Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

NTN went off topic asking what people would save from a house fire.

My glasses and my mobile phone.

englishangel wrote:NTN went off topic asking what people would save from a house fire.

My glasses and my mobile phone.

Pets and photographs.

My glasses are on the end of my nose unless I'm horizontal, and I hate, hate, HATE mobile phones (although I do have one, do, very occasionally, use it).

xxxx

My cats and the data stick with my computer backup on it.

It's my "worst-situation scenario" and I apologise immediately to all Pedants for the use of this expression.

I'm at the top of the house, which is blazing furiously. I'm holding the cat, trying to get the window open to jump to safety! He's miaowing frantically and his tail begins to singe.....

Dream Censor, please.

No. I take it for granted that Ferdinand has fled to safety. In which case, before jumping I grab my -

Old Love Letters.

wow - I have to get out of a blazing house - I have 4 cats, my laptop is downstairs, my handbag is in my bedroom with me, as is my mobile phone - can someone tell me where the blaze is so I can work out if I have to try to climb out the kids bathroom window onto the pointy fleur-de-lys roof tiles I have, or can I take the stairs?

I have a square house, front door is central, it goes thru the hall , where in front are the stairs, left is living room (full length of house), right is study/dining room, through both of these you get to the kitchen which has a back door. Up the stairs turn right and my "space" is the entire length of the house with en-suite and bedroom, turn left along the "east wing"( ) and you have daughter's bedroom 1st (door closed) Guest bedroom next to it (door open) at the end of the corridor is the general bathroom, window opens over the porch, where the front door is - and has 3 roof tiles of 3 fleur-de-lys - which I jest not are sharp and very expensive). Opposite guest bedroom is airing cupboard - no tank, just a shelf and lots and lots and lots of linnen and other crap stuffed in it. Door closed (naturally we don't want the world to see the mess!).

My gas boiler is in the attic and is above my bed I guess, no water storage tanks as it's a work when you want me to work boiler. All the switches in the kitchen are off bar the fridge freezer, all the standby things like tv etc are off by remote control, the only thing left on is the laptop as it does it's clean up, defrag, de-bug, etc at 3am.

So where is the fire? I have 2 smoke alarms and I am now going to try them out and ensure they are working (they are battery & mains controlled).

So where is the fire? That way I can work out what I CAN grab bar what I would like to grab!
Help?!!

Apart from the cats and the dog, who got out on their own ( ) I would grab as many photos as I could.

Has to be the cats first !

My Charlton Athletic season ticket

To be serious I don't know. Photos, family history, press cuttings etc assuming of course that all people are absent or already out. I'd more than likely be wearing my glasses.

Having said that Mrs Mid A moves things from their rightful location on a regular basis (she would use the phrase "tidies up") so I probably wouldn't find what I wanted within the 3 minute deadline anyway!

I've had a house fire (but thank God was not there, as I would not be telling the tale). I'd have needed to move faster than 3 minutes, but would not have escaped. The most I might have been able to achieve would have been to throw my then dog (a Collie) out of my bedroom window (a limited 'bottom opening' double glazed single pane) - but in opening the window I would have caused the rush of air which made the fire (in the airing cupboad on the landing) flash across the ceilings of the landing, interior bathroom and the two bedrooms - one front and one back - when the firemen broke the front door down some 15 minutes after the fire had been detected by my neighbours. The range of the opening of the bedroom window was so limited that there's no way I could have got through it.
All this gave me serious food for thought within the next twelve months, when I was struck down with the illness which, years afterwards, has left me disabled due to stress-related arthritis.
So to answer the question, from a 'real' situation - the most I could have saved would have been the dog, and that's if he had survived being thrown out of the bedroom window.

(PS I no longer live in that house, even though it did have working smoke alarms which could not have saved me due to the fact that the fire started on the narrow landing between my bedroom and the one and only staircase. When looking to move away, I was particularly concerned about the viability of escape routes from every room in each property I visited)

kerrensimmonds wrote:(PS I no longer live in that house, even though it did have working smoke alarms which could not have saved me due to the fact that the fire started on the narrow landing between my bedroom and the one and only staircase. When looking to move away, I was particularly concerned about the viability of escape routes from every room in each property I visited)

Just to tell you that Kerren is not so paranoid about fire that she instructs her guests on the escape routes. Back to the question I haven't a clue what I'd take, probably the wrong thing!

The wife, who would have to be saved first, as she would be rushing around, filling my arms with everything in no particular order, the blue box with all my documents in, the car keys and spectacles, although I have a spare pair in the car, (its the law around here).

I'd have saved you, Katharine. No worries!

I'm glad I started this --- thanks Moderator, for giving it a catchy title !

I am beginning to believe that, since all my Memorabilia, Photos,Testemonials to my useless achievements,Telescope, Flintlock (Brass Barelled) Pistol, 18th Century Painting, etc. etc are in my Study (Forbidden Territory 1)-------------

I shall probably remain there --- and fry happily !!!


(Retaining the promise to Haunt anyone who sings the 23rd Psalm to Crimond, at my Funeral ! )

kerrensimmonds wrote:I'd have saved you, Katharine. No worries!

Thanks Kerren!

I decided (With some trepidation) to consult The Blessed Anne, on this subject ----- Her reply, with little hesitation, was ---

"The two, prize- winning Photoghraphs by my Father, my Passport and Maisie "
Explanations are neccessary --- the Photos are a) of Marran Grass, in sand and b) "The Enthusiasts" -- boys peering over a slipway, catching crabs.
These, and the Passport, are reasonable,------ but Maisie ------?
Maisie is a doll, with a "Pot" head and a body and legs stuffed with Heaven knows what, which dates from her childhood in the the War Years, when things were "Self-made "

I am chastened to realise that I don't figure in the selection, and further, that the contents of the Safe, containing Family Jewellry Etc. is not mentioned , as important , in any way !

You see what comes of marrying a Missionary --- they don't get their priorities right !!!!!