweetcorn
Tinned peas
Tinned tuna
Tinned sardines
Tinned coconut milk
Rice
Pasta
Oats
Red Lentils
Dried fruit
Nuts
Peanut/almond butter
Stock cubes
Spices
Tomato puree
Olive oil

But, as so much of it would need heating/cooking, it doesn’t seem like the obvious has been thought of - if power goes, then what?

It’s thought likely that any perceived enemy would target those things first by cyber hacking.

I always keep a full cupboard, but, frankly, I really can’t be bothered with any more panic scenarios. 🙄