Fuel Wankers.

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
Has any major Western economy had food and fuel shortages in living memory?

UK. Major fuel shortage in 1956 leading to food and other shortages. Fuel shortage in c1972 which lead to ration coupons being issued but not brought into use, another fuel shortage in the 70s. Can't remember when, 1970s again?, major bread shortage, shelves empty, so many people bought flour to bake their own bread that a major flour shortage developed and bakers coudn't get enough flour, making the bread shortage even worse.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
UK. Major fuel shortage in 1956 leading to food and other shortages. Fuel shortage in c1972 which lead to ration coupons being issued but not brought into use, another fuel shortage in the 70s. Can't remember when, 1970s again?, major bread shortage, shelves empty, so many people bought flour to bake their own bread that a major flour shortage developed and bakers coudn't get enough flour, making the bread shortage even worse.
There was one between September '74 and May '78, probably in 1977, I think - I can remember my landlord of the time uttering the memorable statement "I'm going to work early this morning, so that I can fill up at Charles Clark and beat the panic buyers!"

I think there was also a short one in 1979.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
UK. Major fuel shortage in 1956 leading to food and other shortages. Fuel shortage in c1972 which lead to ration coupons being issued but not brought into use, another fuel shortage in the 70s. Can't remember when, 1970s again?, major bread shortage, shelves empty, so many people bought flour to bake their own bread that a major flour shortage developed and bakers coudn't get enough flour, making the bread shortage even worse.
I'm sure the early 70's too, fuel, gas & electric shortage, along with a 3 day week, bin strikes and decimilization.... I was born in '70, but still remember the electric going off around tea time, bin bags on the streets etc....
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I'm sure the early 70's too, fuel, gas & electric shortage, along with a 3 day week, bin strikes and decimilization.... I was born in '70, but still remember the electric going off around tea time, bin bags on the streets etc....
'73 - into '74.

Power cuts were in the first miners' strike and in '79. A couple of pints in the Prince of Wales by candlelight - real hardship.

I don't remember any real bin issues here.

Decimalisation was Feb '71 - you would do well to remember that!
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
I'm sure the early 70's too, fuel, gas & electric shortage, along with a 3 day week, bin strikes and decimilization.... I was born in '70, but still remember the electric going off around tea time, bin bags on the streets etc....
I remember Walton High School ( called Walton comprehensive in the days when I was the first year in there ) suffering with no heating when they couldn't obtain coal for the boilers during the miners strike.
We had to go by coach to Blessed Bill's each day , and what a shock to the system that was with prefects & strict rules we weren't used to :lol:
Then later in 70's we had a 3 day week when I was working MRI/ GEC measurements .

I still have candles now , which we bought whenever we could find any to buy , for the power cuts. We sat in the dark when we could to save what candles we had, hence still having them in the cupboard.

I remember when I used to fill up every night in the garage next to Southend club ( near silkmore Lane co-op nowadays) before going to see hubby in Wednesbury , because my little mini would only just about get me there & back in the adapted tank.
Petrol shortage came in late 70's , I went to fill up on a Saturday morning, instead of the evening, on my way to Wednesbury and was turned away as " not a regular, we've never seen you before"
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
'73 - into '74.

Power cuts were in the first miners' strike and in '79. A couple of pints in the Prince of Wales by candlelight - real hardship.

I don't remember any real bin issues here.

Decimalisation was Feb '71 - you would do well to remember that!
I lived in Stafford till I was 4 or 5, we lived in prison housing (beaconside? I could see the plane sat outside the RAF gates from my bedroom window) ... At the local co-op there was decimalization written on the windows in white paint.... I remember the electricity going off in the early evening, and afternoon sometimes, no fuel as we had a car that couldn't be driven, and a special trip to get fuel.... piles of black bin bags at one time too.... However, I was born in 1970, so the WHOLE of the 70's could be condensed into a few years for me.... I have no idea.. Mmmmmm
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
It was 1979 , 1980 , 1981 when I was driving to see hubby and petrol shortage.
Then again petrol shortages when son was in primary school , so must have been around 2000 or after. (I remember his mates mum gave me the nod , outside the school gatest, to fill up when her copper hubby got advance warning)
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Can't really remember too much about power cuts when we first bought our house 1981/1982. Couldn't afford to have gas fire on much , and sat in coats instead so that we could pay the mortgage, so it was the norm for us to have no heating on.
But remember feeling so happy to manage to buy elusive candles when we saw them in the shop.

