Glasgow / Scotland / UK preppers? Just curious.

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As it says. Most of the doomer / prepper posts seem to be from our colonial cousins. Anyone closer to my home near Glasgow, Scotchland (just north of Paris, London)? I'm not really a doomer (2 weeks food/water + cash out of the bank), or looking for a prep-buddy, I'm just curious to know what the UK community thinks on the BITR / TEOTWAWKI debate.

Cheers,

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 11, 1999

Answers

Colin,

Hello. I'm in the U.S., but had a question for you, please. What % of city dwellers to farmers do you think the U.K. has? If there were long-term issues, could your farmers support those in The City?

Thanks!

P.S. - You might try Yahoo!'s Y2K board. There's a person by the name of AyJayCee who says he's from Britain.

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 11, 1999.


That's a good question. I've just done a quick web search, and can't come up with the figures, but I did find this scary site about world population. I'd be delighted to see them if someone can turn them up.

What I do know is that we have more large single-production farms and less mixed and cottage farming than most of Europe. We also have massive overproduction and waste, but then we are heavily reliant on a complex technology supply chain for that. We are importing more and more of our food as we price our own producers out of the market by setting higher standards for our producers than we accept in our competitors (grumble, mutter) and consequently destroying more of our own food. We USED to sell it at vast discounts to charities, but we don't even do that anymore, it's cheaper to just let it rot (GRUMBLE, MUTTER). The UK has been very slow to move towards organic farming practices. ("very slow to adopt..." can be prefixed to just about anything concerning the UK)

I believe that it may JUST be possible for us to feed ourselves. It is UK policy to be self-sufficient (having learned that lesson in 1939-1945), but I think that only applies to what we *could* produce assuming we have 100% of our production capacity available and in use. I doubt if the policy covers the entire supply chain for agricultural machinery, all though of course it *should*, otherwise it's pointless.

It's rather academic though; we haven't ramped up our production, and now it's too late. If we end up having to be self-sufficient, we won't even be able to start until next Spring, by which time we will have a reduced population.

Disclaimer: I don't think it'll happen. But if it does, we're going to have a lean winter. Well, *you* are, I've got a stock and a stick.

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 11, 1999.


Colin,

As you may guess from my nom-de-plume, I live in Scotland. Despite the supposed pollyanna position some presume I have taken, I have prepared for something akin to the miner's strike of the 1970s.

I also have cash at hand and food for some weeks.

As for UK attitudes, I know of no one else who has taken any precautions though I have spoken to several who have asked me my opinions (I told them a 3 on the Y2Kometer).

Regards,

Shuggy.

P.S. To R.C. on oil embedded chips. I haven't forgotten you, I just have been to busy to reply, but I intend to.

-- Shuggy (shimei123@yahoo.co.uk), November 11, 1999.


Colin -

Welcome - and thanks for the smile you brought me this morning - wonderful warm memory.

Bit ironic, but I spent Christmas and Hogmanay (sp?) in your lovely country in Troon in 1977 and it was a wonderful magical time. (Oh - and yes I tried the haegis.) What really brought the smile was your reference to the colonies as I was always introduced as being "... from the colonies". You have a beautiful country and warm wonderful people.

Hope you do well over the next few months.

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.xnet), November 11, 1999.


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