News: British planners feared tea shortage after nuclear attack

Westcountryman · 05-05-2008, 06:05 AM

LONDON (AFP) - Never mind the radiation: British contingency planners worried there would be a dramatic shortage of tea in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, recently declassified documents showed Monday.

The shortfall of the staple British beverage would be "very serious" if the country were to come under attack with atomic and hydrogen bombs, said according to a memo drafted between 1954 and 1956.

"The tea position would be very serious with a loss of 75 percent of stocks and substantial delays in imports and with no system of rationing it would be wrong to consider that even one ounce (28 grams) per head per week could be ensured," it said.

"No satisfactory solution has yet been found."

Another memo, written in April 1955, warned: "The advent of thermo-nuclear weapons ... has presented us with a new and much more difficult set of food defence problems."

The contingency planning documents listed a number of issues for discussion including arrangements to ensure stockpiles of food and the availability of bread, milk, meat, oils and fats, and tea and sugar.

The memos were among a number of documents released by the National Archives.

Source: British planners feared tea shortage after nuclear attack - Yahoo! News UK
__________________________________________________ ___

Glad to see the government had its priorities right.

g hall · 05-05-2008, 11:33 AM

Nice to see that the priorities where right

In the event of nuclear attack touch your toes then curl round and kiss your ar5e goodbye

kernow · 05-05-2008, 04:38 PM

I can remember there were instruction to sand bag every door and window in every house, until they realised it was impossible, as there wasn't enough sand in the Country to do it!

eublues · 05-05-2008, 05:39 PM

At least the government then was trying to think about the needs of the working class, unlike Gordon Brown.

Westcountryman · 05-05-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eublues

At least the government then was trying to think about the needs of the working class, unlike Gordon Brown.

It's this sort of thing that makes us uniquely British. Personally I think it's brilliant.

tito · 05-05-2008, 07:41 PM

Thank God they've got our backs covered.

mkpdavies · 05-05-2008, 07:47 PM

Government has come a long way. They know everything now and we should trust them fully with our lives.

kernow · 06-05-2008, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eublues

At least the government then was trying to think about the needs of the working class, unlike Gordon Brown.

Not just the working class, whatever that might mean!

g hall · 06-05-2008, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkpdavies

Government has come a long way. They know everything now and we should trust them fully with our lives.

Matt you've been drinking again

05-05-2008, 06:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
Westcountryman Uber Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The Westcountry. Posts: 5,922 Party: None	British planners feared tea shortage after nuclear attack LONDON (AFP) - Never mind the radiation: British contingency planners worried there would be a dramatic shortage of tea in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, recently declassified documents showed Monday. The shortfall of the staple British beverage would be "very serious" if the country were to come under attack with atomic and hydrogen bombs, said according to a memo drafted between 1954 and 1956. "The tea position would be very serious with a loss of 75 percent of stocks and substantial delays in imports and with no system of rationing it would be wrong to consider that even one ounce (28 grams) per head per week could be ensured," it said. "No satisfactory solution has yet been found." Another memo, written in April 1955, warned: "The advent of thermo-nuclear weapons ... has presented us with a new and much more difficult set of food defence problems." The contingency planning documents listed a number of issues for discussion including arrangements to ensure stockpiles of food and the availability of bread, milk, meat, oils and fats, and tea and sugar. The memos were among a number of documents released by the National Archives. Source: British planners feared tea shortage after nuclear attack - Yahoo! News UK __________________________________________________ ___ Glad to see the government had its priorities right. __________________ Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

05-05-2008, 11:33 AM	#2 (permalink)
g hall Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: erehwon Posts: 5,233	Nice to see that the priorities where right In the event of nuclear attack touch your toes then curl round and kiss your ar5e goodbye __________________ "That government is best which governs least." "This is a sharp Medicine, but it is a Physician for all diseases and miseries". "To be "matter of fact" about the world is to blunder into fantasy --and dull fantasy at that, as the real world is strange and wonderful."

05-05-2008, 07:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	Government has come a long way. They know everything now and we should trust them fully with our lives. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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05-05-2008, 04:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
kernow Uber Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5,014	I can remember there were instruction to sand bag every door and window in every house, until they realised it was impossible, as there wasn't enough sand in the Country to do it!

05-05-2008, 05:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,008	At least the government then was trying to think about the needs of the working class, unlike Gordon Brown.