Tell Me Something............Anything!

[walpurgis]

yes that same thing happened right outside my office. Cut the power to the whole trading estate. The bloke survived but was in hospital for six months.

There's no excuse. The contractor has to use detection gear, check with utilities and observe proper safety procedures.

[Marco]

Just been to local Tesco to get some bottled water (cheap way of getting spring water for my home brew - gives better flavour than chlorinated tap water) - Still seems to be a shortage, shelves pretty much empty of water

Bottled mineral water, you say? https://www.edwardsdairies.co.uk/you...&weeksoffset=0

Delivered straight to our door from the dairy, in plentiful supply, along with bottled full dairy-milk and all sorts of other goodies! Distance yourself from mainstream/pleb sources, for your provisions, and all will be well

Marco's guide to surviving any forthcoming food/drink shortages (in the short and long-term):

1) Firstly, ALWAYS keep a good stock of your basics at home, by creating a 'larder', so you can at least 'ride the worst of the storm', as it were, until things improve. I don't get how folk always wait until they're down to their last few crumbs before they go shopping!

2) Avoid using 'big name' supermarkets, like the plague, as they'll be the first to run out!

If you must use supermarkets, try Aldi or Lidl instead (or M&S), as they're invariably less frequented by the masses, especially brand-name addicts, which cuts their footfall by about 30%, meaning less folk getting in your way and a better chance of finding basics still in stock.

3) Use independents, such as butchers, bakers, fishmongers and fruiterers instead of supermarkets, as they'll likely still be carrying plentiful stock of their core products, and/or try using your local farm shop. Another 'top up' option is to register with your local dairy, as these days many stock and deliver all manner of stuff, not just dairy products!

4) Another option, instead of using any UK supermarkets is to shop at your local foreign food stores, such as Polish, Asian, etc, as they will carry some of the basics you need (albeit under a foreign brand name, but will be just as good or possibly better), and often be blissfully empty of folk, too!

5) Lastly, if you've got a garden, grow your own produce instead and be as self-sufficient as possible!!

Oh, and I totally agree with your point about your home-brewed beers tasting better, using still mineral or filtered water. It's exactly the same with espresso coffee!

Marco.

[walpurgis]

No local fuel queues now. Gillette Corner Tesco and Heston Road Shell are back to normal

[Marco]

Good stuff, mate. It's been that way up here for days

Marco.

[struth]

not found out what its like here. managed a 7 mile drive there but i wouldnt want to go much further alas.

[Marco]

There was a 2-day spell here last week, where things were a little manic, if you entertain such but since then fuel shortages are a non-issue. That's the advantage of living well away from any busy big cities!

Marco.

[rmcin626]

No issues here, after the madness last week.

[Marco]

Glad things are cool now where you are too, Robin. Just shows that there was no real shortage of fuel whatsoever, and how UTTERLY IDIOTIC is was to panic buy!!!

Marco.

[Pigmy Pony]

There's no excuse. The contractor has to use detection gear, check with utilities and observe proper safety procedures.

And the utilities shouldn't be laid within reach of a jackhammer. No doubt everyone would be blaming each other on that one.

[Beobloke]

Bottled mineral water, you say? https://www.edwardsdairies.co.uk/you...&weeksoffset=0

I never had you down as a bottled mineral water kind of guy, Marco. Don’t you have running water in your house?!

Now, before you talk taste, I should point out that our tap water tastes almost as chlorinated as the stuff in the hot tub, but we have a Brita filter for tea and coffee and drinking water comes from the dispenser in the fridge which has its own inbuilt charcoal filter. Both do a great job and the fridge filter in particular is a brilliant thing.

I’ve always felt bottled water is one of the biggest cons going - as someone once said, mineral water companies don’t make water; they make disposable plastic bottles. It’s also worth pointing out that ‘Evian’ is ‘naive’ spelled backwards!