Hi @geordieprepper, it all started for me with the Terry Nation Survivors series on the BBC back in the 70's (global pandemic etc). I bought a copy of Richard Mabey's Food for Free and then I was on my road to preparedness and self-reliance.
With a splash of John Seymour and a bit of The Good Life to add humour I spent my life on a quest for self-sufficiency. Interrupted over the years by children, jobs and all that but always with the goal in mind.
Then about three years ago I read One Second After by William Forstchen (EMP etc) and that really turned the switch for me. Now I'm full on, full time prepping and homesteading.
Luckily I managed to play the East of England to West of Wales property slide about 15 years ago and get an old farm place with a patch of land to call our own.
Now we keep our heads down off the beaten track and eat what we sew and sew what we tear.
I used to watch The Good Life too :) oh man you living the dream with your own bit of land. Nice one.