it's thing's like this that make me glad I'm not elsewhere. Our schoolbus didn't come today. we went to the downs instead and lay in the sun. I can remember only one other day when school was cancelled - a snow day, which hardly ever happens here. Jacob told me at the bus stop that his dad says there'll be plenty more days like this. It's nice to not have school but it makes me feel wierd, like there's something not quite right.

The farmer's market on whiteladies road was manic. It's usually pretty nice, a few stalls with fresh veg and pies, that kind of thing, but it's always been a bit too expensive for me and mum. today, there must have been ten times the amount of people swarming over the produce - a couple of the stalls were already sold out at 11. I wanted to buy one of the organic pies but mum didn't give me any pocket money this week. She looked really guilty when she said it.

A couple of people got into a fight as I was walking through the market. One guy had parked his range rover on the street next to the market and was piling in a load of food. One of the bearded guys handing out leaflets about the environment started having a right go at him.

"What are you doing with that hulking great thing?" the bearded man said, pointing at the range rover. The driver shrugged. He looked pretty rich.

"Driving to get some food?" he replied. I moved aroudn a stall to watch. "What's it look like?"

"There's a fuel crisis on!" the bearded man said. A couple of the other people turned round and agreed with him. "You're betraying everything about the market - don't you understand about food miles?"

"to hell with that," the man said. "I've got the money, I've got the car. I'll drive if I damn well want too."

The stall members said they wouldn't sell to the driver and he punched the bearded man. One of the tables was knocked to the ground. I walked away then.

A ton of people have put signs selling their cars. Seems like half the cars on my street have 'To sell: O.N.O.' on them. My brother asked why all the signs said 'Oh no' on them! My mum said it meant or negotiable offer, but that it might as well mean oh no with the fuel crisis the way it was.

I decided seeing as there wasn't school and day telly is boring that I'd go online and find out just what this 'oil crisis' was. I mean, I've been hearing about it everywhere but I don't really get it. We've always had oil, what's different now?

the first thing I come across is this blog about queues for fuel. I sorta remember the lorry driver's strike ages ago back when dad was around and had a car. Everywhere just kinda shut down. Is it going to get that bad again? The bbc site said that the lorry drivers were thinking about strikes again and that many peopel were stocking up on food already - mum bought loads of cans and sacks of rice and pasta, as well as gas for the camping stove. I thought she was crazy, but i'm beginning to change my mind.

I thought about phoning dad up. Mum doesn't like me doing it. He lives on a farm in Wales with his new wife Emma and mum gets angry whenever we mention them. I still want to talk to him though - he's better at explaining things than mum. Maybe I'll call him tomorrow. I'd like to see him. He'll make me feel safer.



[author's note: friday, week 7]