Back In The Day Meets Techno Age Telly

Simple Simon says

BACK IN THE DAY MEETS TECHNO AGE TELLY

Looking back at old photographs got me reminiscing about how much has changed especially televisions and technology since the days when we were first married.

After I married I lived happily with my in laws. Their black and white telly took pride of place in the corner in the living room. Viewing choice was never a problem. Everybody watched whatever was on the two channels we got – Yes, I did say two channels. Programmes on Demand were as unthinkable as a phone small enough to fit in your pocket.

Money was in short supply then just as it is now. In those days it wasn’t called being in a recession. It was called being poor. The question of buying a roof Ariel so we could receive a better signal was out of the question. Instead, the cheaper option, a three pronged hand aerial that sat on top of the TV was purchased

We thought we were doing well when we could switch between – BBC1 and ITV. Occasionally, with a bit of fiddling with the small aerial and depending on the weather, we’d be able to get RTE. I still can visualise the coal bucket being tipped up as extra coal was put on the fire and everybody settled down to watch. Gay Byrne on the Late Late Show.

The four women in the house – the mother-in-law, the new bride, the daughter and the aunt – always booked their slot for Peyton Place and Dallas. Heart stopping romantic and tragic moments were lived with the actresses and actors; cherished, discussed and dwelled on, as JR and Sue Ellen went at it and Rodney and Betty fell in and out of love and we waited with bated breath in anticipation of the next episode.

The teenagers in the house watched Top of the Pops with as much heart throbbing excitement as if the pop stars were actually there, in the living room in person.

When, we got our very own first home there was no money to buy a new telly. We rented one which had a coin slot in the back. A man came and emptied it every month.

By the time we able to get THREE channels, we had moved 90 miles away in search of work. New factories were starting up and the government was offering jobs and houses to anybody who would move there. It was a wrench leaving my little house and family and friends but with both of us working we were able to buy a spanking new television.

Then, the glorious bubble burst; our still, lovely, slighted dated but still working telly needed a new fangled box to make it go as Analogue TV was replaced by digital. Overnight it seemed, our teenage children’s bedrooms were filled with wall-to-wall flat screen tellies and games machines that became obsolete almost as soon as they were taken out of their boxes.

Now, with both of us retired, our money was scarce again. Finally, a new telly – a forty-two inch no less – was duly purchased after a trip to the Credit Union and help from a very techno language orientated salesman. We nodded; our eyes glazing over as he reeled off instructions on how to use our new telly; how to get On Demand, HD, Sky Plus.

Taking our new telly home was almost as traumatic as bringing our first baby home. We knew as much about this new fangled telly as we had about looking after our first child.

But that’s not the end of the story. Oh no! Enjoying some quality time with my youngest granddaughter Cara, aged four, brought me bang up to date with my new telly and smack bang into the techno driven 21st centaury!

“Hold on, Nana. Pause it while I get a drink,” she instructed.

“You can’t do that, darling. Hurry back. I’ll tell you what happened,” I said

Picking up the remote control she pointed it at the telly. And hey presto! The film stilled. “See? Nana, you can,” she said airily. I sat there mesmerised. Drink of juice in hand she pressed the button again and the film picked up where it had left off.

Looking down at her I thought about our first telly with its flickering and blurry images and I send up a thankful prayer for signals and satellites and cyber space and all the other things that make my new telly work

But I was also filled with a kind of sadness for the loss of the companionship we shared as a family all those years ago when we only had one telly and we all sat together companionably in each other’s company..

Gemma Hill copyright