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Original poster

Why do people panic buy bread when it snows

206 replies

Plun · 05/01/2026 06:47

There is more food than bread. Yet bready things like English muffins and crumpets don’t get a look in.

Plus tins of soup. Don’t people have store cupboards anymore? I have enough food in for about a month. Though run out of FnV but at the end of the period, it will be any food for any meal

Last night I watched a tv documentary on BBC4 from the 1960s about the Big Freeze of 62/63. Anyone who is mid 60s or older will remember this. Devon, Dorset and Cornwall were the worst affected. 14ft snow drifts, villages completely cut off.

People now can’t cope with a single snowflake ❄️

OP posts:
Original poster
Plun · 05/01/2026 07:02

OonaStubbs · 05/01/2026 06:55

Schools shut nowadays at the sign of the first snowflake, it's pathetic.

It’s because teachers live 20 plus miles from schools. Gone the days of teachers living in the village. When I was at primary school, all but 3 teachers lived in the village - 2 classes per year.

My friend is now one of the office staff at the primary school and teacher that lives the nearest is 8 miles away.

My parents’ neighbours are teachers and work in schools in neighbouring counties

OP posts:
BobblyBobbleHat · 05/01/2026 07:02

I think a lot of people have longer commutes, which is probably why schools sometimes shut as they can't get enough staff in safely. Dd's school is the opposite, it never shuts!

Many also don't have even a small shop in walking distance nowadays, so perhaps that makes a difference.

Original poster
Plun · 05/01/2026 06:58

RedRiverShore6 · 05/01/2026 06:51

I vaguely remember the big freeze, it was the year I started school and I'm sure I still went to school, they didn't shut.

My DM lived on the Essex coast - she didn’t go to school for a week. DF lived in South Yorkshire. His school was still open. Had to
walk 1.5 miles (always walked in all weathers) and in shorts! He was in what we call year 9 and that was the final school year for wearing shorts. Year 10 onwards, trousers.

OP posts:
Thisiswhathings · 05/01/2026 06:56

I've not seen the panic buying of bread and soup, have the supermarkets run out?

OonaStubbs · 05/01/2026 06:55

Schools shut nowadays at the sign of the first snowflake, it's pathetic.

RedRiverShore6 · 05/01/2026 06:51

I vaguely remember the big freeze, it was the year I started school and I'm sure I still went to school, they didn't shut.

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