Why have we been told to 'stockpile' and what for?

I lived through the seventies. We had frequent short power cuts, but generally you could make tea on the cooker, then power would go off. So all we needed was torches, candles, and blankets.

We had a sort of hurricane lamp for the table, so we could do our homework. 🙂

In the north we needed heat as well

I think there were regional variations as to the nature of your outages

Fortunately Tescos have their 25% off six bottles of wine at the moment (that's 2 free!) so I'm taking Government advice and stocking up.

It's all very well saying we should stock up on all these things but how in heck do people on low incomes/ benefits pay for them?

Good idea, I read yesterday that buying liquid in glass bottles meant, unopened it lasted 7 years, not the 2 years in plastic. Price of water I looked at in glass to stock up, the wine may have been cheaper and much more fun if the world is in crisis 🤷‍♀️🤣

The idea at national level is those that can stock up then don't need to access whatever contingency arrangements are put in place.

I do love those threads! 2 named storms back to back in the UK today,without mentioning yesterday's major problems with internet and people are still doubting that it might be a good idea to have some extra food/water at home.

@catmothertes1 this is about more than storms. I have lived far worse storms and never needed to stockpile water and food.

Golly that load in that photo would keep you regular.

Let's hope we don't lose water to flush the loo! All those legumes and no working toilet could get grim...

So, Labour think we will return to the 70s?

disruption to supplies coming via the channel tunnel. Crop failure because of the hot summer. Lack of fertiliser because of war. Fuel shortages so food deliveries can't get through to name a few more

No worse than seventies. Seventies we generally had power for some of the day. So you cooked food and boiled your kettle to fill up flasks.
It's not one political parties fault. But it is scary. We are basically at war.

I am aware.

I definately think we are not being told the full story. I reckon they are using the weather to make us stock up without causing a panic. I don't think it's anything to do with the weather.

Our supply chain is 3 days so if there was some interference by weather or bad actors makes sense for those that can to be self sufficient freeing up resources. Broadest shoulders etc.

Makes me laugh when people say they have a well stocked freezer ! The power would go so off goes the freezer!

Yes the eighties were fun. After the strikes, blackouts and high inflation of the seventies we had the cold war and hide under your desk at school cos that'll protect you when the bomb drops. We had lovely little booklets called protect and survive or something. Anyway we all know now that was fake advice meant to make us all think we could survive in the event of a nuclear bomb when the govt knew all along hiding behind doors and under desks wouldn't save you at all. The nuclear weapons are alot more powerful nowadays. I think the best advice is get as close to the blast as possible so you are wiped out immediately.

We had calor gas heater and paraffin lamps in the seventies.

I think it will be far worse than the seventies.
I had a Saturday job in a supermarket then and we managed to stay open during power cuts (at least until all existing shoppers were out) because, although the default option on the till was electric, there was a handle we could attach to the side to ring the items up manually. And of course payment was either by cash or cheque, so lack of electricity wasn't a problem.

Nowadays tills would stop working as soon as there was a powercut, as would card authorisations etc. There is far more reliance on electricity and the internet.

Worth doing, just add a few extra non perishable items to the weekly shop, rather than going crazy. Soon you’ll have a stockpile.

I didn't even have a day off school in the seventies.

And nobody was practising for a nuclear bomb at school in the eighties. That was in the sixties and early seventies. By mid seventies everyone knew hiding under a school desk would not protect you.

My job was to run up the stairs and fill the bath up. As a child blackouts and watercuts seemed quite fun. I'm guessing my mum thought differently.

There is obviously a credible threat. And no it's not storms.
I will go to supermarket this evening and stock up on food that does not need power and batteries for radio and torches. And fill up bottles with tap water to store. I will buy our Christmas cake as well. That is calorie dense in an emergency but can be kept till Christmas no problem.

Sorry i might be remember dates wrong. Was threads not out in the eighties though? In that the people are building a fallout shelter behind doors in their livingroom.

Threads was 1984, and incorporated official government advice that no one by that stage took seriously.