Can't ever remember loo rolls being in short supply though , until covid days..
 
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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I lived in Stafford till I was 4 or 5, we lived in prison housing (beaconside? I could see the plane sat outside the RAF gates from my bedroom window) ... At the local co-op there was decimalization written on the windows in white paint.... I remember the electricity going off in the early evening, and afternoon sometimes, no fuel as we had a car that couldn't be driven, and a special trip to get fuel.... piles of black bin bags at one time too.... However, I was born in 1970, so the WHOLE of the 70's could be condensed into a few years for me.... I have no idea.. Mmmmmm
Bertelin Road.

Gloster Javelin.

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Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
Well Brexit was supposed to bring back 'the good old days'. It seems like it has but not quite in the fashion that Leave voters may have thought.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Well Brexit was supposed to bring back 'the good old days'. It seems like it has but not quite in the fashion that Leave voters may have thought.
It's not the fault of Brexiters. It's the Remainers who are trying to sabotage it all.

Actually there's a massive amount of shit stirring being done by the press at the moment to make us all panic, hence the 'fuel crisis'.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
It's not the fault of Brexiters. It's the Remainers who are trying to sabotage it all.

Actually there's a massive amount of shit stirring being done by the press at the moment to make us all panic, hence the 'fuel crisis'.

As long as the panic isn't attributed to brexit it's all good, because that is a roaring success it's just that covid got in the way :strange:
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Hubby topped ours up at Brocton Shell tonight , ready for the journey down south for our holiday ( where reportedly the situation is worse than the Midlands and Northwards) .

Had been banking on taking a hit on the wallet and filling up at services on the way down to make sure we got back. But looking at AA live traffic yesterday there were big red 'standing still' lines at Warwick services M40 , snaking all around the services roads to the pumps. The next one on our ' plan' was M3/M27 services which were dry the other day.
 

acpoynton

Well-Known Forumite
Hubby topped ours up at Brocton Shell tonight , ready for the journey down south for our holiday ( where reportedly the situation is worse than the Midlands and Northwards) .

Had been banking on taking a hit on the wallet and filling up at services on the way down to make sure we got back. But looking at AA live traffic yesterday there were big red 'standing still' lines at Warwick services M40 , snaking all around the services roads to the pumps. The next one on our ' plan' was M3/M27 services which were dry the other day.
Came up from Basingstoke yesterday and stopped at the services before Cherwell Valley and there was none. Came off at the next junction (for Banbury I think) and went to a local station about two miles off the M40 and there was loads with no limit.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Came up from Basingstoke yesterday and stopped at the services before Cherwell Valley and there was none. Came off at the next junction (for Banbury I think) and went to a local station about two miles off the M40 and there was loads with no limit.
Just got the map up and looks quite a few by Banbury , so may be an option if we are running low on the way back. ( could always pop in for a cuppa with hubby's boss who lives in Banbury enroute lol )
 

gilesjuk

Well-Known Forumite
Has any major Western economy had food and fuel shortages in living memory? My wife (seems weird saying that) says it really reminds her of the fall of the Soviet Union.
Fuel protests of 2000 (Around Sept-Oct time).
Foot and Mouth disease (Early 2001) leading to cull and supposedly some shortages.
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
Scotland is a big place, not always near a station.
There are 359 railway stations in Scotland which isn't bad for just 59 towns and three cities, and it's about half as many more stations per head of population than the UK as a whole.
I have my reasons for only going to Scotland by train, others have good reason for driving and some choose to fly.
I never suggested that ATJ should go by train, just suggested it in case it was it would have worked and he hadn't thought of it.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Hardly any fuel at Warwick services southbound and another we went to on A31. Both just had one unleaded and one diesel and no hgv fuel on the A31. The Shell one we usually fill up in down in Poole had no pumps working at all .

Splashed out £1.54 :eek:a litre for unleaded in Warwick services , but was only topping up after 63 miles which would just about get us back home again if we couldn't find any more. Luckily the car was doing 69 mpg on the good drive via the toll to it, so didn't cost too much extra.
 
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