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Living In The Country
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I love living in Herefordshire rurality but wonder if we are the forgotten ones. No railway ,very limited bus service. Out of the 70 odd Freeview channels advertised we can receive 29, internet speed, I can run faster, mobile phone signals depend on whether one is putting enough coal in the phone to raise enough steam. I am wondering about bringing back smoke signals for communication. HW are other ABers getting on ?
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Ron.....for part of my childhood, I was brought up in rural West Somerset, having been born in London, and then moving finally to South Wales just before my 16th birthday.
I have always said that offered the choice between growing up in the country, or the town, I would choose the country every time. All these years later, I still miss Watchet, that village in Somerset.
I have always said that offered the choice between growing up in the country, or the town, I would choose the country every time. All these years later, I still miss Watchet, that village in Somerset.
Alba....yes, its still pretty but not quite the same as tthe 60's, when we lived there.
Back then, the Watchet was a proper working harbour, the only one between Bristol and further down the coast in Devon. There was always at least 1 ship in the harbour and often more. Us school boys would always try to get the Captains to agree to let us go aboard !
But now, its one of the dreaded "marinas"....just car park for boats.
My parents used to have a small sweetshop in the main street, which explains why my brothers and I only have about 5 teeth between us !
Back then, the Watchet was a proper working harbour, the only one between Bristol and further down the coast in Devon. There was always at least 1 ship in the harbour and often more. Us school boys would always try to get the Captains to agree to let us go aboard !
But now, its one of the dreaded "marinas"....just car park for boats.
My parents used to have a small sweetshop in the main street, which explains why my brothers and I only have about 5 teeth between us !
I called Sky about poor broadband speed and the woman I spoke to, having tested the line speed was amazed that we could run anything, certainly not 2 laptops, 2 Kindles and 2 phones. We find it very variable, in the morning the laptop can take 10 minutes to 'warm up', it's almost like having valves! TV reception isn't bad but using catch-up services is a joke, it once took 36 hours to download a 1 hour programme, I'd actually forgotten about it. We are both on ee mobile and even though mine is a better phone he gets a marginally better signal, mine works in the kitchen, sometimes, otherwise it's the bottom of the garden. This black hole is Norfolk by the way about 20 miles west of Norwich.
>>> Out of the 70 odd Freeview channels advertised we can receive 29.
I've just checked the Freeview channel availability using the postcodes for Puckeridge Community Centre, Buntingford High Street and Wheathampstead Memorial Hall (all of which would seem to qualify as 'rural Hertfordshire'). Based upon those results, you should be able to receive between 88 and 93 SD Freeview channels (although there are a handful of SD channels which you actually need a Freeview HD TV, or set-top box, to receive because they use HD multiplexes).
So, without a doubt, YOUR AERIAL ISN'T UP TO THE JOB.
It has to be remembered that when the switchover to digital TV was first planned, it was expected that around a third of homes would have to replace their aerials. As things turned out, far fewer people actually needed to do so but it still shouldn't be unexpected to find an old aerial, designed for analogue TV, not much good for receiving Freeview. (It's not the fact that Freeview transmission are digital which makes the difference. It's the fact that they use different frequencies to the old analogue transmissions, meaning that the aerial's elements don't 'resonate' well with them).
You need something like this on your roof
https:/
possibly (if you're in a very poor reception area) with one of these as well:
https:/
I'm prepared to bet that, by spending a bit of time and money sorting your aerial out, you'll then be able to receive all available Freeview channels.
I've just checked the Freeview channel availability using the postcodes for Puckeridge Community Centre, Buntingford High Street and Wheathampstead Memorial Hall (all of which would seem to qualify as 'rural Hertfordshire'). Based upon those results, you should be able to receive between 88 and 93 SD Freeview channels (although there are a handful of SD channels which you actually need a Freeview HD TV, or set-top box, to receive because they use HD multiplexes).
So, without a doubt, YOUR AERIAL ISN'T UP TO THE JOB.
It has to be remembered that when the switchover to digital TV was first planned, it was expected that around a third of homes would have to replace their aerials. As things turned out, far fewer people actually needed to do so but it still shouldn't be unexpected to find an old aerial, designed for analogue TV, not much good for receiving Freeview. (It's not the fact that Freeview transmission are digital which makes the difference. It's the fact that they use different frequencies to the old analogue transmissions, meaning that the aerial's elements don't 'resonate' well with them).
You need something like this on your roof
https:/
possibly (if you're in a very poor reception area) with one of these as well:
https:/
I'm prepared to bet that, by spending a bit of time and money sorting your aerial out, you'll then be able to receive all available Freeview channels.
Not exactly the most rural part but for a while I was based at the RAF station in Credenhill, which I believe later became the home of the SAS. I had my first pint of scrump there, 10d it cost. I remember drinking the first two pints but no memory of the third. Those were the days, dead drunk for half a crown.
I love living in a small village in very rural E. Riding of Yorkshire, but there are penalties. The shop/P.O. closed under P.O. 'rationalisation' and there are 2 buses a week, from Bridlington to Driffield, which pass through the village. It is 4 miles to the nearest village with P.O. and a few shops.
Nearest railway is about 7 miles away. The mobile library has just cut its visits to once a month, but they are very good, order books etc. and now visit a few housebound people to leave a box of books.
We do not get a mobile phone signal inside the house, have to walk up a hill to get one.
Yes, rural dwellers are ignored and swept under the carpet. Plus side is that it breeds an even deeper sense of community and everyone helps out everyone-else. :)
Nearest railway is about 7 miles away. The mobile library has just cut its visits to once a month, but they are very good, order books etc. and now visit a few housebound people to leave a box of books.
We do not get a mobile phone signal inside the house, have to walk up a hill to get one.
Yes, rural dwellers are ignored and swept under the carpet. Plus side is that it breeds an even deeper sense of community and everyone helps out everyone-else. :)
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