Letters

[Katharine]

About 20 years ago I was in Pakistan (on my own, Katharine!) on 'Her Majesty's Service' (can't say too much, you understand; a nod's as good as a wink - oh, alright, I was doing really boring immigration work in Islamabad)

Were you an ECO (Entry Clearance Officer) there? When we were there, there were so many of these seconded from the Home Office that it was the fifth largest UK Embassy in the world but at that time certainly not the fifth most important.
I have happy memories of the Embassy Club but don't think I would have wanted to live in the compound.

[Ajarn Philip]

Oh how easily you sussed me, Katharine! Yes, it was 86-87 just after the visa requirement changes. I had an absolutely fabulous time (apart from the work, of course) and without exaggeration it changed my life. Fortunately I wasn't living 'on compound' but up near the Faisal Mosque, sharing a house with another guy. And a cook. And a guard. And a 'butler'...

Talk about culture shock - it was a shock when I had to go home!

[Wuppertal]

But I'm not one to gloat. How much is it in the UK now, by the way...?

£139.50 for colour and £47 for black and white.

When I was in my first year at uni I took my mum's old black and white one as the licence was so much cheaper; it was the first time I'd ever had a TV in my bedroom and with that excitement I didn't much care that there was no colour. I'm going back for my final year in September/October and I can't decide whether to take one or not - now that there's BBC iPlayer and the equivalent ITV and Channel 4 versions, it's not really necessary. But they don't show Match of the Day on iPlayer so I think I will have to take the TV!

I'm still abroad at the moment and I was rather happy when this new 7-day review BBC internet TV thingy came out because I presumed I'd be able to watch my favourite programmes from Blighty when I'm abroad, but no, it finds your IP address and informs you that due to the licencing rules, you're not allowed to use iPlayer outside of the UK. Boo.

What would people generally rather have......BBC advert-free but paying for a licence, or BBC with annoying adverts but not having to buy a licence?

Myself I'd like BBC advert-free and not having to buy a licence. But I don't think that will happen

[Katharine]

I think you have probably left out a few of your staff, Philip - unless things had changed since 78. You would have had a dhobi come twice week to do the clothes washing, a sweeper who would have been lowest of the low in the eyes of the other servants and would have to walk behind them. The sweeper came for half the morning and swept balconies etc (can't remember whether she cleaned bathrooms!). We also had a hamal who did the gardening. I do not know why they were always given their Urdu titles. We never again had so many servants nor a life like that. It wasn't our happiest posting, but it should have been as our elder son was just 6 months when we went there and his brother was born there, and they grew to be little people there rather than screaming infants.

[englishangel]

My daughter bought her TV licence before going to Uni, and about 2 weeks into the term she said "Everyone got a lettter today except me" When I asked why she said it was because no-one else had a TV licence.

[gma]

I think you have probably left out a few of your staff, Philip - unless things had changed since 78

Weird reading this, as whilst you were both in Islamabad making with the old colonial thing I was in Thailand doing the same thing! I now have half saudi/half scottish HWMBI whose sister has recently returned from Medina after being away for some 20 years (and if I have to listen to one more 'oh God, where are the servants' she might be going back there more swiftly than she planned!)

Having people that do is lovely tho' - was trying to explain to my nephews about the structure of the company and explained regularly that we have different people for different tasks etc. - then they met my new cleaners and ironers (young, fresh and blonde and absolute cannon fodder for a pair of mid-teens) and they asked me why I didn't do my own, I explained that I work long hours sometimes and the last thing I want to do when I get home is to be a WIFE (Washing, Ironing, Freakin' Everything) so I have people for that too. All good until they went home and when asked to clear up his room insteads of lying around on his bed reading a book, the 15 year old, without raising his head from the page, waived a languid hand at his Mother and said: 'For Gods sake Mum, at Aunty Gee's we have people for that.....'

Yep he's grounded and oddly enough I appear to have been too!!!!

[Angela Woodford]

Having people that do is lovely tho' - was trying to explain to my nephews about the structure of the company and explained regularly that we have different people for different tasks etc. - then they met my new cleaners and ironers (young, fresh and blonde and absolute cannon fodder for a pair of mid-teens) and they asked me why I didn't do my own, I explained that I work long hours sometimes and the last thing I want to do when I get home is to be a WIFE (Washing, Ironing, Freakin' Everything) so I have people for that too.

