***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 5 *****
More weather related topics.
294799
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 21 Jan 13 at 00:42
|
>> Not a problem at all. Think he was just ahead of the snow all the way.
Sounds like it. I left here at 0400, dropped off a new car in London NW6 at 0700 which took an hour to hand over, and took the return car up to Telford by 1145. The snow was just starting to settle as I got to Birmingham on the way up. Coming back to Leics from Telford took me all afternoon and half the evening as well :/
I did video this on my travels though: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV0NMJPLyFI
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 01:23
|
D-TDCi
"I did video this on my travels though"
Don't know whether to laugh or cry!
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 01:23
|
|
I let her out of a side road into the jam I'd been sitting in for an hour, I did jump out and point out the problem to her shortly afterwards.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 01:23
|
|
What was her reaction?
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 01:23
|
Don't they have electronic parking brakes?
If so maybe it wouldn't release...
|
>> Don't they have electronic parking brakes?
Not on that age of Corsa. Probably not on the current one either.
And I think because of EPB problems on the current Astra, Vauxhall have reverted back to fitting a lever and cable again. Not sure about the Insignia though.
|
>> I did jump out and point out the problem to her shortly afterwards.
So, it wasn't a case of the rear brakes frozen up then?
editing of above posts only to change the vol No from 3 to 4
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 01:24
|
I've not followed this thread, but isn't it amazing how the delivered newspaper, regardless of the adverse weather conditions that can affect most other services, still ends up on the doormat at the usual time.
That's our experience, anyway.
|
Do folks still buy newspapers never mind get them delivered???
How retro!
|
|
Yup So do I, Nothing beat a lazy sunday morning, Onsie, Coffee, Breakfast and the Sunday paper delivered.
|
I had an exiting weather experience yesterday.
The car got stuck at a place about 6 miles away, and I decided to walk home. It was snowing gently, but only about 6 " deep, so seemed the simplest safest thing to do.
After a couple of miles the wind got, and blowing snow off the fields rapidly caused deep drifts. At that moment a farmer in a kind of bulldozer/snowplough appeared, and stopped and offered me a lift. There was no room in the cab, so I stood on the step and clung onto the door, and he raced off into the blizzard.
It was very exiting, and also I suppose highly dangerous. Charging through 6 foot snowdrifts at 30 mph while clinging onto the side of the snowplough is not really best H&S practice. At times the snow was flung over the machine in enormous buffeting dollops, and the wall of snow at the side tried to drag me free from my precarious hold.
I was frozen and shivering, and the farmer every now and again yelled "Are you all right? Can't stop, have to keep going!"
Then he dropped me off and raced back again, trying to get the road passable for the milk lorry.
|
>> I had an exiting weather experience yesterday.
Beats my Train into a cocked hat.
>>
>>
|
>> The car got stuck at a place about 6 miles away, and I decided to
>> walk home. It was snowing gently, but only about 6 " deep, so seemed the
>> simplest safest thing to do.
Was that the Volvo 240 CP?
Tractor story sounds great, balls to H&S :)
|
>
>>
>> Was that the Volvo 240 CP?
>>
>> Tractor story sounds great, balls to H&S :)
>>
No, daughter's Peugeot 306. A felt a bit of a whimp for giving up, but reflected there is no point in trying to join a queue of cars slithering about trying to get up a hill, it would be more sensible to park somewhere safely and walk.
It was not so sensible though to walk off into a blizzard in the hills.
Yes, it was fun up to a point, but I was getting worried that my daughter might lose her grip and fall off under the tractor's back wheel, and we did both get pretty severely chilled.
You can see how people really do die of exposure. If the snowplough hadn't happened to come along we'd have been floundering in hedge-high deep drifts in a biting wind, miles from anywhere. Then you'd have been reading reports of an idiotic father taking his daughter for a walk in a blizzard and getting them both killed.
