Sunday 10th September 2000 I need bread. Stroll to the nearby garage in the late evening sun.

Cars are piling onto the forecourt from both directions. Cars spill out onto the road. They are tooting each other and things are a little bad tempered. I hand over my 75 pence for a sliced loaf, having nipped in q i b fr tep n b yr h adtet. h imy a tm o a ae e s T ee g n a u k eoe h a i ues o r h i T i s b pi f w rn s. h r o n c c l s l s s b afe s otg e u lh r e a Monday 11th September 2000 I need milk. Head off to work. Local Radio stations warn of little fuel anywhere , and NO u l d da y h r. l c a x u la fe mee. u t mm a o eterdle a dI n a e nw ee Ga e n i s tu l trJ s 2 e n o y bv h e i n n have hospital diagnostic equipment waiting to be serviced 300 miles away in cornwall. Soon realise from work colleagues that getting fuel is a no-no. Bristol where I live is badly hit by this fe cis u l d dh s u dy v ri t F re t c n e arn i s ri v i ote u lr i s n a e a rn r o en h . oc d o a c l r g g ev e it h e g a n c st Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. Call in at the local mini-mart on the way home for lunch. Noticed there was only 2 semi-skimmed left. Took one, paid and went home for lunch. Tuesday 12th September 2000 Took sandwiches to work and stayed there at lunchtime. Bit of a first, that. Except my first day there when I did the same thing. The car petrol needle is 1mm above the red line. Dare not risk the luxury of driving home for lunch, even though my flat is just a mile and a half away from where I work. Feel inconvenienced. The evening t.v. news is bad. Most the country has no petrol at the pumps. Diesel is getting harder to find. Lorries and tractors are driving around the motorways 2 abreast at 5mph, c u i c a s T ej a e eD meb yr h v p ldo t fh d a te aen t a s g h o. h a n s o n p ues a e ue u o te e l h y r o l impressed with it anymore. Tony Blair comes on the T.V. and says the fuel crisis will start to get better within 24 hours. I feel re-assured. Wednesday 13th September 2000. We d s i U c T n( o y lr pi mis r a s rn e ta ti s o l b l e p e n l o y T n Ba r l t e s i me n t ) sua c s h th g w u e ie n d "getting back to normal within 24 hours" things have worsened in fact. After work I took a walk over to the Safeways supermarket near where I work, being out of eggs and bread.Got bread , f s s fb k do tepe s s N sc dl f otnw o t ebe da aa l ( i, s r h t f a e n h rmi . o le o t e u e i a c o o ly ra v ib . Pt i p l e yt my favourite.) No milk in there. Eggs low , but got a dozen. Walked back to the company car park, got the car and drove home. Needle on Red now. My second day of sandwiches at work. I b e t gte wt s a g be dtmorw S o I b ccn . e l n i s e ai h m i t n e ra o r . o n e ylg F e a x u . l l n h r o l l i o Thursday 14th September 2000 Blockades are lifted. The protest is over, but not the shortages. In the evening a mile long queue of cars line up for fuel in the garage opposite. The queue is still there when I retire at 11 p i tee e i . jnas l u u a 65 a i a as ot u f i s w i o l m n h v n g I i ma q e e t .5 m t s h rb tr t s a . n n o l w ul e t y diesel available. F e ia aa l frh re c s ri so li s mep c s P o l lemew oj t u l v ib o te e g n y ev e n n o s l e me c y l e. e p i a ek h u s work for a living have to wait a while longer. I feel disgruntled. OK I work on hospital equipment , but its diagnostic stuff , not emergency life saving equipment. Friday 15th September 2000 T eg v rme t lt f 9"se t l s r"h t r t b pi i e a p as nteWWW. h o en ns i o 2 e s ni u es ta ae o e r ri d p e r o h s a ot s I quote : 13. Production & Distribution of medical and pharmaceutical supplies. With this knowledge I approach the nearest petrol supplier. Golly gosh. The policeman sends me to the very front of the long queue and I receive my 20 quids worth of the golden nectar. This isnt enough to get me to cornwall and back but its something. Soon I will remove my bicycle from the back of the car. Feeling better.

Saturday 16th September 2000 Ma a e t tpu tetn wt n rs ii s b t i i h us h l a g rg w s r n g d o o p h a k i o e tco u wt n o r te o l aa e a dy h rtn h c once more. Long queues at the garages that DO have fuel are easing. Sunday 17th September 2000 Went to get groceries at the local hypermarket. Eggs bread and milk all in plentiful supply. The A d p t ltt nw s t s u to g . h y i r t l k f rh ic s mes o w ln s a er s i a sl h th u h T e d n t o o at te u t r to e i o ao i l d ty o e r o l that direction I feel. Apart from the niggling queues for petrol , and lack of being *sure* that its going to be available, things are pretty much as normal again. Long queues are something we bi h v g t nu e t i rc n yas no r v rrw e ll ia d, u taa oh r rs a e ot s d o n e e te r o u o eco d d ie s n b th t n te t e t l t s i u .I m c s gtid r fr o . s e . a l i h i yo n w s on s a