Obviously not the 1666 fire, but the more recent one in Sydenham
Things i missed were:
The footy (TV)
Formula 1 (TV)
Phone calls to/from friends
Kettle (fortunately we were able to boil water from our gas stove)
Internet
Visitors (the doorbell didn't work, so I don't know if anyone dropped by)
Enjoyable things I did instead.
Forest Hill Day at the Horniman
Talked to my neighbours and helped out charging mobile phones from my car-charger. (the blitz spirit returns)
Talked to the wife (maybe not THAT enjoyable)
Went to the garden centre and bought some herbs
AND didn't go to the pub, coz they were all shut
Alib
Things you missed or enjoyed because of The Great Fire
oh we were out in the garden all day.. fixed the fence, dug up weeds, cleaned the shed... When it was all done (it was alot of work so took all day) we sat outside and played cards
I liked this day, I wish we had no electricity more often, it meant no footie/telly/internet for the man of the house so he spent time with me outside
I liked this day, I wish we had no electricity more often, it meant no footie/telly/internet for the man of the house so he spent time with me outside
This is a good topic to distract me from work on a Monday morning 
Things I missed:
- Shower (I have one of those hot water systems that kicks in when you turn on the hot tap, so no electricity means no hot water)
- Washing my increasingly massive pile of dirty laundry
- Phone - landline doesn't work without electricity and mobile battery died
- Toast for breakfast
- TV
- Laptop/internet
- the train to London Bridge
Things I did instead:
- Got the 176 to Waterloo... it's actually quite nice on a sunny day, even though it did terminate at Forest Hill on the way back!
- Washed my hair under cold water - I think the word is "bracing"???
- Contemplated how lucky (though environmentally damaging) I am to live in a society where I have easy access to electricity normally.
Out of curiousity - what time did people's electricity switch back on? Mine was around 9pm or so, but I notice EDF's official line is that "most people" had power back by 11.30am.... really???
Things I missed:
- Shower (I have one of those hot water systems that kicks in when you turn on the hot tap, so no electricity means no hot water)
- Washing my increasingly massive pile of dirty laundry
- Phone - landline doesn't work without electricity and mobile battery died
- Toast for breakfast
- TV
- Laptop/internet
- the train to London Bridge
Things I did instead:
- Got the 176 to Waterloo... it's actually quite nice on a sunny day, even though it did terminate at Forest Hill on the way back!
- Washed my hair under cold water - I think the word is "bracing"???
- Contemplated how lucky (though environmentally damaging) I am to live in a society where I have easy access to electricity normally.
Out of curiousity - what time did people's electricity switch back on? Mine was around 9pm or so, but I notice EDF's official line is that "most people" had power back by 11.30am.... really???
We had a lovely day out at Crystal Palace, by bus. Our car was trapped behind the electric gates, but we needed petrol and I heard no garages were open anyway!
Pizza Express, Joannas, etc. were open but the shops on the other side of the road were dark!
Our power came back on at 4pm, yet I saw somebody else on the Thorpes only had power back after 9pm?!!
Pizza Express, Joannas, etc. were open but the shops on the other side of the road were dark!
Our power came back on at 4pm, yet I saw somebody else on the Thorpes only had power back after 9pm?!!
By the way, Mysti.. I can't really help you myself, but I would suggest googling your boiler type and some suitable key words - there's a lot of forums out there and you might well find someone's had the same problem as you and got advice to solve it.
I hope it won't come to it but I got LMS gas services in Forest Hill out to look at my boiler a little while back when I had no hot water and they were good.. helpful, and didn't charge the earth.
Good luck!!
I hope it won't come to it but I got LMS gas services in Forest Hill out to look at my boiler a little while back when I had no hot water and they were good.. helpful, and didn't charge the earth.
Good luck!!
I missed: scrambled eggs for breakfast - the power went just as I was about to pour the eggs in the pan. No internet, no tv, no music, no hot water, no means of cooking.
Instead, I went out for a run, then got on my bike and went to Brockwell Lido for a shower and swim. Then cycled into town, enjoyed the Korean festival in Trafalgar Square, ate Korean snacks, did a little shopping and cycled home. Cooked dinner on a camping stove in the living room, and enjoyed a chat with the other half until the power restored at 9pm.
Reading BBC, apparantly only 200 homes were without power after midday?! Not sure about that!!
Instead, I went out for a run, then got on my bike and went to Brockwell Lido for a shower and swim. Then cycled into town, enjoyed the Korean festival in Trafalgar Square, ate Korean snacks, did a little shopping and cycled home. Cooked dinner on a camping stove in the living room, and enjoyed a chat with the other half until the power restored at 9pm.
Reading BBC, apparantly only 200 homes were without power after midday?! Not sure about that!!
GOOD THINGS
UPS kicked in seamlessly when power failed so I could log on and find out why (mind you looking out the window first might have given a clue but that is so last millennium)
The scene of the fire was a friendly place - information exchanged - kids being told by mums and dads how electricity worked! The police were remarkably relaxed compared to some incidents I've been too.
An afternoon unguiltily reading Clive James' hilarious Unreliable Memoirs in the sun.
Receiving some nice and helpful PMs
Lights came back on just when we needed them
BAD THINGS
Got some videos and pictures but by the time I got back the UPS was exhausted and closed everything down. Pictures to upload but no connection!
Decamped to a friend in Tulse Hill with Wanadoo maxADSL connection. Upload speeds of under 20Mbps with 40Mb files. Watching paint dry would be too exciting for this ISP (My Zen goes at least 10x faster). Also blocked port 25 which delayed communication with the BBC (and why I probably missed out on the pix displayed on their site).
