Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Charlottechicken]

Is anyone else thinking of throwing their telly away, or have done already? I am beginning to wonder why I have mine, and pay the licence fee, as I hardly watch it these days

 

Has anyone got rid of their television and regretted it, or not?

[AnnieP]

We haven't had a TV for 16 years!

 

We talk instead!

[Charlottechicken]

Do you get bothered by the licensing people Annie?

[Karen & co.]

We watch television sometimes, and what the children watch is policed, although my oldest is now 15, I don't want the younger ones watching inappropriate programs

 

We have friends who don't have one, but she is always rather snooty about people who have one, and very condescending

 

When I had my first home I didn't have one for years, and lived alone, but didn't miss it at all!

 

karen x

[Paola]

Do you get bothered by the licensing people Annie?

 

We have four

 

I remember reading in our local paper that a retired vicar who has never had a TV and was bothered quite a lot by the licensing people. They could not understand that he does not and never has had a TV

[Charlottechicken]

I remember reading in our local paper that a retired vicar who has never had a TV and was bothered quite a lot by the licensing people. They could not understand that he does not and never has had a TV

 

That's a worry!

 

Considering the amount of different ways you can receive television channels, you could be fined even if you don't own a television. I read the back of the licence (must get out more ) and anything that is capable of receiving a signal, such as certain mobile phones or a PC, needs a licence. As long as you are not watching it as it is broadcast seems to be OK.

 

But TV licensing is run by Capita (who appear to be taking over the country by the back door ), so I am not convinced on their ability to cope with it yet. Two years ago they sent me a licence for just 11 months!

[Egluntyne]

I am full of admiration for people who don't watch telly.

 

I have to have my four times weekly fix of Coronation Street.

 

Even though I listen to the radio .....it's on most of the time when I'm at home (Radio 4).......I still like to watch the news, especially if something earth shattering is going on, rather than just listen.

 

Is that just me?

[bronze]

I gew up without one. My parents still don't have one. They got a lot of hassle from the licensing bods and yes though it says about anything that could recieve it my parents don't have anything. Unless by somehow wiring their basic mobile to the microwave. Actually yes they have a computer but they don't have the required stuff on that so it wouldn't be possible. They only started to hassle them last year. I have no idea why, they've lived there for 24 years and have not had a license yet as they've no need for one. Why did it take so much effort on my Dads part to convince them. And yes legal ction was threatened by them to which my Dad had to tell them fine, take me to court. Its good when you are secure in the knowledge you're right like that.

[Louise]

I used to not have a TV and got bothered until I wrote to them explaining that I considered theior attention to be harrasment and suggesting I was breaking the law was slanderous and any more communications would be sent to my solicitor

 

After that I only got the annual can you confirm that you still have no TV form

 

I bet the radar thingy was well trained on the house though

[Lailapet]

Here in Denmark the law was changed last year from TV licence to "media licence" and therefore I bought a licence because my laptop is quite up-to-date. There ARE two tellys in my home. Sophia brought one fromthe UK, but funnily enough there is no sound if she received programmes, so it'sonly used to play DVD's which do have sound. The one in the living room is on a few hours a day, but we only have the two terrestrial Danish channels and the children watch it and I occasionally turn my head to see what's going on. I can't keep up with celebrities and don't care. As I never check what programmes are on I never follow series or anything, but if I visit people and their TV is turned on I do watch it. It's just that it's not important to me. It wasn't always like that but I think that years of CBeebies in England cured me of my need...

I spend far too much time on the computer though!

[Charlottechicken]

I used to not have a TV and got bothered until I wrote to them explaining that I considered theior attention to be harrasment and suggesting I was breaking the law was slanderous and any more communications would be sent to my solicitor

 

After that I only got the annual can you confirm that you still have no TV form

 

I bet the radar thingy was well trained on the house though

 

I like your style Louise

[Louise]

I don't take prisoners

[Martin B]

Is anyone else thinking of throwing their telly away, or have done already?

How would you watch the football?

[Paola]

Is anyone else thinking of throwing their telly away, or have done already?

How would you watch the football?

 

Now that would be a reason for getting rid

[Charlottechicken]

Is anyone else thinking of throwing their telly away, or have done already?

How would you watch the football?

 

Now that would be a reason for getting rid

 

I am with you there Paola

[Olly]

I find this a really interesting issue; like Bronze, I grew up without a TV. We used to listen to the radio, play games, read (and yes, even talk to each other!) It made me very well-read, imaginative, and when stuck in boring situations I have a huge fund of memorised poetry to keep me occupied.

So, I have no regrets now, ... but, if I am honest, I used to feel very left-out in the playground when people were discussing what they had watched, and it did sometimes make me a bit isolated. And bear in mind, I grew up in the 60s when there were only three channels and they didn't broadcast during the day! TV is a big part of our culture, like it or not.

