Preparedness for when

Si_Clist

the_cake wrote: »

Just had an email from D T Brown offering me half price fruit trees! I've ordered from them before; they are good, with excellent customer service too, friendly and helpful. I think you may have to sign up for their newsletter to get the offer, but it's well worth it, as lots of fruit trees are now £10 ish with £4.95 p & p - here is the linky:
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/
I've ordered a quince tree, as I have wanted one for ages; some exciting bean seeds, and asparagus crowns, seem to have jumped into my basket as well - oops!

And funnily enough, The Lady Wife has not long been back from the allotment having planted her Green Windsor broad bean seeds that came last week from D T Brown.

She came home moaning about the quality, the contents of both packets being pretty awful-looking shrivelled-up seeds, and nothing like the Green Windsor she saved from last year. One even had evidence of weevil ...

elantan

Frugalsod wrote: »

It used to be that having a TV even if it was not plugged in and connected was enough to be liable, though if that TV or monitor was modified so that you cannot receive live TV then you were exempt. I do not see that as having changed.

Thankyou for this, I wasn't aware

Kinda short and curlies then really in a way

Hmmm will need to work out how to get my tv etc so that I can't get anything live

maryb

I keep a lot of information on my computer and although I have printed out a lot, there's a fair bit still in digital form which I like to keep available. So backing up my computer is important. Imagine my horror when I realised that I had not actually got round to making a set of recovery discs for my laptop when I replaced it six months ago - bad me!

However when I tried to burn a set, the utility crashes. It's definitely the software not the discs, it gets stuck on initialising or I get a this program has stopped working message.

Am a bit worried about this to put it mildly. I have made a system image on an external hard drive but I don't know if that would be as good as a set of recovery discs. I know it's better in some ways because it would keep all the programs I have installed since getting the laptop. But I find it helps to do a clean reinstall of Windows very now and then and I don't think I can do that without recovery discs.

Does anyone know? I'm summoning up the courage to brave the techy boards - I may be a little while

nuatha

elantan wrote: »

Obviously I'm being very stupid here, but .... I thought it was about what you watch not what you have ? I have a tv that can pick up catch up tv if I press the smart button, but I spose if I added a Ariel to it I could watch live tv but as it stands just now I couldn't tell you if it can pick up live tv as I never watch live tv

I have been under the impression that the tv licence covers live tv viewing not what could be? Kinda like having a car and not paying road tax or national insurance cause it never leaves your driveway kinda thing

Actually you need either car tax and insurance or a SORN.
TV license only applies if you actually watch live TV.
From the horses mouth:
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/what-if-a-tv-licence-is-not-needed-top12/

Frugalsod wrote: »

It used to be that having a TV even if it was not plugged in and connected was enough to be liable, though if that TV or monitor was modified so that you cannot receive live TV then you were exempt. I do not see that as having changed.

The TV licensing folk are in the business of selling TV licenses, they have long been economical with the truth. However as their website states (link above)
"The law states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes, on any device, as they're being shown on TV. This includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorders.
You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch ‘catch up’ services like BBC iPlayer or 4oD."

elantan wrote: »

Thankyou for this, I wasn't aware

Kinda short and curlies then really in a way

Hmmm will need to work out how to get my tv etc so that I can't get anything live

You don't need to do anything other than not watch live TV.

nuatha

maryb wrote: »

I keep a lot of information on my computer and although I have printed out a lot, there's a fair bit still in digital form which I like to keep available. So backing up my computer is important. Imagine my horror when I realised that I had not actually got round to making a set of recovery discs for my laptop when I replaced it six months ago - bad me!

However when I tried to burn a set, the utility crashes. It's definitely the software not the discs, it gets stuck on initialising or I get a this program has stopped working message.

Am a bit worried about this to put it mildly. I have made a system image on an external hard drive but I don't know if that would be as good as a set of recovery discs. I know it's better in some ways because it would keep all the programs I have installed since getting the laptop. But I find it helps to do a clean reinstall of Windows very now and then and I don't think I can do that without recovery discs.

Does anyone know? I'm summoning up the courage to brave the techy boards - I may be a little while

If you have a system image, you're ahead of the game.
If you'd also like to do a clean install, does your laptop have a Certificate of Authenticity on it? If so you can install from a Windows DVD, this would mean installing the various hardware drivers (available for download from your manufacturers website).
You may well be able to get a recovery disk either as a downloadable disc image or as a physical disc from the manufacturer, though most manufacturers charge for these.
My habit is to flatten every new machine that comes my way and install a clean Windows install, then the relevant drivers and core software - that way I (and my clients) avoid having to put up with the junk software and bloatware that every system seems to come with these days. (Its been a few years since a recovery image actually counted as a clean install)

HTH - and if its not clear, please feel free to ask either on here or by PM.

BitterAndTwisted

nuatha wrote: »

Actually you need either car tax and insurance or a SORN.
TV license only applies if you actually watch live TV.
From the horses mouth:
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/what-if-a-tv-licence-is-not-needed-top12/



The TV licensing folk are in the business of selling TV licenses, they have long been economical with the truth. However as their website states (link above)
"The law states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes, on any device, as they're being shown on TV. This includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorders.
You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch ‘catch up’ services like BBC iPlayer or 4oD."



You don't need to do anything other than not watch live TV.

And they have no way of knowing that you watch TV as it's broadcast unless you foolishly tell them you are.

pineapple

Frugalsod wrote: »

It used to be that having a TV even if it was not plugged in and connected was enough to be liable, though if that TV or monitor was modified so that you cannot receive live TV then you were exempt. I do not see that as having changed.

I don't know what it used to be but nowadays what equipment you have - while it might be cause for suspicion - is not the issue. You could have a whole branch of Currys in your house and they can't do you for it. The issue is not what you have but whether you watch or record live TV (on whatever equipment) as it is broadcast.

From the horses mouth (again)
You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast.

maryb

Nuatha, thank you so much! I've taken you at your kind word and sent you a PM

pineapple

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

And they have no way of knowing that you watch TV as it's broadcast unless you foolishly tell them you are.

Or maybe the (possibly fictitious) detector vans or little men perving at your window (it has been known) to see if they can spot a flickering screen showing a live programme

Memory_Girl

Elantan - its done!!!

And it works brilliantly!!! Ten minutes boiling and five and a half hours in the beastie and Beef n Barley stew was done to a turn. Hot enough to eat too!!!



Now - no more challenges for a while - got a poorly DS1 this weekend to take care of

Time for a gin I think!!!

MG