It's a thin line from jolly jape to a tragedy.
|
|
Oh! thats the first mention of your daughter involved as well.
|
>> No, daughter's Peugeot 306. A felt a bit of a whimp for giving up, but
>> reflected there is no point in trying to join a queue of cars slithering about
>> trying to get up a hill, it would be more sensible to park somewhere safely
>> and walk.
I was hoping it wasn't the trusty Volvo and would have been extremely disappointed if it was, i've mentioned this before but i once rescued the passengers from a works mini bus which couldn't get through a snow drifted country through route, was in my 245 estate.
Had the back seat and the estate boot filled with umpteen weary shoe factory (that shows how long ago) workers and we plowed through those drifts like a ship through water, simply unstoppable, like your jolly and decent farmer type we didn't risk losing motion and just went for it.
I wouldn't have made it without the weight and they'd have had to walk several miles.
Glad it worked out CP, it doesn't do to dwell on the what ifs, you made sensible decisions under the circumstances, extraordinary conditions call for actions we wouldn't ever normally consider.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 14:52
|
|
Im one of those drivers who delivers them in the morning.
|
>> Im one of those drivers who delivers them in the morning.
>>
Well deserved green thingy for you, then.
|
|
One green blob 'cos I can't give you two!
|
>> Do folks still buy newspapers never mind get them delivered???
>>
Yes. DT delivered mon-fri and collected at the weekend. On subscription about £6 a week iirc.
Boss reads it more than I do, she likes the weekend tripe. I mainly do the crossword. It helps to keep the community shop going.
|
>> Yes. DT delivered mon-fri and collected at the weekend. On subscription about £6 a week
>> iirc.
How much do they charge for delivery?
|
>> >> Yes. DT delivered mon-fri and collected at the weekend. On subscription about £6 a
>> week
>> >> iirc.
>>
>> How much do they charge for delivery?
The shop delivers for 30p a day, Monday-Friday.
The subscription gets you a voucher for every day's paper, worth face value to the shop.
|
I had fun in West Sussex yesterday when on my
way to Bournemouth. A29 at Bury Hill was sheet ice and I struggled for nearly half an hour to get up and then found that going downhill into
Arundel was a sobering experience..sideways on...
A27 was blockedby alorry in the Armco and we sat for over twenty minutes while the police sorted it out...
A two hour journey took four...but a couple of pints and toasted bacon sarnie helped...
|
>> A29 at Bury Hill was sheet ice
That must have been entertaining. Bury Hill has some quite good bends that can catch an incautious hotshoe almost out, especially when running down it the other way.
I suppose you got there early before the gritters had done their stuff?
|
I got there about ten in the morning and no sign of any gritters AC , the hill was mayhem, blocked by lots of vans and cars who either simply gave up or were sliding all over the place or turning around.....I just kept going and as a lady coming the other way slowed to tell me not to bother she was nearly rear ended by another car who was sliding out of conjtrol...
The right hand turn to Fontwell was closed by the police due to an accident so to get into Arundel and onto A27 we had to go down a very steep hill and despite the fact I was leaving a good 100 yards between me and the car in front and travelling as slowly as I could downhill it was simply so icy that I was sliding sideways and could not stop. It is not a nice feeling. The ice warning on the Accord was flashing on and off continually.
We have returned today, Bournemouth was chilly but no snow, back home SWMBO's car has just been cleared by me of around eight inches of snow and I went to thank my 84 year old neighbour who had cleared a path onto and a good part of my drive......
Last edited by: retpocileh on Sun 20 Jan 13 at 17:07
|
You've got an evil larf Turbot Dave.
:-D
|
Just done a 20 mile round trip in the Merc, some of which was on hard packed snow. It performed remarkably well given its wide "summer" tyres and automatic gearbox. The traction control light blinked a couple of times on hill starts but otherwise it was fine. Had to knock it into neutral as I was slowing for an icy junction as the front wheels were trying to lock up but only at 5 mph or so.
