Batten down the hatches

Where are you, Margaid? We don't have gas or mains drainage, either. We had a gas (Calor) hob when we moved in but we don't like them so had it replaced. So in a power cut we don't have a cooker. Must attend to that. SSE are usually very good at fixing power cuts quickly.

I hope your cats are healing nicely. I'd thought of a microchip flap but we don't get bothered by other cats so it's just a basic huge one to accommodate our George who's a bit of a bruiser. They don't find the weather conducive to going out but have to for ablutions.

I've been really impressed by the Eglu - we were worried it might blow away but so far so good. The girls shelter in the shrubbery during the day and don't seem fazed at all.
 
It’s often the case that us country folk have no main services. Here we do have electricity and water but gas is bottled. Most folk have at least two and sometimes three ways of using energy ie coal, bottled gas and electricity.
I’m OK for heating and cooking but need to do something about lighting. One gas lantern and sundry torches are no good.
Has anyone used these lithium power packs that are rechargeable but give hours of power in the event of a power cut? I have a generator but it has to be under cover and belches out toxic fumes. Pretty useless really.
Power cut yesterday for 5 hours. We live with it. But cuts in the Spring when I’m rearing chicks are another matter. Hence the question re lithium power packs.
Hens are inside virtually all the time this time of year. Recently installed my electric hen feeder. Solar panel is useless but battery lasts 90 days, allegedly. Hopefully in the Spring when hens are let out it will thwart the starlings. Vermin proof feeders are a joke. The starlings have learnt to sit on the plate en masse and steal all the pellets. I’m beginning to think the hens may have to be fed thrice daily and not have constant access to food.
 
I too have multiple forms of heat. Oil boiler (which I no longer use, as oil is too expensive), a multifuel boiler stove which heats the house great, but the kitchen, where it actually is, hardly at all! It's designed that way, because the house is well insulated, and even using the slow cooker makes the kitchen warm up! The stove is a "back boiler" model, as the open fire that was there had a back boiler, so the stove is inserted into the fireplace, connected to the boiler pipes that were already there. Then I also have overhead electric heat panels, which are quite efficient. I've always cooked on bottled gas. It's very economical, and when we first moved here, every time the wind blew, the power went off! But the electricity company did a huge upgrade years ago, so it's rare for the power to go these days. I do have a gas lantern and always keep lots of candles on hand. The biggest issue would be water, because I'm on a well, and of course, the pump won't work if the power is off. Generally, I keep a couple of 5 litre bottles of water on hand over the Winter, and I have 600L of rainwater stored outside which can be used for flushing the loo.
 
dianefairhall said:
Where are you, Margaid? We don't have gas or mains drainage, either. We had a gas (Calor) hob when we moved in but we don't like them so had it replaced. So in a power cut we don't have a cooker. Must attend to that. SSE are usually very good at fixing power cuts quickly.

I hope your cats are healing nicely. I'd thought of a microchip flap but we don't get bothered by other cats so it's just a basic huge one to accommodate our George who's a bit of a bruiser. They don't find the weather conducive to going out but have to for ablutions.

I've been really impressed by the Eglu - we were worried it might blow away but so far so good. The girls shelter in the shrubbery during the day and don't seem fazed at all.
Click to expand...

Half a mile east of the A49 at Craven Arms in Shropshire. Not exactly in the middle of nowhere! The gas and drainage infrastructure stop at the last of the "town" houses about 300 yards away but the other side of the river.

I'm not really bothered - we had no gas or drainage where I used to live and the water came from an Artesian borehole so we used Calor gas for heating as we didn't want to risk contaminating the water supply by any oil spillage. Not all groundwater is drinkable but ours was fanatastic - I had to fit a big under-sink filter here as the chlorine could be tasted in coffee!

The "Poultry Palace" is a super design of wooden house - the plans are in a book called Poultry House Construction. If I ever get back into poultry keeping I'll make one using the recycled boards that Solway use to reduce the red-mite problem. Glad your chooks are all safe.
 
We use these "candles" in power cuts, you just have to remember to keep them charged. Ours aren't these, we've had ours about 10 years but it will give you some idea. They change from the mains.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Flameless-Candles-Rechargeable-Charging-Decoration/dp/B0773C1VT1/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=rechargeable+electric+candles&qid=1581538871&sr=8-8
 
I have a couple of LED "lantern" torches, other torches and an oil lamp. To say nothing of dozens of tealights if I need them. As log as I have light to read I'm perfectly happy!
 
dianefairhall said:
We use these "candles" in power cuts, you just have to remember to keep them charged. Ours aren't these, we've had ours about 10 years but it will give you some idea. They change from the mains.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Flameless-Candles-Rechargeable-Charging-Decoration/dp/B0773C1VT1/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=rechargeable+electric+candles&qid=1581538871&sr=8-8
Click to expand...

