Northeast Mutual Support Group

[K9medic]

Mutual Support Group (coffee club) Northeast

It would seem that at least 3 of us are Northeast (England) based, is there any more?

I tend to hangout on another UK based prepper related forum where we have MSG set up, the idea being we can help each other if and when there is a problem (ok we occasionally meet up for a coffee, natter and to swap ideas, well mainly coffee to be honest).

This has got me thinking about running this Topic along the same lines. A dedicated place to share local finds or post warnings relevant to the Northeast.

Thoughts on this?

Quick question for the hive mind, at what level of Radiation are you preparing for (if you are infact preparing)?

1 being 1986, you live in Wales and Chernobyl has just gone off.

2 you were in Las Vegas and you watched the tests

10 your nearest town took a 100kt hit (Hiroshima was 15 kt)

I live between North Yorkshire and Northumberland, both of which have military bases. I don't think we'd suffer in the initial blast, but might experience the shock wave and there'd certainly be significant levels of radiation afterwards. We'd plan on remaining indoors away from the fallout dust for 2-4 weeks depending upon what the authorities reported. My eldest son lives and works in London, so I'd be extremely worried about him. I don't know if they'd go for military bases, major cities or both at the same time.

I'd hope that, if Putin did deploy, NATO countries would retaliate with so much force as to render the Russian military unable to keep launching, but obviously, Russian nuclear submarines are stationed all around the globe and can move easily.

I'd hope that somewhere along the line those responsible for launching would refuse as in the Cuban Missile Crisis and in 1983 with Lt Col Stanislav Petrov who also listened to his instincts and didn't launch.

Would you waste a warhead on a barracks (or a city even) or would you save them for a carrier group, or likely sub location?

I lived in the West End of Newcastle as a young child. In the early 80s I watched When The Wind Blows with my parents. I was within 2 miles of the City Centre and in the main blast zone if the city was struck by nuclear weapons. We moved to the coast when I was 10. I've lived all over the world since, but went back 'home's to be near my parents 10 years ago. (Whitley Bay area) I'm not sure it's worth me prepping too much for fallout as I'm simply not inland / rural enough. The biggest thing for me is that my parents are only 150 metres away.

It's a really tough call.

Also, just to say.. we had a thread deleted on this board recently for detail of what we would do in case of a Nuclear attack.

So please don't share any thoughts of how you might 'go' if it came to an end of days scenario.

@RainbowZebraWarrior what's the issue with not being inland/rural re prepping for fallout? I'm in a similar position to you & haven't seen anything that made me think my location serious be an issue specifically re fallout (obviously for other reasons!) Am I missing something obvious?!

Logically the coast is not a bad location, yes you have less hills to deflect blast and heat, but as the prevailing wind is usually coming off the sea it should blow a lot of the fallout away from you.

Yes, the coast isn't too bad versus City centre. I'm probably comparing my own scenario with a 'better version' if you like. I think a lot of it also comes down to being a disabled single parent. So I'm very aware of my limitations physically as well as logistically.

In my ideal world, I'd have a larger home, in which I'd already have an internal room converted as a fall out room. Hexham would be my preferred area.

In the meantime, I continue to prep for as many eventualities as possible. I do enjoy it and it massively helps me feel more in control.

I think when you get into prepping you realise all of us have limitations. As I get older my plans have to change with me. I travel a lot for work, 20 years ago I could have walked home from most places in the UK in a fortnight, in those days I could and often did walk 20 miles a day with a Bergan. Now I'm hitting 58 there is less kit (and lighter) in my Bergan and the time scale is extended. As I keep telling students, you run with what you have, not what you want.

Hexham is a little crowded for me, though I do like the idea that the general direction of the valley there runs east/west. It's hard to say this, being a "hill laddy" but personally if I dropped the big lottery win I would look for a coastal smallholding between Alnwick and Holy Island.

The weather is usually milder closer to the coast, options for wind power, and of course, the sea/coastline offers more opportunity to forage than hills.

Sadly so far I have not won the lottery.

I need to put together a “brew kit” for She who should be obeyed, so I can get mine back. It is only for making hot drinks when she is out with her Beaver group, so does not need to cover food (that's a different kit) or water purification (again that's a separate kit).

She only drinks black coffee or hot chocolate when she is out with the Beavers, so I need something to boil water in, cup, stove / lighter and a pouch of some kind to keep it all together.

I have ordered a metal 1lt mess tin from the Scout shop for her (Dick Turpin had the good grace to wear a mask) that will hold the “makings”. I think I can get one of the little pocket rocket stoves into it as well.

For a cup, I seem to remember Costa did a collapsible mug, but not sure on that one.

That leaves some kind of pouch that will hold it all, that can be chucked in her daysack.

Obviously, it needs a certain level of “Shinnyness” just not as shiny as mine.

What does everyone favor for a personal brew kit?

I'm getting myself one of the Ghillie Kettles folk have mentioned on my 'Preppers Recommendations' thread.

And speaking of 'Brew Kits' I'm going to make and store 30 bottles of Rosé wine this week. Dad has a building at the local country park that he's used for years for storage. It's getting knocked down through so he's had to empty it. I've been gifted loads of Demi John and and also a load of racking / wooden shelving. So we are going to better equip / kit out my garage. One of the wooden shelf units is massive and is destined to be my new wood store. This makes me very happy. Essentially, I am prepping for next Autumn and Winter.

