Your memories - Neighbours couldn't keep their eyes off our new TV

Published on Saturday 19 January 2008 10:11

FROM the small and discreet to the bold brash, the traditional to the flat screen, televisions have for long been a staple of every living room, bedroom and even kitchen throughout the country.

This year sees the big switchover to digital TV, as the UK's old analogue television broadcast signal is being switched off, region by region, and replaced with a digital signal. It's supposed to bring television viewing into the 21st century and many analogue sets will become redundant, unless converted.

It sounds confusing and complicated and it's not something that Dorothy Finlay, 60, a retired teacher from Tranent, East Lothian, is looking forward to.

"HD Ready, plasma screen, LCD, digi box . . why can't it just be simple," says Dorothy. "I remember my first ever television and even though I was only five when my dad brought it home from the shop, I could work it better then I can work these things now.

"A television was a luxury back then and not many people in the town where I grew up – Haddington – had one. It was this big showcase piece, a gigantic rosewood set the size of a huge suitcase with a screen towards the left and these big black plastic knobs. Mum was so excited when dad surprised the family with one and was always polishing it so it looked pristine.

"Word soon got out that we had a television and people used to knock on the door to ask if they could come and watch it. Some days the living room would resemble a small cinema with neighbours and friends sitting on the floor, standing about or perched on arm chairs mesmerised by this box.

"Our house had never been so popular and back then we didn't have five channels plus countless cable channels – we had one channel only, the BBC.

"Around ten years later we got another television and it seemed so high tech. I just couldn't believe there was such as thing as colour television. There was none of this round-the-clock viewing you get now, which was good, I suppose, as we weren't glued to the screens.

"Mum and dad would be amazed at how televisions have come on from the days of one channelled big boxes to the flat-screen televisions that do everything and then some, all at the click of the button," adds Dorothy.

"My husband, James, and I have long since given up on setting up televisions and even my son, Paul, struggles. Only the grandchildren seem to know what to do. That's scary."