Heathrow Airport is shut until Friday night

[Ozgirl76]

And my husband is due to fly home to Australia on Friday evening. I predict chaos.
Airport is saying that people should not travel to Heathrow and should contact their airlines.

Also, I think the fire is still burning. I have rebooked my flight due to leave tomorrow to Monday with emirates. Their online chat is very efficient and helpful

Would be silly not to really. Though we may not be told about it unless they're mumsnetters.😂

I used to account manage a very well known central government dept for technical services. At one point rather than have to change their systems they had the bright idea of not having any maintenance on their services and just take the risk! WTF??

We refused. The PR would have been awful for all sides should the main services fail. It was all because the management didnt want to train their staff on the new systems.

Oh I took that to mean they were off there themselves to get some tips.

The regulator/govt can and should have mandated things rather differently,

Smacks of the water industry in all honesty.... basics, little in the way of back-up, max profits, minimal investment unless from the tax payer.

Well no, but not all of us live in the South east and many of us have to travel for hours to get there. Better use of regional airports would take the strain off Heathrow and Gatwick . Of course infrastructure in those places would need to be improved.

Well, it seems Mumsnet has declared we're at war, so that's that. Get ready for the fun of multitasking, working, cooking, cleaning, instagramming, and sharing our pearls of wisdom (as well as clutching them) and posting clever war strategies on Mumsnet to support our country, all from the comfort of our trusty settee… or should I say, sofa? Shall we ask for a new forum? But please nobody mention conscription

Sorry very poor grammar - I meant myself to go over to the prepping thread not you -

• its Friday and Im stressed as I've got a ton of work to do instead I'm on MN! 😆

Conspiracy supporters, what other big national infrastructure system is vulnerable to attack, and what other countries (in Europe anyway) should we be watching for similar espionage/sabotage by the Reds and don't forget the Oranges too. Allies aren't they?

.....and obviously you need to find a few moments to stock up on toilet rolls.

Ooh, mumsnet have declared war. Who are we invading? I can bring sandwiches and a bit of quiche. Fruit juice or wine? I only have sparkling white, sorry.

Everything that relies on energy (gas,electricity,oil). Internet of course with its cables and servers and software. All prone to physical/cyber attacks.

Well, mumsnet obviously is vital national infrastructure, though I think we've been infiltrated 👀

At this point I think I would be fiercer at conscription than either of my sons or DH. They could recruit us into a new form of GCHQ cyber warfare warriors! Who needs a bot farm. Counterattack here we come! Just need to dust off my lazy Russian. AI to the help. Can just about still read the Cyrillic alphabet.
The rest of you can go for Elon- or Leon- or Lone or Noel or whatever part of his persona he is fancying on X that day.

Right, solar panels (China manufactures 86% of them apparently!), grey water recycling and purification (I live on a spring line so could probably sink a well), reed bed filtration, solid fuel stove, tinned food, dried food, home grown veg and a few chickens, wine..more wine....bit more wine.

Have I missed anything?

Of course, when a statement is made that the fire was caused by a fault, we’ll still have the usual suspects shouting ‘Lies! It’s the Russians!’

I'm sure I read somewhere that undersea cables were being severed by Russian ships out in the Atlantic and off the coast of Ireland. Was I dreaming?

Since I don't watch TV or listen to news and analyses on radio or TV anymore, I think I must have caught that bit of info from the internet!

I've come to the conclusion that what will be will be, and we will be told as much or as little as is deemed necessary. At the end of the day I have zero control over anything really and can do nothing about it either. So I avoid constant updates.

Having said that, threads like these keep me in the loop without constant talking heads and sky news live padding etc. So thanks!

Oh sorry!

Doingmybestbut · Today 06:56
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That’s insane. It’s going to affect millions of people’s lives. Sometimes this really doesn’t feel like a developed country

It’s a fire in a power station. Things happen.

i have no idea whether what’s happened at Heathrow is cock up or conspiracy so I’m not commenting on that.

but attacks on undersea cabling has been happening for some time.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/mar/05/shadow-fleets-subaquatic-sabotage-europe-undersea-internet-cables-under-attack

Not a conspiracy theorist at all but at a basic level:

• Prison systems and security
• Hospital records, systems and security
• Benefit payment disbursements
• Banking systems
• Petrol, gas, electricity, water supplies

I’m sure you can think of other critical infrastructure that could come under attack.

Russia has been pretty clear that it can and will destabilise everyday life in NATO member countries if pushed.

Has anyone heard anything about how things are at Gatwick? I’m meant to be flying home there later today but with BA so I assume there may be some knock-on chaos…

Is the M25 closed?

Personally I’d actually assume (dangerous I know) that there would be zero to little effect - as far as BA Heathrow and BA Gatwick go they are pretty much separate bases/separate operations.

We're not assuming but can't rule it out either.