Those are a great idea! I have several battery operated candles here too, but they aren't rechargeable. Although, I use rechargeable batteries in them. They take AA batteries.
 
We have a couple of Edwardian oil lamps from OH's great grandparents, much treasured and kept beautifully polished. They do throw out a lovely warm glow and quite comfortable for reading.
We also have some rechargeable lamps as well
 
Ah, Craven Arms! Never been, but where we used to live in Yorkshire there was a pub called the Craven Arms and whenever I googled it to see the current menu I used to get Craven Arms in Shropshire come up. I wondered how it got its name. Is there a pub there?
 
Yes, The Craven Arms! and the Stokesay Inn. Apparently the Lords Craven owned Stokesay Castle which is nearby and the pub and so the town was named after them. It was just two small hamlets/villages Newton and Newington (or new Inn). It was the building of the railway station which made it a railway junction (and cattle market) that caused the growth of Craven Arms so very few buildings before mid 19th century except for the Newton and Newington areas of the town.
 
That's very interesting. The part of Yorkshire we lived in was called Craven so there were several Craven Arms although the most popular pub name was 'Craven Heifer' after an enormous beast bred in the area in the (I think) 18th century. There was also a 'Wensleydale Heifer' in the next dale.

I love finding out about place names and their origins, so you have answered a query I've had for a while, thank you.
 
Hatches all still battened down?? Here comes Storm Dennis. I'm ready to be done with these storms. I know we get them every year, and again in the Autumn, but I do hate them!
 
Though it’s always a worry for the animals I have to admit I quite enjoy walking the dog in stormy weather. So long as I’m wearing suitable clothing there’s something uplifting about it. I get back home, make a coffee and feel like I’m king of the world.
Not convinced the dog enjoys it. It’s a balance between her love of walks and nearly being lifted off her feet. With her the concept of walking is alien. Either see sits or she runs at full speed. There’s no in between.
 
Oh, I hate the wind, Hen Gen. It gives me headaches, and generally makes me feel very on edge and jittery. Although I think the headaches are caused by the dropping air pressure. This morning I woke up with a headache. Think I'm going to hibernate for the weekend, with my knitting!
 
The wind is starting up, here in Nottinghamshire. Now that tree is down in the pen, I don't have to worry about the girls. They can hide under the coop, where the food trough has been relocated, or in the small plastic covered shelter. Not keen on the wind either and hate reading about the tragedies on the news. Hope it passes quickly.
 
Second week-end of high winds here but rain, although heavy at times, nowhere near what others have had. Watching the Calderdale floods on the news, two weeks running and 4 times in 8 years. Unfinished storm defences washed away last week. Most of them have already lost everything - on the ground floor at least. How on earth do people cope with that?
 
It must be really difficult for them although sometimes it's not so much the loss as the mess. Fortunately the only time I've had to deal with largish quantities of water have been faulty plumbing which means the water is clean. It's the mud, muck off the roads (diesel, oil, salt) and in some cases sewage contamination that's is the real problem. Soaked plaster and brickwork which needs to dry out and maybe be replaced. Then they have the problem of getting insurance cover in the future.

Hopefully they had time to move precious things upstairs
 
Rain has almost stopped her in Shropshire - more wind blown drizzle than anything else but the wind is quite gusty. I haven't managed to work out quite why, but I do seem to be fairly sheltered here. My sister lives at the edge of water meadows leading down to the River Usk near Newport (S.Wales) - fortunately the land slopes so the back of her house is about 5 feet above the garden level which has two or three times in 40 years had about a foot of water at the bottom of the steps. Something on her bathroom window catches the wind and it howls and screams like a banshee - I could hear it down the 'phone.

Stay indoors as much as possible and stay safe everyone.
 
After a blustery day, with the chickens a bit anxious when going to roost due to the flapping tarps, it has settled down a lot. When its rough here in the Midlands - just know that the edges are getting a real pasting! But a friend in Birmingham made me laugh the other day when he said that looking at the garden window it was like there was someone outside continuously throwing buckets of water at it!
 
As my husband said earlier - at least it's cleaned the back windows! Our chooks haven't turned a hair (or a feather) I assume it's not so bad down at their level. They spend most of their time in the shrubbery and come out when I call them for food.

Margaid, we have several things outside that scream like banshees but we never find out what they are!
 
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