Prepare. Prepared. Preparing. .

Prepare. Prepared. Preparing.

The government has announced recently that, our electric, will be switched off in a few months, to help the country and save electric. When it does go off, it will be for three hours. It will be winter, and not everyone has gas in their home.

What would happen to the fridge and freezers? Or even worse, those on life support? They would I assume have generators, but it would still be scary.

Since covid, I have made sure, I have bought enough items, such as dried food like pasta and rice, I have also tried to keep a stock of various tinned food and jars, not forgetting the all-important cat food! For the cats, not only do I buy their regular tinned food, but in addition I have bought extra dried complete food and cheap sardines. I have heard of people getting rid of their pets because of their bills expected to go up. I don’t want that to happen to our six cats. In preparation I have also bought extra cat litters as Nanny is not allowed out now, she is old.

So, in preparation of the electric going off for three hours, I have bought, various large wide candles in their jars, one was £8 and it has eighty hours burn time. I was really pleased with it; it was in the reduced section of the shop. At the same store, there were also the regular candles slim and tall, like when I was a kid, a pack of six for £5 I had put both packs in my trolley, but as I walked around the store, I thought, I have no candle holders, so I put them back. When I got home and showed Paul, the large wide candle that I had bought he said, “Tea candles would also be good,” But I told him, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, as they won’t last.”

I had thought I was satisfied, with the £8 candle, but I knew that one would not be enough in the pitch-dark room, so I decided, I needed a Church candle too, for they are large, strong, and sturdy. When I went into another store a few days later, I saw the last to Church candles, they were exactly what I was looking for, they were also reduced to £5 each. The burning time for each of them is, one hundred and twenty-two hours. They are perfect, my quest for candles was complete. Well almost complete, when I had bought the first candle, I had also bought three packs of matches, which has two hundred and twenty sticks of matches in each box.

When I bought the last two candles, I bought another three boxes of matches. Thinking, I can never have enough matches. They are next to the candles, and high up so my grandson can’t reach them.

About six months ago, I had bought a 9w camping lantern, it was quite large and cost £13 and worth £30 from TKMaxx, Paul said, “Take it back, as the batteries would cost too much.” But before I could, the cats had got their claws on the box, so we had to keep it. It is supplied with 4D batteries, it has various settings and in night mode, it can last up to fifty hours. It’s a good make, Rolson I am pleased with that.

Many years ago, when I went to the Bull Dog Bash, held at Stratford-upon-Avon, a four-day event, with my husband and kids, I had a Tie and Dye stall, I had bought various camping lamps that went around my gazabo, for when it went dark, the biggest and main one was a large, rechargeable, twin fluorescent, lantern. This was an awesome buy, for it had SO many features, including dual power system, for plugging in and battery, one or two of the lights can be used, it is freestanding or mounted.

I recently found it again, and plugged it in, only to find out one of the 24” fluorescent tube worked, I shall take it to a lovely lighting shop near my home and have both strips put in new, and I will buy batteries for it, for it is no good if the electric is turned off, unless it has batteries. I have never put batteries in it, but needs must, I shall get the best batteries that money can buy, now is not the time for cheap.

I also bought for when the lights go out, two small torches, they have batteries, already in.

I have bought hot water bottles, but if no electric, will be no good, we have gas too but if that is off too, I am still prepared. Have bought my husband, thermal long-sleeved vests, woollen socks, long johns, knitted hat, thermal gloves, thermal scarf, I also bought him a fabulous warm gilet, so he is kitted out and ready. I have lots, of clothes that I have bought over the years, that I wear as layers with my thermal tights, knitted mittens from Sweden, making sure I always keep my neck warm with a scarf, I’m good to go!

It will be a challenge, but I am ready, I even have a massive tree that hangs over my fence ….. if needs be, I will cut branches off and use them for fuel.