The Real Good Life...

[shiney]

Hi Everyone,

I got this email info from Chas Griffin, who left the rat race some time ago, bought a small holding and wrote a fantastic book about his experiences. It's funny and very informative, with all the highs and lows of being self suffish. A very good read indeed.

So, if you are interested in watching some telly on Tuesday, read on.

'Hi everyone...

Just to alert you to a programme coming up on channel 3 that might be good, or might be bad!

Our interest in it is that we acted as consultants to it, back in early 2004. We think it will be a decent programme, but obviously we have no guarantees!

It's called The Real Good Life, and the first of seven episodes is scheduled to go out on Tuesday May 31 at 8pm.'

I'm tuning in on it to see what it's all about. 8)

[Chickenlady]

That looks really good! I am moving house on Tuesday, though, so might be otherwise occupied! I will try to watch it in future, though. I take it channel 3 is ITV, rather than BBC3??

[shiney]

I guess Chas means ITV, but I'll check with him!

[Wombat]

How can I get to see it?

Nev

[shiney]

.....Get on net, buy airline ticket to the UK and come and watch our telly! Only joking Nev! (Dont' think you'll make it in time though)

I don't know how you can get English progs there, apart from when they flog 'em to ABC etc! Someone here may know tho'.

[Andy Hamilton]

I am sure there is some kind of chip or card or something that you can buy that you put in your Computer and can watch TV. Don't know too much about it really, but I guess as British TV is now all beinhg transmitted on a digital signial then theoreticaly it could be picked up anywhere in the world.

[Wombat]

Hmmmm, that's an interesting thought......

[Muddypause]

I don't think that's quite right, Andy. AIUI, a digital transmission is carried by the same sort of radio waves as an analogue transmission, it's just that the nature of the information is different. So digital TV will have the same coverage as analogue TV, but you can get more information into the same amount of bandwidth with digital.

Satelite transmissions are a little different; a satelite has a large 'footprint' within which you can recieve the signal, and the programmes carried depend upon what is uploaded to the satelite, and what your decoder can untangle for you. But I don't think it would be possible for one satelite to cover, for example, both the UK and Oz.

I think a TV card for your computer still needs an RF (aerial) connection of some sort and so is limited in the same way that a normal TV is - AFAIK it doesn't recieve the signal over the internet.

On the other hand, I could be talking nonsense again.

[shiney]

Well....did anyone manage to catch the programme? I got most of it, in between sorting out a lot of sandy stuff. We all went to the beach today for my son's 13th birthday. SAND EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING!

Is there any chance for any of the people having a go at the REAL GOOD LIFE? I think I may watch it next week, but I am sure that some won't make it!

[Millymollymandy]

Yes we watched it. It was good for a giggle! The guy with long hair reminded me of Neil from the Young Ones!

[shiney]

Yeah Man he did!

But at least he was trying. I loved the slug patrol...reminded me of Wulf and his torchlight crusades.

[Jason]

I thought it was good telly ... nothing more really. I expect to be watching far more good old family rows that anything to do with the nuts and bolts of becoming self-sufficient (or even selfsufficientish).

I do hope, however, that this is just the first program of this type, and there may be a show about people who are really living the life (much more of a HFW type show)

I will, of course, carry on watching it

[sunpuppy]

I really enjoyed it! Quite apart from the fact that I would give my eye teeth to have my mortgage paid for a year (if I had one!) in order to go self-sufficient, I thought the programme represented a good cross-section of 'ordinary' people, living in ordinary houses, which (if they manage to stay the course) will hopefully make people realise that you don't have to be a stereotypical hippy dippy tree-hugger to live in more harmony with your environment (and save money!)

I'll be tuning in for the rest of the series.....

[wulf]

But at least he was trying. I loved the slug patrol...reminded me of Wulf and his torchlight crusades.

Still out doing my regular hunting...

Wulf

[Andy Hamilton]

SAND EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING!

From Weston Super Mare


I missed it too.

There are going to be at least two other shows that focus on the same idea. One will be on the BBC and the other on sky. We have had journo's contacting the site about them.