Quite impressed given the bad press such vehicles get whenever there is the slightest snowfall.
|
>>
>> Quite impressed given the bad press such vehicles get whenever there is the slightest snowfall.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
Round here they get no bad press in snow: the owners leave them at home...
|
Well, at the risk of being scoffed at, I grew up and spent my early adulthood in Scotland where snow and ice are not unusual. My family, in particular my father, always had reasonably powerful rwd cars, I learned to drive on a rwd, several of my early cars were rwd and indeed I spent a couple of winters using them in and around the Scottish ski resorts at a young age. Later I became a sales rep and was issued with rwd Cavaliers, Cortinas, a Rover SD1 and eventually a 525 petrol automatic BMW all of which were used in all weathers all over Scotland and subsequently when i was asked to go and work in Switzerland. While I'd grant that they require more care to get moving from rest on a slippy surface, to this day I prefer how they behave once actually rolling to the horrible understeer which is almost inevitable with a fwd in poor traction/grip conditions. Arguably the worst car I had for snow driving was paradoxically a Land Rover 90. Great for getting going of course but a pig to stop when the surface was snow or ice.
I guess it's what you get used to I suppose. I'm not for one moment denigrating others opinions you understand, just explaining my own point of view.
|
>
>> I guess it's what you get used to I suppose. I'm not for one moment
>> denigrating others opinions you understand, just explaining my own point of view.
Indeed, and why not. Interesting to note however that the FWD mini comprehensively trounced the RWD brigade when it appeared in the Monte Carlo Rally.
Ok I'll accept that some of that was down to weight and size, but in snow or ice, if I want to get a car round bends or up hills I will go FWD every time. And yes I served my apprenticeship in big engined capris, surely the most tail happy monster since flipper.
|
Like Hump I learned to drive in Scotland - all rwd cars.. And owned several and drove several.
But in snow , it's easier for the average driver (me) to drive a fwd car on snow than a rwd one..
Given that many drivers cannot control engine speed on snow, a rwd car is more likely to flip sideways or stop withe wheels spinning..
The Mercedes owner next door uses his wife's Honda 4x4 just now!
|
A wee snow driving trick I was shown many years ago which has got me out of bother more than once incidentally, is to ( on a rwd of course ) use the handbrake ( if a conventional one is fitted ) as a primitive traction control. if the back wheels are spinning out when trying to move from rest, if you fiddle the handbrake slightly on and off while attempting to get forward motion it somehow calms everything down and off you go. Not entirely recommended or useful at speed or in a fwd though...
:-)
|
Whilst I agree with the principle, my Merc was truly the most impossible vehicle to drive on snow. Even the slightest camber on the road would cause the tail to flop to one side or the other.
I don;t remember having issues with Cortinas and Cavaliers though.
|
|
Don't take any notice of the Jocks. They get a different type of snow up there.
|
Fair enough, but I guess what I was rambling on about, or intending to more accurately, upthread is that I'd expected, perhaps due to being brainwashed into believing such things in recent years, that my Merc would be impossible to drive today on the journey I needed it for. But it just wasn't, on the contrary, it was as easy as an easy thing. Which was pleasing. Not much more than that really. Much ado etc...
:-)
|
My winter tyred MB excelled again in the stuff, doing exactly what i asked of it without the slightest hesitation, did trigger the ABS once yesterday driving down an icy hill and just before coming to final rest, i came off the main roads to go home and took to the back lanes, the walking speed and queues of mimsers inching along reasoanably driveable gritted roads was just too frustrating....no traction on my old girl, bought deliberately without as much electronic garbage as could be found.
Took the Outlander out of our heavily snowed driveway earlier, yes i'm bone idle and haven't cleared it, it simply drove straight out as if the steep incline was bone dry.
This full time 4x4 is quite addictive stuff, can see another all wheel drive of some sort being found when the old MB dies, there is no comparison at with 2WD for directional staibility on uneven surfaces such as Norhants crumbling road network whichever end is driven when the going is even wet let alone icy (tyre types not considered).