Are Wanadoo normally this bad? Answers in Town Asylum please here:
http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15501
Admin
UPS kicked in seamlessly when power failed so I could log on and find out why (mind you looking out the window first might have given a clue but that is so last millennium)
The scene of the fire was a friendly place - information exchanged - kids being told by mums and dads how electricity worked! The police were remarkably relaxed compared to some incidents I've been too.
An afternoon unguiltily reading Clive James' hilarious Unreliable Memoirs in the sun.
Receiving some nice and helpful PMs
Lights came back on just when we needed them
BAD THINGS
Got some videos and pictures but by the time I got back the UPS was exhausted and closed everything down. Pictures to upload but no connection!
Decamped to a friend in Tulse Hill with Wanadoo maxADSL connection. Upload speeds of under 20Mbps with 40Mb files. Watching paint dry would be too exciting for this ISP (My Zen goes at least 10x faster). Also blocked port 25 which delayed communication with the BBC (and why I probably missed out on the pix displayed on their site).
Are Wanadoo normally this bad? Answers in Town Asylum please here:
http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15501
Admin
At first I thought that maybe I forgot to pay my electricity bill 
but soon noticed it was everywhere...
I actually quite enjoyed the day...walking to Forest Hill...sitting in the garden, reading a book...
didn't really miss anything except that i took a really COLD shower...let's call it refreshing
Excuse not to do the laundry
Got a bit annoyed when my partner started complaining that he could not watch F1...
it seems to me that men had more difficulties with it than women LOL
but soon noticed it was everywhere...I actually quite enjoyed the day...walking to Forest Hill...sitting in the garden, reading a book...
didn't really miss anything except that i took a really COLD shower...let's call it refreshing
Excuse not to do the laundry
Got a bit annoyed when my partner started complaining that he could not watch F1...
it seems to me that men had more difficulties with it than women LOL
-
Nickerbockers
- Posts: 228
- Joined: 31 Oct 2007 13:04
- Location: Sydenham
Thanksnatbeuk wrote:By the way, Mysti.. I can't really help you myself, but I would suggest googling your boiler type and some suitable key words - there's a lot of forums out there and you might well find someone's had the same problem as you and got advice to solve it.
I hope it won't come to it but I got LMS gas services in Forest Hill out to look at my boiler a little while back when I had no hot water and they were good.. helpful, and didn't charge the earth.
Good luck!!
Sorry to hear thatNickerbockers wrote:I missed having a normal birthday - i.e. a birthday with TV, hair straighteners, working traffic lights etc etc. NOT the best day to have a birthday and it won't be remembered fondly to say the least!
I had one even worse, my birthday is the 7th July. I was stuck underground for over an hour while on my way to work as all trains stopped. Then I couldn't get home or to my boyfriends home and had to stay over at a co-worker's on their living room floor! Happy Belated Birthday. Perhaps you should do some sort of late celebration?
I missed out on doing some much needed washing/cleaning but finally got around to taking my recycling out.
I spent a lovely day in Mayow Park sunshine. Was shown to the suncream in one of the 'pound shops' by torchlight!
Sad to go into Somerfield at 2pm to see them open but throwing away all of the fresh food in the friges. Such a waste. I know they have to be so careful but most of it (cheese, veg etc) would have been just fine.
I spent a lovely day in Mayow Park sunshine. Was shown to the suncream in one of the 'pound shops' by torchlight!
Sad to go into Somerfield at 2pm to see them open but throwing away all of the fresh food in the friges. Such a waste. I know they have to be so careful but most of it (cheese, veg etc) would have been just fine.
-
reality Czech
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 19 Dec 2007 20:12
- Location: se26
great fire
We luckily had already arranged to meet family at Greenwich park for a picnic so headed up there mid-morning. Because we watch little telly during the day did not notice the power was off until I spotted an electric alarm clock was switched off. At about 9.30am.
We don't have a combination boiler so could still have a shower and a very old gas cooker with an eye-level grill so could still have toast. The power was back on when we got back at 5.30pm.
But it was really nice to see so many people out and about on foot, talking to each other. And my husband quite enjoyed walking up to Sydenham park to investigate. It definately felt like it was probably like this in the 'old days' when people weren't spending their Sundays in front of the telly, play station, computer or driving to Ikea or DIY shops.
We don't have a combination boiler so could still have a shower and a very old gas cooker with an eye-level grill so could still have toast. The power was back on when we got back at 5.30pm.
But it was really nice to see so many people out and about on foot, talking to each other. And my husband quite enjoyed walking up to Sydenham park to investigate. It definately felt like it was probably like this in the 'old days' when people weren't spending their Sundays in front of the telly, play station, computer or driving to Ikea or DIY shops.
In a weird way our family quite enjoyed Sunday. It helped that it was such a gorgeous day, we spent the afternoon in Wells Park. Then played numerous board games with the children before they went to bed. To be honest the only thing we really missed was our usual roast dinner! Instead we had an extremely grim pizza delivered from a place in Dulwich.
The most amusing thing was popping to the Spar shop on Wells Park Road and watching the staff tot up everyones shopping using calculators!
I think if it had gone on through till Monday it would have been a lot more inconvenient!!
The most amusing thing was popping to the Spar shop on Wells Park Road and watching the staff tot up everyones shopping using calculators!
I think if it had gone on through till Monday it would have been a lot more inconvenient!!
We actually had a very progressive sunday considering no electric, luckily we have gas so boiled water for tea and washing, spent 3 hours in our garden which was long overdue!! Heated water for neighbours who weren't so fortunate. Electric came back on about 2pm.
Didn't really miss anything but would probably be another story if it was raining
Didn't really miss anything but would probably be another story if it was raining