BLACKOUT : tonight at 9pm Channel 4

[guineapiglet]

What would happen if the lights went out!?!

Looking forward to watching this, it has had good reviews. Good night on TV tonight with Under the Dome afterwardsmakes up for all the rubbish on Saturday night Anyone else giving it a go?

And yes Bowlersarm, let's hope you don't find out if I'm tight!

Yes, it's one reason why insurance premiums are often higher in poorer areas.
If we're being anecdotal, when I lived in the inner city half my street was targeted in one go. It was just before Christmas and people's Xmas presents were taken (I was away and they didn't take anything of mine, just kicked a few of the inside doors to pieces to show their displeasure.)

Bowlersarm you can do loads on a bbq that doesn't involve cooking meat. Including boiling water so everyone can have a nice cup of tea!!

Bowlersarm you can do loads on a bbq that doesn't involve cooking meat. Including boiling water so everyone can have a nice cup of tea!!

Bowlersarm you can do loads on a bbq that doesn't involve cooking meat. Including boiling water so everyone can have a nice cup of tea!!

Bowlersarm you can do loads on a bbq that doesn't involve cooking meat. Including boiling water so everyone can have a nice cup of tea!!

WT?!!! So nice I called it 4 times!

CSB - what happened about water?

I guess a bit of a difference is that services like water and fuel for generators for hospitals etc could be shipped in from out of area. If the UK went down we would be crap at getting fuel in from Europe fast enough.

Tunip, anecdotal again but generally in estates you were safe from thieves inside the estate because everyone knew who everyone was and they tended to go outside their own area.

Bit shit what happened to your street just before Christmas. I am paranoid about being broken into. Happened to us once when ds was just a baby. They were targeting my pet parrot and broke in specifically to steal him. I can never forget the horror of seeing all our things turned out, of the back door smashed and glass all over the floor, of all my underwear turned out onto my bed, all my possessions scattered over the floor. It was just horrible

I now get so paranoid that I watch every programme I can on break-ins just to find out which homes are targeted most and how I can make ours safer. Sad isn't it?

I do feel safe here though. It's a nice community and we all know each other.

Badbadkitten The water came out of the tap as normal! The pumping stations have back up generators, I presume, as we were told to stock up on water in case the storm surge from the hurricane contaminated the actual water supply, not because they would be unable to pump it. We did fill the baths, although I never really understood why we were doing it! They just told us to on the news.

I'm not suggesting that the UK wouldn't really suffer after a very long powerout, but I honestly thought it was ridiculous, and kind of insulting, to suggest it would get that bad that quickly.

The worst part of the whole thing for me was that it was immensely boring. We spent a lot of time standing around outside as with the bbq and the fire pit, it was warmer than inside with no heat. We lit a fire in the living room in the evening and kept that going when it snowed, unseasonably early, at the start of November. We all went to bed really early as it was freezing at night, and the younger kids slept in our room as they got scared if they needed the loo. That was the worst part for them....well, that and that they missed out on Halloween!

CoolStoryBro - I don't have a barbecue and I know many people who don't have one.

Anyone know when or if this is on More4? Or shall I just do OD?

I haven't watched this though I am wondering what the agenda behind it is?

To scare us into thinking we need fracking and nuclear power?

I am happy to be corrected, maybe it's just some entertaining 'what-if?', what do you all think?

we either need fracking and nuclear power, or we need to ignore the EU and switch the old power stations back on.

it isn't that long until the lights start going out, it seems.

Bowlersarm Just so you get the message.

You can do loads on a bbq that doesn't involve cooking meat. Including boiling water so everyone can have a nice cup of tea!!

Sometimes it takes a while for me to absorb facts RevoltedMum but CoolStoryBro made sure I got it!

(I saw it as I was scrolling down on my phone and thought I had really upset quite a few people, when I saw my name being shouted out over and over...)

Lol. Britain will always be ok when they can have a nice cup of tea. Even if they have use their neighbours' BBQ to make it

Yes, lovely cup of tea.

Just had a nosy on that "when the shit hits the fan" forum on MSE - there are some very prepared people around who take it extremely seriously.

Just found this thread so apologies if it's already been discussed (only managed to quickly scan everyone's posts) -

does NOBODY REMEMBER THE SEVENTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Mrs W-what the strikes?

Yes, Bowlers, the endless power cuts and always having to know where the candles and matches were.

But the 70s power cuts were fairly short and controlled. Predictable outages for a few hours a day would be easier to cope with than a general powercut and not knowing how long it would last.
I agree it would be unlikely to descend into mayhem and braining each other with cans of beans in darkened supermarkets quite as quickly as this, though.

I'm not so sure, tunip. I'm trying not to look too opinionated on the subject (DH thinks any extreme disaster scenario won't happen, so I can't discuss it with him) but in my research, ahem, society starts breaking down after three days three days!

I know, I know, but it didn't feel like that at the time. I know I was only a child and had the perspective of one, but I'm fairly certain they went on for hours and weren't that predictable.

And I know we had a lot less in the way of technology around the home, and so less perceived need of electricity, but we sure as hell didn't collapse into a state of barbarism!!