PS, i too detest the slippery road antics of FWD, wouldn't give you a thankyou.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 17:01
|
|
You are far more, certainly far more recently for sure anyway experienced in driving a rwd auto than me GB. May I ask your advice please? Would you recommend using the facility of "locking" the box in 2nd or whatever for slippy descents or do you just use gentle braking?
|
Come off it H, you've got as many miles as me under your belt, if anyone should be asking it should be t'other way round, you travel probaly more miles in your RWD car than any of us.
For what its worth i don't use engine braking other than simply lifting off the throttle with RWD on ice, too easy to cause a rear wheel lock up and faffing bout to knock it back into neutral could see valuable seconds lost.
I reported here a couple of years ago when i took out a Volvo artic which has a very good engine retarder (unlike many which make a noise and otherwise as much use as a chocolate teapot), it was a new lorry to me and i didn't notice the adjustable engine brake had been left set on 3 (high), just as i entered a black ice covered roundabout the blasted automated manual gearbox from hell decided to downshift about 3 speeds and the drive axle locked straight up, wonderful, cue buttock clenching moment, managed to get round but it proves it doesn't matter how many million miles you drive you can still get it wrong.
This small lorry anecdote is just one reason why i hate modern lorries that drive themselves, no commercial vehicle should be fitted with this auto box that isn't device, we've thrown the baby out with the bathwater and there are now hundreds of thousands of recent lorry drivers that haven't learned as they moved up vehicle sizes to control them properly, the results are seen every day on the road and from a personal note increasingly in car transporters which are now rolling over with alarming frequency.
Back to cars, i use the engine braking that goes with the torque converter auto on my old MB, which isn't much, i use gentle 'feel' of the brakes and only use them to assist the natural slowing of the car unless obviously heavier braking is required.
Edit...if i had an auto FWD i wouldn't use it any differently, don't want to encourage the front wheels to lock either.
The same can be applied whatever the drive system, don't want 2 wheels losing traction when you're slowing up.
Just my tuppence.
I suppose if anything the more miles you cover the more you learn to read the road surface, looking for the best grip which might mean you're driving on uncleared snow whilst others are following each other in the packed semi black ice.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 17:25
|
>> managed to get round but it proves it doesn't matter how many million miles you drive you can still get it wrong.
Yup.
|
>> PS, i too detest the slippery road antics of FWD, wouldn't give you a thankyou.
>>
Me three.
That and the fact that when trying to get up a hill with FWD, when you lose traction, you also lose steering and brakes.
|
>> you lose traction, you also lose steering and brakes.
Huh? Dunno bout you but I have brakes on front and rear. And a handbrake BTW
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 18:22
|
>> >> you lose traction, you also lose steering and brakes.
>>
>> Huh? Dunno bout you but I have brakes on front and rear. And a handbrake
>> BTW
>>
Yes, but applying the handbrake wouldn't be a good idea when the front end breaks away on a hill, and the car slides sideways down a hill.
And yes, I have seen this happen more than once on the hills around here.
|
Does not compute, matters not what end the drive is to loose brakes, If the front wont brake nor will the back,.
|
Some of these posts bring back memories of driving in proper snow! My old man had Austin Cambridge and a Riley 4/72 (which I leaned to drive on) during some very snowy winters in late '60s shod on the rear with what he called "Town and Countries". A mate had a Morris Minor, as did a girlfriend and we used to go out looking for snowy country roads in N Yorks to have fun on. Most fun was another mate's Renault Dauphine Gordini. Always used to pack a shovel or two but can never remember actually being stuck in quite deep snow! (And being daft on deserted country lanes!)
But, the thought occurs, was it something to do with those skinny old tyres which used to "cut" through the snow compared to the fat, low profile tyres we have now?
Same thought occurred two winters ago. Had an X3 to deliver to Cornwall on a very snowy day. It slipped an slithered around so I was very dubious about the little basic Yaris I had back. However, despite snow drifting across A30/A 303 all the way back it cruised along very nicely - skinny little tyres + FWD? - and was in fact easier to drive than the X3 with 4WD! Also see GB's post and winter tyres - do tyres make all the difference??
