THINGS YOU DON'T SEE ANYMORE (Part 1)

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 17 May, 2012 10:08 am

During the 1980s I lived for five years in a basement bedsit in Ash Grove, Hyde Park. Every so often I would get a visit from a couple of TV licensing officials who "knew" I had and was using a television set and demanding instant access. This I always granted courteously and gave them all the assistance they asked for. On each occasion they left, threatening that they would catch me one day. I didn't have a television set. Why they were certain I did remains a mystery to me.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 17 May, 2012 10:33 am

BLAKEY wrote: Alexandra Palace was shown with radio waves rippling out from the huge aerials on the roof of that beautiful building. Its still one of my favourite nostalgia sights from the London bound trains to this very day - the Palace is still a fabulous building. When I first lived in London (c.1981) that was the view of Ally Pally across the railway lines from the top floor of my flat on Hornsey Park Road. ISTR that it had suffered a major fire a year or two before.Speaking of the potter's wheel, etc, does anyone remember a film that was repeated daily (presumably for test purposes - late 60s) about a bloke who restored a bull-nose Morris? Or did I dream it? I think there was another about a boy travelling across France(?) in a balloon.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Thu 17 May, 2012 10:53 am

SiRestoring the Morris sounds familiar, seem to recall a birds nest in a garage too.Think those early 'time fillers' gave me an odd liking for Mr Hulot.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Thu 17 May, 2012 11:02 am

Phill_dvsn wrote: You see look at that, the aerial antenna, it was plastic all along lol It's definitely time the B.B.C fended for themselves, all the other channels manage to do it very nicely with huge profits. The licence is old fashioned, out of date, and scandalously high if you don't watch B.B.C much/at all. Come on, Phil. If we didn't have the licence fee the BBC would be reduced to the level of the rest of the channels, i.e. wall to wall crud. Altho' Auntie can sank to the lowest levels, it is generally way ahead of the field for quality, and without ads. I tend to watch Catch Up TV these days to avoid the ads, and a "half-hour" programme from free-market world actually gives only 21 minutes!IMO we should all be fighting to continue with the BBC. Murdoch and his ugly ilk have ruined the world. A Pox on all their houses!!!!

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 17 May, 2012 11:25 am

Uno Hoo wrote: Come on, Phil. If we didn't have the licence fee the BBC would be reduced to the level of the rest of the channels, i.e. wall to wall crud. I couldn't disagree with you more, I hardly watch the T.V, never mind the B.B.C, It actually angers me immensely having to pay that whopping cost for something I don't use. I'd happily do a 'pay per view' as it should be, the Beep would be more than welcome to my £2.50 a year air time viewing. Let them do as the rest do and get a good business head on. Eastenders!!!...PAH

Si · Post by Si » Thu 17 May, 2012 12:01 pm

Jogon wrote: SiRestoring the Morris sounds familiar, seem to recall a birds nest in a garage too.Think those early 'time fillers' gave me an odd liking for Mr Hulot. It does exist. Just found it on YouTube.Speaking of Monsieur Hulot, do you remember Mr Pastry?

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 17 May, 2012 12:22 pm

[quotenick="Phill_dvsn"Eastenders!!!...PAH Careful please Phill, we don't want to lose you at any price !! I have been tipped off that a selection of THE MITCHELLS and the BRANNINGS are heading North as we speak in a set of stolen wheels - hell bent on BOVVER !!

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Thu 17 May, 2012 1:16 pm

I don't watch much TV either. However, I do listen to a lot of radio - mainly Radio 4 but also some Radio 2 and local radio. I think that the BBC, as a whole, does a pretty good job in informing and entertaining the nation. Whereas - and this is only my opinion - the commercial channels (both TV and Radio) are not in the same league : SKY TV has yet to convince me that it is a not a rip-off .JD

HelenG · Post by **HelenG** » Thu 17 May, 2012 1:36 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: Johnny39 wrote: Phil do you remember the interference on the TV screen whenever a car passed outside? I seem to remember them fitting vehicles with a thing called a supressor which sorted the problem out. I remember the T.V detector van coming round, you always knew the rogues with no licence, they'd coming running down the street 'quick switch off the telly' I think that detector van was the biggest scare tactic and bluff going, I'm not sure how it could read any t.v signal and know the owner didn't have a license. The aerials on top won't even have had any wires connected, it was just some fella reading the paper and drinking from his flask inside the van, there was just him in it and nothing else It scared a lot of people though o.m.g!But people seemed a lot more naive in those days, we weren't used to gadgets and computers and such like we are today. Does anyone remember the "Goodies" sketch in the '70s, with a "dog licence detector van" It had a large bone on the roof.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 17 May, 2012 1:45 pm

I can't find that clip Helen, but I can find this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn1Y7nhB16U