telly 9 April 2009
The tv in the London abode shouldn’t be there at all – didn’t want one but it was a gift from a lovely friend so here it is. I have a licence (it is my understanding that broadcasters frown worse on an employee not having one of those than moral turpitude, a lot of the time, and regard both as sackable offences anyhow) but I have never got cable in. Consequently, I have a very fuzzy reception on only 3 channels. That’s usually fine as I snatch a news headline or 2 and leave it at that. Tonight, however, I did wish for a bit more definition as I came across the BBC programme COAST in my travels round those 3 channels and it was concentrating on the west coast of Ireland – my neck of the ocean. I caught about half of the show and wish I had seen it all. But I did score the Aran Islands, complete with shots of the Plassey boat-wreck on the smallest island which is featured on the opening credits of FR TED and they used the music while the presenter said ‘I can’t stay – I must go on,on go, on’ – I kid you not!! Then they moved onto Clare and I saw a wave called Eileen (!) which surfers prize. She’s not regular and isn’t the biggest wave in the world but is MUCH prized as she’s foxy and VERY difficult to ride (yes, yes, I know I could get a lot of smut in here but I am not going to).
Now I am trying to make out the golf ball on the course at Augusta. C’mon the Irish at The Masters! I really LOVE golf on telly, as you all know, and I need to get back to the new screen in Dublin soonest to enjoy this great tournament properly. Wish I could play a game of that stick-based magnificence but it has eluded me – perhaps in my dotage I’ll manage a round or two without too much disgrace. Last time I played was decades ago and I would have been better off just taking the ball into my hand and throwing it ahead of me – galling, as there are at least 2 great golfers in the family and quite a few serviceable ones.