P
Last edited by: PhilW on Sat 19 Jan 13 at 18:23
|
Just watched a programme on the winter of 1963, which I vaguely remember as a short trousered schoolboy. Makes you realise that what we've got this week is nothing at all.
I wonder how we'd cope now with a white out lasting nearly three months?
|
|
I remember being trapped in the house in the big one of 63, snow drifts deeper than the door.
|
|
Went to dig the Fiesta out of the snowdrift I left it in yesterday after noon, scraped all the snow off with my 3.99 snow scoop you all scoffed at last year - started drove off...off to the shops and then to the Forestry to run the doggies for what appeared to be 25 miles (more like two - surprising how knackering on the legs deepish virgin snow is.) Dogs ran for 4 or 5 times human miles - loving every minute of it. Roads are clearing, some threatening clouds earlier but seems to be thawing out a touch tonight. May take the bus to work Monday but it will have to be another branch.
|
|
have any problems with frozen snow balls on dogs ears? It helps to have a dog that has fur higher than the snow!
|
|
The Cocker is slightly shorter than the Springer now - the only problem was snow balls around his hind legs - the Springer didn't have a problem. Funny to watch the Cocker's coat "fur out" in the cold....Springer found the deepest muddiest pools...:-( There's a vid of them in the woods somewhere.
|
>> The Cocker is slightly shorter than the Springer now -
Why's that?
Has he had his legs cut off at the knees recently?
|
|
No the Springer's grown as expected.
|
>> Just watched a programme on the winter of 1963, which I vaguely remember as a
>> short trousered schoolboy. Makes you realise that what we've got this week is nothing at
>> all.
>>
>> I wonder how we'd cope now with a white out lasting nearly three months?
>>
I expect we would see 25% casualties in OAPs: especially with power cuts.
Many people are living longer and whilst 40 years ago they would have died naturally, today's high tech medicine keeps them going. Except they need nursing homes heated to 25C due to an inability to move around.
Prolonged power cuts would place many of them at risk of hypothermia.
An modern Just in Time food and other delivery systems mean shops empty within days of stopped deliveries. No local dairies either..
All the conditions exist to ensure a large scale disruption to the motorway network (no freight trains now) would mean starvation for some.
(We hold 1 month's supply of dry/.canned /frozen food.. ALWAYS)
|
>> (We hold 1 month's supply of dry/.canned /frozen food.. ALWAYS)
So sayeth the monger of doom and gloom.
|
|
We have a strategic reserve - became depleted of late, I reckon there was a week's worth of food in the house when I checked the stocks last night - topped it up today especially in the meat department. Local butcher has just opened a pre-packed meat shop - what we got looks excellent ready packed for the freezer and very good value. I have always aimed to have a couple of four pinters frozen. Works sometimes.
|
>> We have a strategic reserve -
Me too, Pug. I checked out my supplies last week and have 67 half-litre bottles in the garage plus about 25 wine for 'er.
Ted
|
>>
>> >> (We hold 1 month's supply of dry/.canned /frozen food.. ALWAYS)
>>
>> So sayeth the monger of doom and gloom.
What pathetic little twerp gave me a scowly face for that?
|
|
Don't use them myself guv
|
|
I'm with the MADeffer. Stocks are good and not to be laughed at. Mrs. MD does the same. There is of course always meat on the hoof in the woods but a few yards away. Not something everyone could do. All too easy to be complacent.
|
>> I'm with the MADeffer. Stocks are good and not to be laughed at. Mrs. MD
>> does the same. There is of course always meat on the hoof in the woods
>> but a few yards away. Not something everyone could do. All too easy to be
>> complacent.
Stuff is not going to just "happen without warning, And if it does the shop will have food in a few days, UNLESS everyone panics and stuffs the larder with months worth of food!
I've got flour, can make bread. We have powdered milk, we have coffee and tea.
