Power cuts/Weather in Scotland

[slowro]

Fingers crossed that the worst is over now but we have had a lack of power since friday after severe weather and with my son being only 4 days old at the time we have been stressed beyond belief. I have so much respect for those who suffer extreme weather in the USA and are left with nothing. We have had family helping us and taking some of the weight off our shoulders. The local council has been useless providing information and we have been relying on hearsay (most of it incorrect as usual) to make plans.

Most importantly our wee soldier has been happy and warm the whole time, not exactly the ideal start to parenthood but we know what we are capable of now and I just have to wait til he asks me for his first guitar I'll get him a nice SE custom so we can jam together

I needed a rant to unwind a bit, I am so happy to be sitting in our own house, my baby beside me with the heat and lights back on, a cup of tea and staring at guitars. Perfect day for me

 

[DarrenJ1973]

Where I am just south of Manchester, we had snow fall but it didn't stick, then all around the town and within a 3 mile radius has had a significant quantity of snow stick to the ground, no power cuts though....it's been bitterly cold though and has scuppered my bike riding goals for this week, and i only managed 40 last week cos of the weather, this time last year it was 15C and I was wearing shorts and Tee shirts.

Global Warming....yeah right

 

[slowro]

Its just how unprepared we are for bad weather that annoys me, I don't know why the whole country falls to disarray when its happened before

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Where I am just south of Manchester, we had snow fall but it didn't stick, then all around the town and within a 3 mile radius has had a significant quantity of snow stick to the ground, no power cuts though....it's been bitterly cold though and has scuppered my bike riding goals for this week, and i only managed 40 last week cos of the weather, this time last year it was 15C and I was wearing shorts and Tee shirts.

Global Warming....yeah right

Sounds like you're not too far from me.

Nothing bad snow wise but we've lost a lot of slates from the roof. Looks like the Landlord will need to splash the cash!

 

[DarrenJ1973]

Sounds like you're not too far from me.

Nothing bad snow wise but we've lost a lot of slates from the roof. Looks like the Landlord will need to splash the cash!

I'm in ********. Warrington is only 10 miles away, i used to teach at the dive centre in Winwick and I used to live near Asda and the Cockhedge shopping center

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

and I used to live near Asda and the Cockhedge shopping center

It's a very small World! Just a couple of minutes from there.

 

[carpincowboy]

i live in east yorkshire and we have had tiny balls of snow. nothing stuck. watching the tv i cant believe how much some places have had.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I'm quite shocked by how bad it's been in some places. The weather has been pretty mad the past few years but no worse than I remember it being when I was a kid living in Lancashire. We where spoilt by mild winters for a while.

 

[WishICouldPlay]

Fingers crossed that the worst is over now but we have had a lack of power since friday after severe weather and with my son being only 4 days old at the time we have been stressed beyond belief. I have so much respect for those who suffer extreme weather in the USA and are left with nothing. We have had family helping us and taking some of the weight off our shoulders. The local council has been useless providing information and we have been relying on hearsay (most of it incorrect as usual) to make plans.

Most importantly our wee soldier has been happy and warm the whole time, not exactly the ideal start to parenthood but we know what we are capable of now and I just have to wait til he asks me for his first guitar I'll get him a nice SE custom so we can jam together

I needed a rant to unwind a bit, I am so happy to be sitting in our own house, my baby beside me with the heat and lights back on, a cup of tea and staring at guitars. Perfect day for me

Glad that you & family are ok. I went thru a similar experience many years ago and I know how stressful it is ... and, we didn't have a newborn to nurture and protect.
We are certainly totally dependent on electricity for our lifestyles. Hope we don't have have a CME, although the Sun could be getting primed for one.

 

[DarrenJ1973]

I'm quite shocked by how bad it's been in some places. The weather has been pretty mad the past few years but no worse than I remember it being when I was a kid living in Lancashire. We where spoilt by mild winters for a while.

We did have the big freeze over Xmas and New Year the past 2 years where it was minus 20 but the same period this year was very mild and it's only now the cold as hit, I just hope we have a good summer as i've entered a handful of sportives and don't want them cancelled like the Cheshire Cat Ride was this weekend. I can play guitar anytime but I prefer it to be warm and dry on the bike.

 

[slowro]

I stay in kintyre the whole area is on mobile generator power as we were effectively cut off from the rest of the country. I incidentally work for the electric company but not in distribution. the guys are working around the clock in bad conditions to get us up and running.

