Is anyone else telly-free?

Penelope_Penguin

SunnyGirl wrote: »

In the evenings there are lots of funny sit coms, quizzes and plays.

I shall be joining you for my weekly Tena-Lady half hour at 6:30 this evening (or as a Podcast later ).

downshifter

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. I'll be joining you for tenalady half hour (and the rest) too. I'll see how it goes before doing anything about it. It is tempting to ring sky and ask them to join me up again, might be cheaper than getting a man in but I shall see whether cold turkey works ok. It's now 5 past 5 and still light and the chickens are still out and a man is chainsawing logs for me in the garden so maybe I won't need more entertainment than this after all!

Edited to say: have just had weekly email from Countryfile - withdrawal symptoms kicking in already, I'll really miss this one. Oh!

Penelope_Penguin

downshifter wrote: »

Edited to say: have just had weekly email from Countryfile - withdrawal symptoms kicking in already, I'll really miss this one. Oh!

Well get on to Radio 4 at 6:30 tomorrow morning and every weekdaya at 5:45 for Farming Today

duncan303

We have been without TV in the main house for nearly eighteen years, at first it was because tv licenceing would not let us use a single TV in two dwellings using the same licence. At first we would just watch TV at the weekends having recorded selected programs during the week, gradually we became bored and stopped recording and just watched a single program/series that was broadcast. Now we watch probably no more than 2 hours a week and that at weekends, currently History of Britain and come dine with me omnibus on more 4. The rest of the time we have the radio: Obviously Radio4 but also the World Service both channels hit with repeats daily but one can switch over. Although neither of us are keen on sport Radio5 live breakfast can be good alternative to the Today program when it gets too grating. Up all night on 5live is superb, including Dr Karl and the Naked Scientist, Dotun Adebayo is also a very clever guy along with Rhod Sharp. Once you get into it the radio has tons to offer and in the last 5-6 years has been enhanced tremendously from online facilities. I have become so selective that I find myself listening to less than I did because now I never have to worry about missing anything. We never channel hop on radio or TV, if it is not the best broadcast we get up and do something else.

Several years ago we put the main house up for sale and the proportion of viewers who returned incredulous faces when having asked where the TV room is we said we didn't watch TV, almost shock, it was very funny when they would normally ask " what do you do if you don't have a telly" this generally in a room we use as a library!!!

One guy spent almost the whole viewing seeking advice as to how to change his lifestyle to be TV free. I did explain that one of the biggest hurdles is trying to make those licencing idiots in bristol understand that not every household has to have a telly or be a criminal. After some very heated exchanges and a little correspondance they eventually left us alone, havn't heard from them for about a dozen years.

Better go and prepare supper during news quiz and before the Archers:D




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SunnyGirl

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Well get on to Radio 4 at 6:30 tomorrow morning and every weekdaya at 5:45 for Farming Today

I love Farming Today and The Shipping Forecast My Mum always says that she knows she's on English soil when she hears the Shipping Forecast. If I'm awake at 12.45am (very rare!) I enjoy listening to it too.

I cry/have a Tena Lady moment laughing at Just a Minute every Sunday whilst preparing lunch. Paul Merton is so funny :rotfl:

purpleivy

My favourite is I'm sorry I haven't a clue on R 4. I tend to listen to what ever is on, especially while I'm doing the big boring sewing orders, where I am on repetitive tasks. It's a good excuse to sit and listen to the radio.

I'm a R4 girl as well, sleep to it when dh is away! I like You and Yours, Money Box, Woman's hour amongst others.

downshifter

Oh no, I missed the news quiz after all that, as someone rang me, but said they had to go at 7 to watch the History of Modern Britain.Grrr! So I listened to the Archers, as you say it's something you just need to get back into. I remember when Helen was born, and who on earth are some of the others? Sorry to hear Jack has Alzheimer's though.

Seems I've got lots of catching up to do - I too used to love the shipping forecast, thinking about those inshore or coastal waters with wonderful names, I always wanted to visit them. Then someone else beat me to it and wrote a book! (Attention all Shipping, by Charlie Connelly)

Some friends of my parents, in their 80s, have just got their first tv ever! The first thing they watched was Lark Rise a couple of weeks ago, and were so disappointed they switched off after 15 mins!

Thanks for the ideas, today I've moved the tv out and put it into storage under the eaves (where the mice will probably chew it to bits, they demolish everything else round here!)

I just wish I had broadband though.

DS

Justamum

We were telly free for a few years, and I'd happily be again. Our area was the first one to lose its analogue signal (last July) and as our licence expired in February I said we should try going without tv for 6 months. Unfortunately nobody except me could manage it! I've always preferred the radio ever since I got my first one on my 10th birthday (I'm 47 this year!). I switch between Radio 2 and 4 during the week - but always listen to the Archers when I'm washing up! Weekends is always Radio 4 (can't abide Jonathon Ross - ugh!).

aliadds - you don't need a tv licence to watch something on the internet after it's been broadcast, only when it's streaming live, so you could catch up on i-player without needing a licence.

Butterfly_Brain

Personally think TV is absolute rubbish at the moment.
A lot of the programmes we enjoyed before Christmas ended in mid season and have failed to be shown again,
It makes me so angry that Sky keep putting up their prices and we are getting less and less new shows and more and more repeats.
I avidly watch Hairy Bikers on Tues, Rachel Allen on Saturday morning, Antiques Roadshow and the new David Dimbleby Seven Ages of Britain - all of which I can catch on BBC Iplayer.
It is the same old films on Tv and they are shown at least 3 times a month.
I could save £390 a year (no Sky, No TV license) thats without factoring the cost of electric and we only have the basic sky package.
makes you think doesn't it?

Lily-Lu

For well over a year, we didn't have a TV downstairs. Mainly because the aerial blew off the roof, and living in a 3 storey house meant that even a decent indoor aerial didn't get any kind of signal downstairs.
My son had a TV with indoor aerial in his bedrrom at the top of the house, which gave a fairly decent picture, so I occasionally popped up there to watch it. But, most days, I didn't even bother to go up there. I thought I'd find it difficult, but it wasn't, as I had the radio.

I'm not really one for listening to music, but like factual programmes, comedy and drama - BBC radio 7 is my favourite http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio7/ It's basically dedicated to comedy and drama all day long. I love some of the old repeats of crime thrillers from the 50s/60s. And often they'll rerun an old 'Hancock's Half Hour' from the 50s with Tony Hancock and Sid James etc
It's a real mix of old and new. A fab station, if like me, you like that sort of thing