"Stocks" in a civilised urban industrial society are to be laughed at. If you live in the middle of nowhere then maybe.
|
|
Well as the bridges to the mainland have a habit of falling down or catching fire, you are excused.
|
|
In our old house ( 1200 feet up a hill in the Scottish Borders ) we were cut off from the outside world most winters for days at a time. Longest stretch we endured was early 2001 I think. 12 days without the ability to get food or other supplies, no electricity and even the mains water froze. Snow up to the windowsills, the first floor windowsills...
|
Ah, but people WILL panic Zero. Slightest whiff of a crisis and the supermarket shelves are stripped or people are queuing round the block for petrol.
Only a very small percentage of the population is remotely self-sufficient these days. If Tescos doesn't stay open until 10, the Indian takeaway is closed or the pizza scooter can't deliver then there would soon be food riots I reckon. It's a pathetic indictment of the 21st century urban lifestyle.
Here in NZ we are frequently reminded to be prepared for sudden catastrophes such as earthquake, tsunami, or volcanic eruptions, which could actually happen at very short notice. Still a surprising number of people who are totally unprepared though.
|
I always keep well stocked up with food but that comes from living in the highest village in Leicestershire many years ago, where getting cut off for a few days was normal. So was sledging down Hollowback Hill.
Now in the Fen it probably isn't necessary but old habits die hard.
I still have my camping gaz stove from the lorry and my trusty little saucepan too, so if all fails we will eat (and enjoy) Camion Stew once again!
Pat
|
|
Snowing heavily in North Kent now and according to the Met Office it is going stay that way all day ( they are ever wrong of course !)
|
|
Light-ish snow in N/E Surrey. Nicole has just been contacted by work to say they will be providing drivers and 4x4s for her rounds.
|
|
Zero, bet you were desperate to volunteer to drive the 4x4 ???
|
>> Zero, bet you were desperate to volunteer to drive the 4x4 ???
If the conditions warranted it yes, As it is I could easily do it in my lancer.
|
>> It's a pathetic indictment of
>> the 21st century urban lifestyle.
It will only become more like this in the future as people move out of the countryside and into urban areas. It all seems to work most of the time, but a city is the last place I would want to be if there was a food shortage, stuck with millions of angry people who will forget about social etiquette when they are starving.
|
I walked down to Waitrose on Friday when the worst of the show had stopped. They appeared to be doing fairly brisk business. Chatting to the guy on the till he told me it had been like a busy xmas day on Thursday and the store had been stripped of basics.
"dont people have freezers with a few days food in now" was his comment to me.
We were not really in need of much other than a few pints of milk, and Mrs B wanted a bottle of wine.....
Think with whats in the cupboards / freezer we could last a week in most cases
Last edited by: mikeyb on Sun 20 Jan 13 at 10:43
|
>> We were not really in need of much other than a few pints of milk,
>> and Mrs B wanted a bottle of wine.....
>>
>> Think with whats in the cupboards / freezer we could last a week in most
>> cases
Only one Bottle of wine for a week? Thats a crisis of epic proportions.
|
>>people who will forget about social etiquette ...
Forget? Round here most of them wouldn't even be able to spell it and if they tried to pronounce it they'd almost certainly add an "h" on the front...
Miserable mean spirited self centred bunch here at the best of times. I reckon it's the proximity to Wales to blame.
:-)
|
>> Miserable mean spirited self centred bunch here at the best of times. I reckon it's
>> the proximity to Wales to blame.
>>
>> :-)
Or possibly the influx of Jocks?
|
>>Or possibly the influx of Jocks?
We are very friendly. until you upset us...
:-)
|
>> >>Or possibly the influx of Jocks?
>>
>> until you upset us...
A permanent state I understand? Or is that just "tired and emotional"?
|
What's the score with stocking up in anticipation of bad weather?
What I mean is for some it's prudent to plan ahead, yet others think it's silly and unnecessarily empties the shelves.
