Who Uses a B&W Set as their ONLY Television?

[Retired]

Hi,

Usually when I switch on BBC News (601) all I see is someone kicking or knocking a ball around or someone talking about kicking or knocking a ball around so I immediately switch off. However yesterday Bron told me that there was going to be an old telly on the news at ten.

Having endured the usual rubbish first suddenly I was amazed to see John appear which made the wait so worthwhile. I hadn't a clue it would be John but I then explained to Bron that John was the key player in my epic T311 restoration saga together with lots of appreciated input from other forum members.

During my time restoring vintage radio being a member of this forum I found John to be a true ambassador of our hobby affording me masses of useful information and taking me by the hand during my first ever TV restoration; I learned a great deal and will never forget John's help and endless patience.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=67298

Recognition at last John; very well done and of course once your slot of fame had ended the TV was switched off again.

Kind regards, Col.

[Hybrid tellies]

I have had a look on ITV iplayer and the ITN News at Ten site. But sadly have found nothing.
So I have sent ITV a nice email asking if its possible to help us out here.
Watch this space.

[mickjjo]

Last nights Anglia "All there in black and white" TV piece is already on Youtube:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMt7X3JR_Dk

I expect the News at Ten one with John will make it's way there in due course.

Regards, Mick.

[threeseven]

I had the great pleasure to meet John at last years mikey405 gathering and was mesmerised by his tales of the TV trade. I told him he should write a book but disappointingly he wasn't too keen on the idea. Really John, you should reconsider because all that type of social history is being forgotten fast. Or maybe another method to record your wonderful memories would be to do a video interview?

[channel405]

I turned on ITN News at 10 to watch the report I shot for them of the floods and to my surprise and delight saw the item about old telleis! No mention of 405 lines though, some reporters just don't get it!

[mike_newcomb]

Are you sure the reporter(s) are Bona Fide and not from TV licensing?

Would have expected Glasgow to have no colour sets (on paper) whatsoever.

Regards - Mike

[HamishBoxer]

Blow it! forgot about looking on my FreeSat box.

PS My reporter was from the Daily Mail and i have his card.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Just a quick bit of info. I was called today by the producer of 'The One Show' who advised me that the topic they filmed at the VWTM before Christmas about early ITA adverts, was due for screening this Friday at 7pm on BBC1. Thankfully I am not on display but I did supply the 9" Ferguson 941T and all the technical back up for the programme. The standards converter used for the show and the News at Ten item is of course the incredible AURORA! The One Show features the first two adverts ever seen on the ITA and include an interview with their original producers.
It's not 100% guaranteed that it will be shown but if any changes take place I will let you know. That is television news I'm afraid, it's all a matter of priority. Fingers crossed!

[line sync]

After John tipped us off that he may be on News at Ten I made sure I didn`t miss it.
I've had my Bush TV22 running for just over a week now and thought what about taking a picture of John on News at Ten, so here he is.

It seems that using a colour STB is ok for a BW telly using a BW license. Personally I would love a BW set for the telly but SHMBO likes the colours, at least I have the option.

[hamid_1]

I was also a B/W only TV viewer until a couple of years ago. My main TV was one of the very last large-screen B/W televisions made in western Europe - see here for pictures.

I used mine with a digital set-top box. Dozens of channels for £49 a year licence fee - less than £1 a week! If you look very closely at the picture in the above link, you'll notice a "Press O" logo in the top right hand corner of the screen - this is the "Red Button" prompt from a digibox. Yes, the black and white TV licence allows you to use a digital box as long as it cannot record TV programmes. Recording in colour requires a colour TV licence, even if you only watch in black and white. I now have a hard drive+DVD recorder which requires a colour licence, and I've since added a few vintage and modern colour TVs to the collection. I still like using my old black and white sets though, especially when vintage programmes like "Top Of The Pops" are on.

Sadly I missed Heatercathodeshort on the news - I don't normally watch ITV News and it's not available to watch again online. If anyone has a recording of that clip, I'd be grateful (you can PM me if you don't want to upload it to the public). I did however have the pleasure of visiting John's cottage and seeing his old telly collection for real 2 years ago - simply awesome!

[Heatercathodeshort]

Thanks for all your comments guys. It was hardly an MGM epic, not even a screen test and I'll never be ready for my close up...It was great fun to recover your Ekco Colin. I reckon you did very well to produce a decent picture on such a wreck. I will not forget it.
Just thinking about it. In 1938 there were around 11.000 television receivers operating in London and the Home Counties. TV licences were not introduced until 1946 but it has gone a full circle. back to 11.000! John.

[Hybrid tellies]

Just heard back from ITV they sent me their one and only short clip. Better than nothing. I have just asked them if it's OK to post this up on the forum.

[dave walsh]

Possibly due to the J L Baird TV experiments in Hastings and his death here in Bexhill in 1946, today's edition of the Bexhill Observer has picked up on the B+W license story. Famously Bexhill has a vast number Senior Citizens and perhaps they imagined that this would produce an exceptional number of B+W license holders. There are apparently 11k+ nationally, 2000+ in London, Hastings 9, St Leonards [conjoined to Hastings] 10, Eastbourne 12 and Bexhill 10. Interesting and quite possibly age related but not necessarily so eh? As the article says, "there will always be a small group of people who prefer monochrome images, collect vintage sets or just don't want to throw away a working piece of technology." In some cases it may be all three factors of course!
Dave W
Bexhill-on Sea

[Brigham]

People who collect vintage sets don't need a B&W licence unless they also watch television and don't have a Colour set. That category must be very small. I think that journalist hadn't thought things through. Same with the 'working piece of technology' group.

[dave walsh]

Well yes but that's a fine distinction for the general audience. The original story was an attempt to find people still viewing in B+W which I suspect meant "of air". Compared with the usual standard, the journalism in the the article seems quite good, as was the ITV news item featuring John. Even the thread title here ie "their only Television" is different again! I just thought today's article [which is probaly syndicated] was very appropriate to Bexhill given it's history.

Slightly OT but the journo also says "There are still black and white licenses in Bexhill 48 years on from colour transmissions". plus on You and Yours R4 [also today] the latest predicted advance is 3D without special glasses but there are accounts that JLB managed that in the early forties! Would be hard trying to point it out though.
Dave

[Heatercathodeshort]

The 'One Show' feature explaining the first ITA adverts was due to go on air last Friday. Unfortunately there were more important items mainly due to the flooding and it was postponed. It went out a few moments ago without any warning! The good thing is that you will be able to see it again on BBC player.
It was filmed at the BVWTV museum at Dulwich. The 9" Ferguson 941T was one of my own receivers and I was really biting my nails that it would last out for the duration. It was switched on for around 8 hours! The other receiver I used in the set up was a Bush TV24C restored for the museum by a fellow Forum member, Peter [Peter The Organ] He also restored the Bush VHF64 radio sitting on top of Gerry's HMV 800 radiogram. The standards converter employed was of course the AURORA and the DVD player was a TESCO VALUE unit that cost £12.50 3 years ago. It was an exciting Day! Regards, John.

[audiomagpie]

.....About 8 and a half minutes in!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ow_16_01_2014/

Enjoyed that!

Greg

[Ian B]

Just watched that - most impressed!

Ian Blackbourn

[Hybrid tellies]

No joy from ITN I am afraid, but I have tried