Is anyone else telly-free?

Justamum

FrugalLina wrote: »

Back to the Archers again, I have found a great website that has the summaries of all the episodes going back years and I am currently reading 2009 (when Matt gets done for fraud, Usha gets mugged and Jack goes to the Laurels).

That's really interesting - I couldn't remember when I started to listen to The Archers, so I've just gone through it and found it. It was when Helen knocked someone over when she was drunk, so it was the end of 2006.

snowleopard61

FrugalLina wrote: »

LOL, the accents always tickle me in the Archers, I bet Phoebe will have an SA accent which will magically fall away in a couple of weeks.

Just a thought about the licence police, I live in a rented house that has a dish outside (which obviously isn't hooked up as I had no desire to watch Sky), plus I think it does have an aerial on the roof - I am going to look so suss. Oh well, I have disconnected the Freeview box we are all digital here now, so no other means to receive TV.

And, I have just thought, although I don't watch much BBC TV, I do feel that I support the service by purchasing BBC books and videos (even if I do sell them on), so there are more ways to contribute than just the licence alone.

Back to the Archers again, I have found a great website that has the summaries of all the episodes going back years and I am currently reading 2009 (when Matt gets done for fraud, Usha gets mugged and Jack goes to the Laurels).

Hopefully I will be up-to-date enough to enjoy tomorrow's omnibus.

The accents can be quite handy though, even if sometimes mildly annoying - at least you can't mistake the strongly accented characters for someone else. Suppose that's why they do it, as well as to add variety.

Thanks so much for the website link - I've never looked at Archers Addicts, and the other one (the one they call 'Mustardland') always seems to me full of people who don't really like The Archers, bizarrely, i.e. they seem to spend their time complaining about the characters - not the baddies but the central characters whom they've taken against for some reason. I haven't joined it as it never fails to wind me up if I ever read it!

Am sure you'll be OK on the no-TV front, FrugalLina. They will probably hassle you, but ultimately they'll believe you. I'm inclined to agree with the previous poster who said co-operating with them is your best option. I spent ages just ignoring the letters etc. (because I found it a cheek - there's no other product or service I can think of where you have to prove you don't use it before you're exempt from paying for it) but finally gave in for the sake of peace and just contacted them to declare myself TV-less, and all I got was one chap who turned up and I said 'Please come in and see, we really don't have a television', which he did, and seemed satisfied. It did occur to me afterwards that many people have TVs upstairs, as my daughter has now, but he didn't ask.

Honestly I don't think you are ripping anyone off with a bit of catch-up TV online and radio, even if it weren't for the BBC books and videos. You're making the most of life (legally) on very little money; there are enough people around with thumping great cinema-sized plasma screens on the wall for the system not to fall down for want of your fee!;)

Angel_Jenny

I love the idea of listening to the radio rather than watching television - I get so sucked into all the programmes on television though. I really like books on CD too.

I have a pen pal who doesn't have the internet or television and her family sit together on an evening and either listen to the radio, read from books or just chat. They have a family book that they read aloud one evening a week. Or they sit and quilt and work on various craft projects.

It scares me how much time I spend watching vacuous programmes on television and how much I could get done in that time. With radio I tend to do something while listening and don't just sit their inactive.

FrugalLina

JustaMum, I am glad that site helped, I remember that year, it must have been one of my listening periods, lol.

Thanks so much for your encouragement and advice, Snowleopard61, you have been so helpful. I know what you mean about those Archers Addicts sites, I used to belong to the newsgroup (in the old internet days) and there seemed to be nothing but bickering in there (it was a tad misogynistic too, I felt), interesting to read that they haven't improved much.

I have had a bit of a move around in the sitting room and the TV is still there, but no longer hooked up, just wired to the DVD Player, so if the licence folk do turn up, I can happily show them that and I will cooperate as I have nothing to hide.

Angel_Jenny, your penpal has the right idea, although I don't think I could go without my internet connection!

I agree, life without TV is much more productive.

Day 4 of life sans TV and so far, so good!

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

*Internet Radio everytime* You can get all sorts of Ad-Free Channels or failing that incomprehensible Ads Channels (handy as I hate Ads and loathe Advertisers forcing their intrusive unwanted Ads on me).
I listen to French Language Channels, German, Beatles-arama, Local BBC. (mainstream is too biased but one has to watch for bias in Local Beeb) I find it a lot more intellectually interesting and more stimulating than even the most hypnotic Repeats on mainstream Satellite TV (mine is Free I gave up cheapskate SKY long ago).
DAB and Satellite feels like very poor value for money.

feedumall

i just knew tony would be ill, said he was tired every five minutes,radio 4 and extra,are brilliant loved the !!!!!! frances adaption this morning
on the archers i cried when they asked clary back bless

Justamum

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

*Internet Radio everytime*

I'd love to get an internet radio, but until they come down a bit more in price I think it will have to wait.

Justamum

feedumall wrote: »

i just knew tony would be ill, said he was tired every five minutes,radio 4 and extra,are brilliant loved the !!!!!! frances adaption this morning
on the archers i cried when they asked clary back bless

Tony is such a moaner though. Don't you just want to give him a shake sometimes?

I'm glad Clarrie is going back to the dairy. I'm sure she won't make the same mistake again!

FrugalLina

What was it Clarrie did wrong at the dairy to get the sack in the first place?

Justamum

FrugalLina wrote: »

What was it Clarrie did wrong at the dairy to get the sack in the first place?

She had a stomach bug, but went back to work too early and there was an e-coli outbreak in the ice cream which made a few children ill. They traced the outbreak back to her illness. Bridge Farm then lost an awful lot of their trade, which is why they've had to re-brand recently as nobody would touch their produce for love nor money!