I'm lucky in that we have a cellar that is a decent size. It was extended and reinforced during World War 2 to act as an air raid shelter. It is full to the brim with crap though so we are embarking on a big piece of work to clear it out and turn it into a den for the teens. But it'll be good to have prepping wise as well.

We have a conservatory with a grape vine in. Never been brave enough to try making wine with the grapes though.

Been spending our hard earned Penny's

Needs decorating etc now, but its been lite to make sure it works.

I invested four years ago after my home was devastated by a flood. Cost me around £2,500 but I wouldn't be without my wood burner now.

Pisses me off slightly that I'm careful as to what I burn, but neighbour across the back chucks any old shit on his. Not good for environment or my asthma. Hence I wish I lived in the wilds, as opposed to semi rural.

I grew up with a stove so it was always something I wanted- houses just don't feel right without one. We got our first about 10 years ago and our second this autumn. The second has made a huge difference as the room it is in is freezing and sucked a lot of the warmth out of the rest of the house. Since having it put in we've dramatically cut the amount of time the heating is on and we are so much warmer as well.

Thats a nice looking stove.

To be fair due to work and other commitments we will mainly still be using the gas central heating. But i do feel a lot happier know i have a back up system.

Next "infrastructure" mission planned for the spring is an outside kitchen, bbq, pizza oven and possibly a smoker.

Just a quick heads up, Morrisons in morpeth is out of petrol again, still has diesel.

Good Morning

Is anyone shoveling snow this morning? Tops of the cars were covered when I took the kids to school, and Cheviot has a white cap on by the looks of it.

Lit the new wood burner last night for the first time. Really heat the downstairs so I'm impressed with it.

However, the company we used came in a thousand pounds over budget, ok it was a very difficult chimney to get the liner down, but their finish is not the best. They managed to put 2 big scratches on the slate hearth and we asked if they would leave the surrounding brick, they took some broken bricks out the back at heart level, but just cement rendered the patch. Did not even smooth it over, you can still see the trowel marks on it.

I did want the fireplace in the dining room replaced too but think I will look for another company.

A light covering of snow here in Durham.

I'm sorry the stove company left those scratches? Can they come and rectify the problems?

WE are arguing with them about that at the moment

@K9medic I can thoroughly recommend Carlton stoves. Mine is a few years old, but was £2,500 and work is / was immaculate. Included a slightly more pricey stove (I made him source one he didn't stock as I'd fallen in love with it online) also did the chimney lining, new chimney pot, large granite hearth and a massive oak mantle. Family company. Lovely people.

Was woken at 1am by snow thunder then again at 5.30am by hail. Was so loud bouncing off the windows that I thought it was the cat scratching through his cat litter. Bloody cold on the school run. Stove is prepped ready to light tonight.

Tomorrow looks bloody freezing! I was going to move my salt bin back in the garage at the weekend. Pleased I didn't!

It’s been a funny couple of days for weather, the snow & sun are having a face off. Looks like it’s snows turn again. (I am NE based had a name change)

I’ve had to hand my drivers license back for now as I’ve had a seizure. I am (or was) a well controlled epileptic so I’ve known that this could happen. But it’s quite a change of lifestyle to suddenly not have access to a car. I’ve had to learn bus routes/times/stops, switch to shopping deliveries, change or cancel appointments, change DCs hobby times etc. This is a specific prep that most people won’t think about.

@Shanksponyorbust sorry to hear about you having to hand your licence back for now. I've a disability and if I worsen any more, I'm afraid I may not be able to drive. You are so right that it's not something people 'prep' for. I had a year of minor home adaptations and it takes some getting used to (and it's bloody expensive!) I'm pleased I found my bath lift in the half price sale, that's all I can say.

I'm not sure if it was on here once, but there was a hard core prepper who wanted to live off grid in the middle of a forest. Therefore they didn't think they should pay any taxes. Apparently they weren't planning on getting ill, or if they did, they would treat using herbs and roots (WTF! - what about a serious accident? cancer? Dementia?) And if their home burned down, they wouldn't call the fire brigade, they would just rebuild. Utterly nuts. I just remember thinking "well that's you f*cked if you become disabled"

Some people are just so pig headed. They never think it will happen to them. Prepping for me is a lot about preparing for different stages of life. And those stages don't always go the way you imagine.

I've always wanted to live very rurally, but settled fot a nice balance sort of semi rural, and close to parents. I'm also very close to my local hospital. Bloody good job really as I attend there a minimum of twice a week.

Hope everyone's weekends are going well.

I've finally bit the bullet and bought an Ooni pizza oven. Been kidding myself I'd build a pizza oven since 1998! 20% off voucher via Lakeland saved me £60. I don't know why it hasn't occurred to me earlier. I used to be a chef at a rather well known local Fish Shack and have realised I can knock allsorts up in the oven. Got a garage full of logs and sticks (just looking at a new woodshed, now) Happy days! Here's hoping for a nice long summer. Save some money on the energy bills.