I don't think I could bear that!

Difficult moments -

Coming home from an operation - to find that I'd been assigned a Home Help for a week. I'd get up early and do basic cleaning so the Home Help didn't have too much to do. Poor girl always looked tired, had children of her own...

In my nursing days walking over floors just done by cleaning ladies. Oh, the guilt. I was prone to grabbing the mop myself when I'd spoiled their work.

At the hairdresser, when I've been cut and blowdried and some hardworking person sweeps up all my hair from around me. This makes me very uncomfortable.

Just as well I'm not in a position to have "people".

[cj]

I'm not all that surprised that central records don't keep up with changes of address, but I'm genuinely horrified at the thought of someone buying a tv (and that's not even what Gerrie bought) and that information being fed straight to the licencing authority.

Funnily enough, after looking for our current licence, I have just found a letter from the TV licensing lot after we bought a TV and DVD from Comet (by debit card) 2 years ago indicating that there was no valid licence for our address. Ours too was incorrectly named and one of the things we did do was to make sure that the licence was transferred from the old address to the new immediately, all paid for on standing order. Ironically, the room that the TV is in can't receive a TV signal, so we only use it for CDs and DVDs.

[sejintenej]

But I'm not one to gloat. How much is it in the UK now, by the way...?

£139.50 for colour and £47 for black and white.
What would people generally rather have......BBC advert-free but paying for a licence, or BBC with annoying adverts but not having to buy a licence?

Over here it is about 100 euros (say £80) collected automatically as part of the rates. A few months after you pay they send you a form on which you can state why you should not pay (no TV, old person etc, charged via another house) but I'll bet you don't get a refund

[midget]

Worth a try,surely, David?

[gma]

However, as you are completely innocent, cross fingers there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The only disturbing thing, as you say, is how they managed to get your details. It almost looks like Argos commicated with them, which I don't understand seeing as what you bought didn't need a licence!)

Shock update! I am not completely innocent, in fact I am a lawbreaking bad bad person! According to the Charmless Ones at TV Licensing, a video/dvd player has the facility to be tuned in to a signal on the tv and transport tv signals from the aerial to the aforementioned tv. Apparantly a tv doesn't need a screen to be a tv, it merely requires 'tuning' capability! Argos did indeed communicate with them as the assisatnt should have asked for my name and postcode as rather like VAT collections, they have a duty to perform these services for the relevant government bodies andf therefore also have the right to retrace the transaction and inform said government body! George Orwell? Been left way behind!

So before I dob my Mum in I'd better phone her and make sure that she's got her Crumblies Exemption!

[englishangel]

Indeedy-doody, as a car seller has to inform DVLA when someone buys a car, so a TV seller has to inform the Licensing Authority. If you buy your TV or similar at a big supermarket and havwe a loyalty card they won't ask for your address details as they have them from your loyaly card, ditto Costco etc. This is not a new thing BTW, it has been like this for years.

And as any internet ready computer (are there any that are not?) can show TV programs you have to have licence for one of those too which is why many university students get done. They have a laptop but no TV and think they don't need a licence. Also a licence is attached to a person at a specified address, not the property, so when I move out I am taking my licence with me and the menfolk will have to get their own.

[gma]

so when I move out I am taking my licence with me and the menfolk will have to get their own.

Is this a threat to knock them into shape (works well with childrena nd Boyz/Men or something deeper we should be taking more serously!!!??? My nephews assure me (fromthe grand old age of 16 and 18 now) assure me that 'women these days, you have to pay much more attention to them than in the olden days, Aunty Gee'!! You go Girl!

[englishangel]

I have just let a flat to a chap who is a film buff and has a 42" telly and a DVD player with no connection to an aerial and has been assured he doesn't need a licence. I bet the vans are round there at least once a week.

[gma]

As long as his DVD player doesn't record he should be fine as the flatscreen can be counted as computer equipment depends where he bought it and if it has the tv box with it or in it! I came unstuck because the dvd/video player I bought can record on video and is therefore a tuner and is thus thereby theretofore a ruddy TV!! Ah well, better luck for me next time!