Have you been out today?

I know what else I meant to say:

The other day I dug out my old black and white portable telly to set up by the side of the bed for the purpose of late night viewing from beneath the duvet in the cold winter evenings. Anyway, found the telly (20 years old, still going strong) but couldn't find the aerial. Imagine my delight, then, to find that the old bunging a wire coathanger into the aerial socket trick really does work remarkably well. In fact reception on the portable is probably better than on the other telly with the proper set top aerial that cost money.

Coathangers are great, a really versatile tool (I used one a while ago to temporarily fix a faulty stopcock in our toilet's cistern - it's a glamorous life full of adventure that I lead I can tell you) and it's a real shame that you don't see them standing in for car aerials like you used to back when I was a lad. I like and admire practical improvisation and it always slightly startles me when I do anything practical with any degree of adequacy so for me to manage a successful bit of Heath Robinson improv was a real thrill. I hadn't been so excited since I discovered that our doorbell runs on clockwork.

While I'm here I'd like to point out that just because I've mentioned a certain amount of viewing-based recreation in the last couple of entries I wouldn't want you to think that all my evenings are spent slumped on the sofa mindlesly watching telly. It may be largely true but all the same I wouldn't want you to think it.