With the obvious exceptions of friends, family and fish & chips, there are very few things that we actually miss about England. While we may have initially been lost without our favourite english shops, we soon found alternatives either here in France or online.
But one thing that we have missed is the radio. Back in England we used to have Radio 2 playing most of the day. it was a constant companion to our days and kept us both informed and entertained. Breakfast with Wogan was always a highlight – with his Janet and John stories causing many a spoonful of cornflakes to be lost due to sudden laughing fits. So, when we moved to France, losing easy access to the radio was a bit of a blow. Of course, there are certainly plenty of radio stations to listen to over here, but sadly we are still a long way from being able to understand much of the quick-fire chatter of the presenters, let alone enjoy it.
Now, being a technically-minded chap I am well aware that I can get UK radio via our Sky box or through the computer, which is fine. But it’s not quite the same as having a radio sitting on the side that you can just turn on whenever you want, with good speakers, and portable enough to move with you as you go about your daily routine.
We have an iPod Touch
My research led me to TuneIn Radio, a hugely popular app and a snip at only 59p. With this app installed, it was a 60-second job to store our favourite channels (well, Radio 2 mainly…) and start playing.
Wogan may have moved on, but hearing Chris Evans and crew brought big smiles to our faces. It’s amazing how something so simple can make such a difference. I just wish I’d figured it out sooner!
I still really miss Radio 4. I used to listen during the day and at night (with earpieces) to 4 and the World Service. No such luck in SW France, the car radio is awful, Sky has a big screen of blue light and fixed where the TV is, while the computer helped only where that is plugged in and often tells me that I am not allowed to be connected in my part of the world. Your service sounds good but we are not ipodders – perhaps I don’t miss the doom and gloom of the Today Prog. but I’d like to play along with a game of Mornington Crescent.
haha indeed Lesley, we felt the same! The iPod really was the only solution. It’s worth seeing if you can get hold of one sometime – even the older ones should do the job I think – maybe an eBay job? Worth it for Mornington Crescent if nothing else