Loss of picture...

For some reason pictures are not uploading to my blog tonight. I'm hoping that it is one of those technical problems and, like they used to say on the BBC, normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

I remember when the Telly went 'wonky' all of the time and the word 'Interlude' would flash up to replace whatever we were watching - Juke Box Jury, Bootsy and Snudge, Gunsmoke. Along with the interlude (which always seemed to be a man throwing a pot with his sleeves rolled up) was the music that accompanied it, usually classical, usually quiet soothing to go with the pot throwing.

I remember my dad playing with the dials at the back of the telly trying to adjust the horizontal and vertical holds, the picture spinning around and around making the chap reading the news look like a flicker show. I remember him taking out a glass thing like a light bulb, a valve, and polishing it on his jumper before screwing it back in. It even worked sometimes.

I remember the dot in the centre of the telly getting smaller and smaller when you switched off the telly after the national anthem at 11 o'clock each evening. It seemed to take ages to disappear, and when it finally vanished completely the telly would make a pfffff noise.

I remember interference every time a motor bike passed the house or Auntie Muriel switched on her hairdryer upstairs.

I remember public information films - 'Cross safely', 'Call the coastguard', 'Keep your dog on a lead in the country', 'Watch out for children' and 'Don't take sweets from strangers'. Some of them were quite horrific - a girl perches on the side of a sports car whilst another car turns the blind corner her boyfriend has parked on. The driver (who had a Terry Thomas moustache) tries to swerve, but too late, and smashes into her crushing her legs. I think that one was called 'Take care to park properly or you pretty young girlfriend will get her legs crushed'. Another had a car (a sports car again) speeding along a winding high-hedged country road only to smash headlight first into a tractor. I think that was called 'Take care on country roads you never know when the grim reaper is just around the corner driving a bloody great tractor'. A warning to us all.

I remember two channels - only two channels.

I remember 'Children's Hour'.

I remember the relief when the announcer announced 'I'm pleased to inform you that we are able to return to the scheduled programme and we apologise for the break in transmission'.

Ditto. I apologise for the break in transmission and hope that normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.