Something which has not so much annoyed as mystified me over the last few days is this sudden impulse we Brits have of panic buying when there’s a bit of bad weather and also how it’s all influenced by some quarters of the Media.

I can fully appreciate those living in Rural Area’s having big problems getting to the shops and those who have spent quite some time living where they do, follow the Forecasts and shop accordingly. In fact, even when the weather isn’t in any extreme, you will usually find that Country folk have ample stores to last them a week or two.
After all, it saves them having to ‘nip down the Shops’ every five minutes like many of us do and they’re in a spot where people like Milkmen and Supermarket home deliveries can’t get to.

So, I guess my moan is intended for those who live in residential areas and are within reasonable access of a Shop, Supermarket or not.

The dire need to get in essential supplies is often media led with headlines such as ‘Stock up now, we’re in for a long one’ etc.
Without sounding too old and ‘good old times’ mad, I can recall the days when as a child, I would walk the two miles down the road to buy products from the Greengrocers with the necessary Ration Book (I had permission by the way).
It wasn’t that bad, about an hour and a half, nice scenery and pretending to be either the 08.32 from Sevenoaks to London Charing Cross or the Number 413 from Chipstead to Riverhead.

Now any walk over about half a mile deems it necessary to have a car to do it with instead.

Last Friday I made the three mile round trip walk to my local Co-Op. When I arrived I found the place stacked out with people holding baskets filled to the brim, then going outside to put them in the car! I saw someone I remotely knew and she told me she was stocking up so to beat all the other people who were.

Ironic!

There you are, I’ve said my piece, but there was one good thing which came out of my three mile walk and that was to see so many families out walking as a family, a sight not seen enough nowadays.
The British weather does bring us all together, everyone says Hello to one another and boasts how well things really are.

In that sense, we need more of these extreme weathers. It takes our minds off the problems of this world, we get a rest bite from the normal news of disaster and financial crisis.

The only thing I would add is, how come every other citizen of every other country seems to be prepared for the unexpected, but it isn’t unexpected, we knew it was coming at least four days prior to the first snowflake !!