I have always been Captain Sensible. When the forecasts said there'd be snow, I went to our local village and bought 4 loaves and several 4 pinters of milk and bunged them in the spare freezer.
I think with two young children (1 and 5) and living in a rural area, that is a sensible bit of forward planning...and if others can't be bothered to do it, their prerogative, but they risk losing out..and if the snow came to not a lot, I just don't bother having to get bread/milk for a while.
Now my brother (with a 1 year old and a 2 week old) thought that was hilarious and said he'd be able to get anywhere in his 4x4 with off road tyres (newish Mitsubishi Shogun), and why bother. He totally ignored my retort that he might be able to get anywhere..but the delivery lorries wouldn't.
So, am I sensible to plan ahead or selfish to take too much in one go? Is he short sighted or sensibly laid back.
|
Depends where people are and how bad the weather really is. As mentioned upthread, where we used to live, when it got bad even bulldozers couldn't get through for days never mind 4x4s. That winter I had a Ford Galaxy. It wasn't just covered in snow it was buried in snow. Our only way in and out of the house was through a first floor window. Winter tyres wouldn't really have made a lot of difference, you'd have had to dig down to the car but even if you had there would have been no way of moving it given that it was surrounded by walls of snow !
Our son was less than 1 year old at the time and after a day or two a local shepherd we knew turned up unannounced having walked some 5 miles over the snow from the farm where he lived on home made snow shoes to bring some milk to the remote houses where he knew there were infants. I shall always be grateful to him for that.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 20 Jan 13 at 11:33
|
>> Our son was less than 1 year old at the time and after a day
>> or two a local shepherd we knew turned up unannounced having walked some 5 miles
>> over the snow from the farm where he lived on home made snow shoes to
>> bring some milk to the remote houses where he knew there were infants. I shall
>> always be grateful to him for that.
Top man that.
These days the farm would probably be answering some jobsworth itching to close them down for daring to give milk directly to someone without it passing through the dairies profit...sorry er pasteurising process.
|
>>Top man that.
Indeed he was, he had rucksack full of small containers of milk and he wouldn't take any money for it.
However, as soon as the local pub re-opened, lets just say he wasn't allowed to buy a round for quite some considerable time !
|
|
A fair square deal all round Humph. Top man!
|
>> So, am I sensible to plan ahead or selfish to take too much in one
>> go? Is he short sighted or sensibly laid back.
Bit of both really, we run two freezers and keep enough general food in stock that we could easily last a month or more without worrying just by using our hugely varied stocks, we'd manage without milk but tend to keep a couple of rotated regularly 4 pinters in the freezer as well as the several rotated in normal use, i imagine even milk wise we could go three weeks.
Things like bread we always have a couple of loaves in the freezer, the problem with buying 4 two days before a forecast problem is that when millions of others do the same then just in time production can't cope, mills can't suddenly magic another thousands tons of flour out of thin air just for the bakeries and then this creates a massive blip, it can't be worked around meaningfully due to the short shelf life of the finished product.
Remember wheat lorries will be carrying mill resupplies from very cut off rural areas, farmers are good at clearing their own approaches but modern automated artics (and some modern drivers) are increasingly poor at maintaining progress on slippery roads, it all runs like clockwork normally but weather like this can cause all sorts of unforseen problems.
I think its wise for everyone to keep a bit of stock at all times and not like some who have to visit the shops almost daily for that days evening meal and the following mornings breakfast.
|
I don't suppose anything much will happen in our inner city area. I have a few tins of soup ( Love Tesco's own mushroom with croutons ) We could always make bread and I'm sure we could survive without milk if the milkman couldn't get his RWD float up the road. He delivers eggs and bread anyway.
We've also got the caravan parked in front of the workshop with 14 kg of gas on board. A little winter camping might be fun.
Anyway, the beer's the main thing !
Ted
|
>> Miserable mean spirited self centred bunch here at the best of times. I reckon it's
>> the proximity to Wales to blame.
