Dear LPG, 

We oldies have had the advantage of living life in the days where the television was not always on, let alone there.  I just about remember being there when the Kings mother was crowned and, in spite of the street parties and celebrations of the time, I remember being in the crowded front room of the only person who had a television in our street.   

We could hardly see the little black and white screen but we were all so excited and there were so many people in the room all straining to make sure that they did not miss a thing.  We were all neighbours and I was just one of the young ones, and I have to say that the whole thing was a bit of a chore to watch for me, but there were so many shared comments and complaints that ended with, ‘shhhh’ that the visual disadvantages weren’t the only reasons why so much of the actual programme was missed.  

This time round I sat in front of one of my two HD wide screen TVs.  The colour was perfect and as is often said, I know that I had the best seat in the house. Various channels were offering at least four different versions of the same commentary with as many different angles to watch from.   I did not have to dress up for the occasion and, having put a little effort into shopping the week before, all my favourite snacks were on offer, self-served with as many cups of tea available to me just the way I like it.  

As planned, the situation was perfect, until I was interrupted by a telephone call from my friend.  The mood changed when she called because she was also watching alone at her home but as she watched at her home and I at mine, we shared lots of little comments that we ladies nearly all have about some of the clothes on display, parts of the procession and who we could see and what they were doing, and we both missed bits of the programme as a result.  

We ended up being on the phone for about two hours and, as we chatted and laughed our way through, even having time for some pretty unrelated anecdotes and the giving to each other of descriptions of what we were snacking on and which shops we had bought them from. The truth is that we most probably missed more of this coronation than I did the last, we missed quite a bit of it but I enjoyed the interrupted aspects of viewing more than watching alone. 

These days the young are likely to use a tablet, or their mobile phone to watch their films and these sort of occasions while travelling to school or work with no interruptions, but I think that I enjoyed having the diversion, which brought each of us a reason to smile and compare our thoughts and feelings on the subject matter. 

It all reminded me of those days when my family still lived at home and we all jostled to see those never-to-be-seen again events, both factual and fictional on the one Television in the house.  I am talking about sport events (like Wimbledon Tennis or the cup final), drama moments (such as the day we found out who shot J.R. or the day that Hilda Ogden left Coronation Street), the big events (do you remember when Princess Diana was interviewed or the first moon landing)?   

We can now have it both ways.  We live in the era of set top boxes and streaming and you can always watch it all again if you really want to.  

I think that, while they were putting that crown on King Charles’s head, I learned something really fundamental that most people know but sometimes need reminding of.  Sharing the experience of watching a television programme, even at the risk of missing some of it, can make it so much more enjoyable even if you feel the need to watch it all over again later… 

RS, Dulwich

…and LPG adds some information on the day’s celebration…

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