 

I try to only watch things that I've pre-selected; not use it as background noise, and not just sit there channel-hopping. I don't think I'm prepared to give it up altogether.

[chocchick]

I'm the other extreme.

I'm a telly addict, we have cable and OH does computer/TV things for a living so needs it. We have a huge widescreen TV on our wall now and a TV upstairs. I find it easier to fall sleep listening to TV.

We have a kind of sky plus system OH set up to record our favourite programmes. I am someone who has it on in the background a lot too.

[Guest]

Like all things Television is great if you use it properly. If you choose what you watch, for whatever reason - entertainment, education, interest etc - it is a really useful tool. If you have it on all the time, whether you're watching or not and tend to view the next programme and the next etc, then perhaps you need to review your life-style.

 

Last night I watched David Dimbleby's programme about building Britain and saw some amazing houses, including a triangular house built in 16th century. I have never heard of that before and I'm wondering why not! There's a little bit about it here: http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/notable%20houses/rushton%20lodge.htm

 

Having said what i did above, I didn't intend to watch the programme, just came across it - but I'm glad I did!

[bronze]

I have to say my reliance on the tv is so much more since I had children. Not for them but at the end of an evening I need to sit down and zombify. I can't do that in the pub anymore so its in front of the tv. We have sky plus too which is godd as then when I do sit down I only tend to watch things I've specifically recorded such as coast, INEBG, Dr Who and TImeteam. What would I do without such programs

[BeckyBoo]

I'm with you Bron, and yes I am that bad mother who occasionally uses it as an electronic babysitter - my eldest needs a "transition" period when she comes out of school, she has to change from school to home and likes a bit of quiet time, so she zombifies in front of the telly for 20 minutes or so then goes off out to play. I zombify during the evening, try not to fall asleep on the sofa then stagger off to bed!!

 

Mrs B

[Tina C]

Olly - that could have been me talking there, my circumstances to a tee. I remember others talking about stuff they saw the night before, from about age 12 onwards, but just let it wash over me as I wasn't going to give up other stuff to sit in front of the TV.

 

These days I would happily live without it most days but sometimes I like to do the zombie thing (or 'watch' something while ironing). I can only 'zombify' in front of somethng I want to watch though.

 

Layla uses it to switch off from the world - I worry that she watches too much (Cartoon Network, yuk) but am hoping that when she becomes a more confident reader her choice of relaxation tools will change. Was proud of her last night after tea when she chose meeting up with a friend in the park over 20 minutes of cartoonnetwork on the PC.

[Charlottechicken]

I agree with previous posts regarding the educational value of the television. I have seen places I would not get chance to visit without a very large bank account, and have learnt things I never even knew I needed to learn! Sometimes I do use it to wind down in front of, which is nice!

 

As a child, I was not encouraged to sit in front of the television, and I read avidly, we used to sit around as a family and play board games etc. I now feel 'left out' at work, as people discuss the latest soap (I generally don't watch fictional programmes) but it doesn't bother me as I know I am using my time how I want to use it, gardening, with the chickens, making things for the house or cooking and baking.

 

I don't think I will be giving up the telly just yet, in my home it is used and not abused

[The Dogmother]

We have one tiny 14" TV in the living room, it is unplugged and can stay like that for days - we almost never watch it. I sometimes switch it on when I am ironing, but watch less than an hour a week. Phil wil tell me if there's something on that I would be interested in, then I record it and watch it when i am ironing. Being a singel parent and working full time, there's far too much to do to be sitting down with the telly on, besides, if I sit down for any length of time, I go to sleep

 

My sister has a state of the art, ENORMOUS plasma screen and it's on constantly, she uses it like an electronic pacifier with her children

 

Rosie sometimes puts ours on to catch a wildlife programme,but it's probably a waste of money us having a set or a licence if I'm honest.

[chocchick]

If you have it on all the time, whether you're watching or not and tend to view the next programme and the next etc, then perhaps you need to review your life-style.

 

I feel my comments aren't welcome because I don't agree with everyone else, I thought it was a balanced discussion.

[ali-s]

We have 5 televisions There are 4 of us living here

 

I tend to watch wildlife, gardening, jimmys farm type programmes. I can't remember the last time I watched a soap or the news. I will watch my programme and then switch the set off. OH likes his footy and will have all five tV's on at the same time if he is busy so he can pop into different rooms and not miss a goal Natalie and Jack watch very little TV as all their spare time is taken up by sports, thats not to say they wouldn't sit for hours on end infront of the TV if they had the time

 

The time I used to have sat infront of the TV has now been replaced with this forum

 

One of our TV's is new (a leaving pressie from OH's workplace) it doesn't have an off button on the set. You can put it on stanby using the remote but to switch it off properly you have to switch off the socket Such a waste of energy