My mother and father were cut off in a small village but thankfully they had a generator, food and a wood burning fire. It also helps my dad is a sparkie by trade to wire it up!

It's been eventful I'm looking forward to normality again

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I hear you...

I got a bike last year from Evans in Manchester so I could get fit. i think I got a few weeks out of it and it's been gathering dust in the hallway since. Soon as the weather warms up I want to get out on it again.

 

[DarrenJ1973]

Do it Mike, I just signed up for the 52 mile Manchester Great Cycle, and if you have a road bike you are more than welcome to join in on our rides (we'll get you fit without overdoing it)
http://www.greatcycle.org/ you have the option of 13,26 and 52 miles, start training as soon as this weather breaks and you could easily do the 26 mile

I have bought most of my gear in Evans but I won't set foot in there again (really bad serivce)

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Do it Mike, I just signed up for the 52 mile Manchester Great Cycle, and if you have a road bike you are more than welcome to join in on our rides (we'll get you fit without overdoing it)
http://www.greatcycle.org/ you have the option of 13,26 and 52 miles, start training as soon as this weather breaks and you could easily do the 26 mile

I have bought most of my gear in Evans but I won't set foot in there again (really bad serivce)

I'd love to but i'm extremely unfit at the moment, need to build it up. Mind you... End of June might be do-able if I get a few weeks training.

The service wasn't great but there was a good deal on a GT. Budget bike but it seems a hell of a lot better than the POS I had from Hafords.

 

[DarrenJ1973]

I'd love to but i'm extremely unfit at the moment, need to build it up. Mind you... End of June might be do-able if I get a few weeks training.

The service wasn't great but there was a good deal on a GT. Budget bike but it seems a hell of a lot better than the POS I had from Hafords.

When I started I was just under 20 stone and had just given up a 25 a day smoking habit i used to get out of breath walking up stairs weighing myself this morning i'm just under 15 stone (and that's in 8 months of cycling) , weather should break middle of next week, it's just that icy wind that's stopping me at the moment.

 

[Boogie]

Fingers crossed that the worst is over now but we have had a lack of power since friday after severe weather and with my son being only 4 days old at the time we have been stressed beyond belief. I have so much respect for those who suffer extreme weather in the USA and are left with nothing.

What kind of bad weather are you experiencing? Ironically, the last time my wife and I were in Scotland, it was late March and there was a sleet storm near Aberdeen that looked more like miniature hail. But considering we've survived blizzards and direct tornado hits, it didn't phase us much. Scared the crap out of the hotel staff, and rightly so.

Please accept my belated congratulations on your new family addition. It must be your first. By the time #2 rolls around, not much concerns you anymore. :wink: (BTW, of all the places we've visited, Scotland is by far our favorite...regardless of the weather)

 

[slowro]

What kind of bad weather are you experiencing? Ironically, the last time my wife and I were in Scotland, it was late March and there was a sleet storm near Aberdeen that looked more like miniature hail. But considering we've survived blizzards and direct tornado hits, it didn't phase us much. Scared the crap out of the hotel staff, and rightly so.

Please accept my belated congratulations on your new family addition. It must be your first. By the time #2 rolls around, not much concerns you anymore. :wink: (BTW, of all the places we've visited, Scotland is by far our favorite...regardless of the weather)

It was heavy snow and strong wing coming from the east, the Gulf Stream usually keeps us warmer. The snow blocked the 1 'main road' and the single track road that connects us. When the power went off no one was prepared, myself included to be honest.

We get strong winds and lots of rain. Nothing as extreme as other countries but the UK doesn't seem to cope very well

Thanks, we know that if we coped with this then we should managed lost things I have learned to be more prepared as it could always be much worse

 

[thieves&foxes]

I used to live in Stirling and Edinburgh for years, so i know what you are talking about.

 

[DarrenJ1973]

Got up this morning and it's snowing here, not sticking thankfully, this weather is really starting to piss me off.

 

[frankb56]

Last October 29th, we had Hurricane/supper storm Sandy hit us, lost power for 6 days, in 2011 we had Hurricane Irene hit us here in Long Island, no power 8 days, seems like its becoming an annual ritual. Generators only help when you can purchase fuel. Gas shortages made that difficult. I think we are turning into a third world country. Our power grid and infrastructure is failing and I don't see a lot of effort being made to improve things. Oh well, that's my rant... It' off to work I go, cheers mate!