# JOHN MacLEOD: Wind-up radios and panic buying toilet roll… When DID we become such Jessies?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/john-macleod-wind-up-radios-and-panic-buying-toilet-roll-when-did-we-become-such-jessies/
- Published: 2026-10-28T19:04:25+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T19:39:29+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16246807/JOHN-MacLEOD-Wind-radios-panic-buying-toilet-roll-DID-Jessies.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: UK, World

## Key points

- The writer says Britain has become less resilient in winter.
- Storms and power-cut fears have prompted stockpiling.
- He describes coping with two recent outages using basic supplies.

## Summary

The writer compares Britain’s response to winter weather today with his childhood experience of severe cold and snow in 1978, arguing that people once coped with disruption more calmly and resourcefully. He says current fears about power cuts and shortages have fuelled panic buying and stockpiling, even as ordinary winter storms bring familiar inconveniences.

He recalls icy roads during a gritters’ strike, school closures during a heating-oil strike, and children making the most of the snow. In Edinburgh in 2009 and 2010, he says snow clearing and rubbish collection faltered, while this winter’s storm caused two power cuts in his Outer Hebrides home. He had food, rechargeable torches and candles ready, and power returned after an outage that began on Tuesday night.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.