Wednesday, September 07, 2011

This and that

People often ask me how much of my books are taken from my own life.

We-e-el-l-lll, one bit in the latest book  is certainly true – I did meet a woman at a peace demo in San Francisco on the first day of one of my visits, and she did show me round the city and we did become friends. And TODAY she and her husband are coming to stay for a couple of days – Woo-hoo!

Me in heavy disguise

I have seen her home, but she has never been here and seen how beautiful the Peak District is, and we are both outdoorsy types, and I want to take her cycling on the Monsal Trail, and on our favourite walks round here, and rain is forecast forever and forever amen so please can you all keep your fingers crossed that we’ll have at least one dry day? I’m not even asking for sunshine (though that would be nice) - just one dry day.

The other news at Hepworth Towers is that we are now officially a no television household. Our area went digital and we have no way of watching the big old box in the corner and Dave doesn’t want to have a telly, anyway, so while I consider what I want, I have not renewed our licence. I am willing to give it a go and do without a telly for now.

The fact is that my head is so full of Karen and John coming, and then in less than two weeks my trip to the sunshine to see Isaac and Wendy and Lux in San Francisco, that tellies (is that how you spell the plural?) are the last thing on my mind. I told Karen this and she said “Oh but I wanted to watch Neighbours with you and see why you liked it” – so I told her she would have the full Hepworth Neighbours experience – huddled round my laptop with a glass of wine and a packet of crisps, because we have never been able to receive Channel 5 in our village anyway – digital switchover or no digital switchover.

I am going to get up and get weaving, but before that I might just watch Monday’s episode as I haven’t seen it yet.

 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sue,
Don't you have digital TV boxes (DTV) in England that will pull in the signal with bunny ears? Do bunny ears work in England? In the US, we have the DTV boxes and they actually work very well as it has a good picture. Mind you, it's limited to local stations, but you do get TV. Since you have to have the license in England, perhaps none of the above will work. Our local stations consist of the networks (ABC, NBC, Fox, etc.) and the Public Broadcasting System.

Sue Hepworth said...

We do have digi-boxes or whatever they're called, but our telly is so ancient with a ropey picture that I had decided to buy a new digital one and cut out the middle man. But the TV licence ran out and rather than pay to renew it when we can't receive a signal, I am doing without until I get back from San Francisco and have time to sort out my thoughts about what I want to do. I may buy a telly. I may just decide to catch up on the few bits I want to watch on my laptop.

Jean said...

I was looking for a digital radio for my kitchen , but the availibility of a power outlet near a place to sit the radio just did not add up, apart from the kitchen worktops which I knew would mean the radio would be eventually covered with anything and everything I was cooking ......so..........we bought a computer flat screen moniter from a car boot sale, velcroed a Free View box to the back of it , attached it to the wall with one of those tv wall attachment things, ran a long wire round a few corners to the TV aerial box and we have not only access to all digital radio channels , but all free view tv channels as well.....Channel 5 included!

Sue Hepworth said...

Very natty!

Rojer said...

Watch it!! The TV licence folk (it's not the Beeb themselves) can be vicious! From the Beeb's website: Don't forget - to watch TV online as it's being broadcast, you still need a TV Licence.

I'm an R4 &4E addict and I listen online almost exclusively.

Nice to show some Americans what true Britain's like: it's not all Buck House and the Bard's birthplace.

Sue Hepworth said...

Hi Rojer, I have already had a phone call from the licence people who said that there was no sign of the fact that I had registered on the website saying we have no equipment. The woman was very nice and said she would register for me, and a van would be round soon to check I am telling the truth.
As for my Californian visitors - I dissuaded them from going to the Lake District (too rainy and too predictable) when they left us, and persuaded them to try something more recherche - namely, the North Yorkshire Moors and Whitby. Up with Yorkshire!