Is anyone else telly-free?

snowleopard61

FrugalLina wrote: »

I was without a TV for 3 years about 8 years ago and never forgot the awful letters I used to receive from the licensing company, it really got to me and made me very angry and although I appreciate our BBC very much and feel very fortunate we have it, the company that collects their fees let them down, IMHO.

I wonder if your kids would read more with a kindle?

I found it incredibly annoying and insulting too. I felt like saying to them that it was like Tesco turning up on my doorstep and demanding to know why I hadn't paid for the groceries that I hadn't got from them. Couldn't see why the onus had to be on me more or less to prove that I didn't have the bluddy thing!

Re the Kindle - as it happens my elder girl was given one by her boyfriend for Christmas, which struck me as quite a surprising choice (it was a bit of a bargain I think, and an 'extra' present), but the thing is that she has used it - not constantly, but much more than she has read paper books in recent years. She gets lots of little free snippets - a slightly strange way of reading, to my mind (the snippets rather than the medium), but if it suits her, that's great. The younger one is a student and I think her limited reading willingness is all taken up with textbooks, though in principle I suspect she would be more likely to read with a Kindle.

Something which has been ticking away at the back of my mind is - as far as I know, radios are actually subject to licensing, it's just that for the vast majority their TV licence covers their radio too. Is there still a mechanism for buying a radio licence, and has anyone been hassled by the licensing authorities to do so in the absence of a TV licence? I wondered about this at the time when I had no TV but they never mentioned it.

FrugalLina

JackieO, I know what you mean, lol!

Melanzana, that sound fabulous - it is amazing what you can get now, I love the sound of those headphones. I do feel a bit behind the times.

Feedumall, I stopped listening to the Archers ages ago (used to love it too) and I am worried that I won't be able to figure out what has happened.

Snowleopard, I tried to download a form from them last night to fill in, but I hit a brick wall when it wanted other information. Cancelled the D/D and will ring them later. Glad your eldest girl is reading a little on the Kindle, I have noticed that my nieces are reading more now they have them. The radio licence was stopped in 1971 and unless you are transmitting, you don't need one (my dad was a radio ham, so I know this, at least).

Today, the 1st March starts my No TV Experimental Month - I wonder how it will be?

snowleopard61

FrugalLina wrote: »

The radio licence was stopped in 1971 and unless you are transmitting, you don't need one

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Good grief, I really am behind the times!

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I have to confess to being extremely non-OS and buying the most expensive DAB radio because I liked the design. I have totally got my money's worth though, as I use it more than the TV. There is so much choice in terms of music, sport, discussion etc and you can easily unplug them and take them into another room or out into the garden.

Friends of mine only have a telly for DVDs/computer games and I often amuse myself by texting them messages like "if only you had a TV you could be watching quality like Britain's Fattest Dog/Z List Celebs Do Karaoke/Police Academy 5 right now."

snowleopard61

FrugalLina wrote: »

Feedumall, I stopped listening to the Archers ages ago (used to love it too) and I am worried that I won't be able to figure out what has happened.

Am sure you'll pick it up again very quickly. Although I've been a keen R4 listener for decades, I used to switch off for The Archers as I thought it would be impossible to tell the characters apart without seeing them. Then I happened to catch the Siobhan Hathaway/Brian Aldridge pregnancy storyline and got hooked, and everything else started to fall into place.

Having said that, it took ages before I twigged that Jennifer Aldridge was also an Archer, and I still occasionally realise halfway through a conversation that I'm listening to Kenton rather than Adam, Mike rather than Neil or even Jennifer rather than Pat ...

(With apologies to those who don't listen to it, and who fell asleep halfway through the above !)

FrugalLina

snowleopard61 wrote: »

Siobhan Hathaway/Brian Aldridge pregnancy storyline

!! I have missed so much !!

Yeah, I remember managing to pick it up OK before after long periods of not being able to listen, so I am sure I will. Oooh, quite excited about my new programme to enjoy!

[Deleted User]

snowleopard61 wrote: »

Am sure you'll pick it up again very quickly. Although I've been a keen R4 listener for decades, I used to switch off for The Archers as I thought it would be impossible to tell the characters apart without seeing them. Then I happened to catch the Siobhan Hathaway/Brian Aldridge pregnancy storyline and got hooked, and everything else started to fall into place.

Having said that, it took ages before I twigged that Jennifer Aldridge was also an Archer, and I still occasionally realise halfway through a conversation that I'm listening to Kenton rather than Adam, Mike rather than Neil or even Jennifer rather than Pat ...

(With apologies to those who don't listen to it, and who fell asleep halfway through the above !)

I have listened to it since I was a little girl it was almost mandatory in our house I can remeber when Phils first wife Grace died in a stable fire apparently folk actually sent flowers to the BBC :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:The episode went out on the night that ITV started to broadcast- in the hope that folk would watch t.v. instead of listen to the radio -and the radio retaliated by the cliff-hanger of Phil yelling "Grace! Grace!" at the end so no one knew if she survived or not.Bit like a 'who shot JR 'Blimey I am showing my age now :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

snowleopard61

FrugalLina wrote: »

!! I have missed so much !!

Oh, and by the way Siobhan had a son called Ruaridh (sp?) and went off to Germany and brought the baby up on her own and Debbie knew but Jennifer didn't and then Siobhan up and died and left Brian to bring up Ruaridh and Jennifer took him on (Ruaridh, that is, she was already stuck with Brian) and is bringing him up (well, except he's now away at boarding school) and loves him and ... :rotfl:

JackieO, I wish I'd heard it right from the beginning too - it would be great to know all the 'back story'. One reason to have a digital radio, I suppose, as they broadcast some of the old episodes.

FrugalLina

JackieO, I remember reading about the earlier episodes, I remember reading a book that gave a lot of background info and had pictures, I remember a map too.

SnowLeopard, I am glad you told me all that, I would have wondered who Rauridh was, I think some back-reading somewhere might be in order for me though.

My first non-TV day yesterday was OK, I spent the evening chained to my computer loading up stuff onto Ebay and then I chatted on the phone, so went to bed without watching or listening to anything. A couple of times, I felt that noise was needed, but had too many windows open on my not very powerful laptop to allow for radio or CDs as well. My cheapo analogue radio in the kitchen loses signal when the sun goes down, so I need to figure out how to improve that.

All in all, the first day was OK, but I need to get organised this evening.

snowleopard61

FrugalLina wrote: »

My cheapo analogue radio in the kitchen loses signal when the sun goes down

How weird! No idea what the science behind that is (probably no good anyone trying to explain to me either; not my forte ). I'm always afraid of changing the station on any of my radios (all analogue and always on R4) in case I can never get clear sound on R4 again - so it always annoys me when I hear about a good radio play and I find it's on R3 instead. How dare they! Speech radio belongs on R4.;)