Move back to Scotland Humph. I'm sure there's room for a few more. Old Navy won't mind :)
|
|
I'd go in a heartbeat Corax. Other family members are the issue.
|
As far as stocking up goes, as I said, it rarely gets bad enough that stuff is stuck for more than 2 or three days (in most of the urban areas) . If you start to stock up in front, you create shortages and backlogs and jams further down the line and cause the very havoc you are stocking up to avoid. How convenient to forget the panic engineered petrol shortage you were all berating last year.
All you need is bread and milk, both come in powdered or frozen form that last for ages in your larder or fridge. No-one is going to starve on that for 3 days.
|
>>No-one is going to starve on that for 3 days.
Particularly the 'lardy' types we've seen hanging around station platforms (I could probably last longer).
;>)
|
>> Move back to Scotland Humph. I'm sure there's room for a few more. Old Navy
>> won't mind :)
>>
No problem, plenty of room up here. I am English but have probably lived in Scotland longer than Humph, and any Scots younger than 40 odd.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 20 Jan 13 at 16:12
|
>>a city is the last place I would want to be if there was a food shortage, stuck with millions of angry people who will forget about social etiquette when they are starving.
Your reply to this message<<
It wouldn't be a bad idea to read my Sun 20 Jan 13 12:56pm post corax.
|
Here's a funny thing, just been out in the car ( Merc ) to Sainsburys and have noticed, well, couldn't help noticing actually, a rapidly growing crack in the windscreen which appears to have started at the bottom edge of the middle and is making a wandering but determined bid for the top... Can't recall any stone impact yesterday and can't indeed see any noticeable point of impact. Just a crack. Never had that before. Can only assume it was weak already at that point and the cold has had an effect. Strange though as I've used other cars in much colder conditions without that happening.
Be "interesting" to find out what the cost of replacing it will be...
Company car thank goodness !
|
|
Fortunately, even if it was just your own car, it would just be your insurance windscreen excess you pay.
|
>> a rapidly growing crack in the windscreen which appears to have started at the bottom edge of the middle and is making a wandering but determined bid for the top.
Done any jumps recently Humph, bottomed the suspension or parked in an awkward place with one corner much higher than the others, or jacked one corner up high? Windscreen cracks can often be caused by body flexing, with big floppy estates likely victims...
|
>>any jumps recently ...
Not for weeks now sadly !
:-)
|
|
Except the bruising ball splitting bike accident of course.
|
|
I still have a fairly accurate six inch wide map of Australia bruised on to my lower back from that incident. I've become quite fond of it. Thinking of having it tattooed on before it fades.
|
|
+3C and melting here! Hooray!
|
>> Here's a funny thing, just been out in the car ( Merc ) to Sainsburys
Went to Co Ops earlier and a guy in a newish Merc diesel pulled onto the slightly sloping small forecourt with loose slush. He was being very careful, but still slid forward. Then his rear wheels span on the spot as he fiddled with the autobox. Looked like 18 or 19 inch wheels with low profiles. Now I know BMW's have low grip but I think Mercedes are worse. At least BMW's have a fairly even weight distribution. Mercedes can be very light at the back - coupled with a torquey diesel engine it can't be an easy combination.
|
Been coming down all day here. Ventured out to Daventry for week supplies c12:30. Only car available was the 'lingo as Xant disgraced itself again on Thursday - electrical short sufficient to melt battery post. May be end of the old girl. But the narrow tyres and easy IDI torque on 'lingo were probably best choice anyway.
Roads quiet and not too bad when taken with care. Couple of loons in 4*4 wotsits driving like normal but everyone else sensible (except the Focus, dark grey and unlit, that shot pasr on the A5.
Dav empty and some shops closed early.
Still falling now but air temp above freezing and it's dripping off the gutters.
Work at home again tomorrow though I think. Getting the firms laptop while my leg was hors de service was a good move.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 20 Jan 13 at 17:53
|
Weather Thread Vol 4. - Dave_
