Cost of Living Crisis

 Hi SwanTV Viewer

The cost of living is rising at an alarming rate that I cannot see how a new government team can stem the on-rushing tide of inflation and ease the burden on everyone, and in particular those with smaller incomes. Pensioners on fixed incomes who cannot increase that through working extra hours or often re-entering employment. Many have taken up work again either as full or part-time but this is not easy. As you get older you it takes more effort and more rest so that working even 4 hours can leave you ready to sleep. Those on low incomes and claiming Universal Credit can be trapped too. They may find that if they work longer hours then their universal credit payments decrease more than the increase in wages, so some may decide to continue with the status quo. 

And the government is now hanging fire on the announcement about pension and credit increases. Will the pensions triple lock increase be given or the government election promise be broken for a second year? Will universal credits be raised in line with inflation or a lower amount? And now the financial budget has been put back another three weeks so that millions are left in limbo wondering what their income will be in coming months.   

Contrast this to government and local authority pensions. All of these will increase with the rate of inflation. Nobody is making a comparison here. This increase appears to be under the radar. Should this contrast be allowed to continue in view of the fact that we are all paying for this increase in our taxes and council tax (the local authourity pays two thirds of the pension costs) when pensioners and those in receipt of Universal Credits are in the dark about the size of any increases?

So this leaves many families struggling. There are now on total more than 20 Food Banks or Food Shares in Swansea, and I find thgis unbelievable in the UK in 2022, it's almost as if we are a third world country! So what can we do? 

We have had 3 Prime Ministers in as many months and have become a world-wide laughting stock. Will this now settle down and we can start to grow again? Can our education system produce more scientists, linguists, doctors? More practical skills such as carpentry, domestic science? More life skills that will make life easier post-school, money matters, etiquette, job interview techniques, entrepreneurism? Apprenticeships are as important as a university degree, many skills are being lost! Can we believe in the current government or should we have a General Election because the trust has gone or the mandate that Boris Johnson won upon has changed with a new PM? Would the Labour Party have sufficient experienced MPs to be in the Cabinet? There are so many questions unanswered. So what should we do?

Food prices have rocketed in just a few brief months so that even basic dishes are becoming expensive, and ingedients such as milk, cooking oil, pasta, tea and most other essentials are sky-rocketing. You can cut back and go to own products and cheaper stores but it isn't helping right now. Gas And electricity may be pegged in price for a few months but the figure bandied around is an average one and for many people the cost will be much higher. Older people who need to keep warm and feed are finding it impossible and we hear distressing storiues daily. So what can we do?

Do you have an answer to any of these questions? Do you have a money saving idea? What are your views? Let us know. 

Mike Leahy  SwanTV

 

Low Cost Practical Inner City Travel

 Hi SwanTV Viewers

Sometimes the whackiest of ideas spawns a solution to a problem.

I've talked to many older and disabled people recently about the difficulties of getting around the city centre. Swansea is a compact city, and for most people walking from one side to the other of the city centre takes 10-15 minutes maximum, so quite accessible. But it takes longer from the railway station which so,me what isolated. And walking from the bus station can be quite a challenge for some.

The new Council Community Hub that is rising out of the old BHS store is central. Now this is a good thing, easy to get to for able-bodied people. But it is a challenge for many older and disabled people. I know from experience leading up to my bypass surgery how breathless I found any walk of more that 50 metres, and exhausting too. 

The obvious answer, well obvious to me at least, is to see if it is practical to run a land-train from the bus station, along Oxford Street, down Orchard Street to the railway station, turning round and running the route back again picking up and dropping of along the route but in particular along Oxford Street. This would encourage more people to shop there and make access to the new Council Community Hub easier. 

Run as either a free service or simple £1 fare. This could be collected as cash, through an app or with passengers purchasing a bulk ticket of say 5 or 10 journeys from the bus or rail station. I'm sure that the uptake would be sufficient to cover costs and would be a really beneficial service to the whole community.

Obviously there are many points to consider and some opposition but I feel a forward looking Local Authority would look at this proposition as a serious solution to the mobility problems for some people. And there would be no need to make provision for wheelchair users, so no expensive adaptations to carriages.

What are your views? Is this a good idea that will help many people and bring more business to shops in the city centre? You can comment here or send a video clip of your views to ask@swantv.com.

Mike Leahy  SwanTV

 

 

FREE Energy & Money Saving Stickers

 Hi SwanTV Viewer

SWITCH OFF!  That's not what you want to read on the first line of a blog!! No, I mean switch off lights when you don't need them. And we have FREE labels coming in a few days.

The UK government and utilities companies are talking about power cuts. And they are asking us to save electicity where we can over the winter months. As an ex-boy scout I remember their motto "Be prepared".

I remember vividly the power cuts in 1974. I was working in London and driving throughout Central, North and West London seeing customers. Those were the days when face to face meetings were normal and you could build up firm business relationships, knowing and trusting each other. This was before Zoom calls or even mobile phones. In fact to contact the office I had to find a public call box and insert money to speak and they contacted me by my pager which just bleeped to tell me to call them!!

The power cuts brought chaos in many ways to business. Some were unable to operate at all, such as restaurants where ovens and hobs couldn't be lit, many factories where machinery stood still, banks where newish computers stopped and customers accounts were suddenly not on screen. And one of the most difficult things then for me was driving through black street, sometimes unable to clearly make out kerbs (headlights were not as powerful as

todays). And in particular I remember driving through side roads in Kilburn which were badly pot-holed and I was unable to see some, so I bumped along, slowly. I see that they have tried removing traffic lights in the Netherlands and it is working well, speeding up traffic. But I remember the nightmare in London at night with no traffic lights.

But of course there were benefits for some businesses and opportunities for others. The company I worked for had offices and camping shops in Dublin. I remember we hired a 3.5 ton lorry and I drove to Liverpool, across to Dublin and the warehouse. Here we filled up with gaz lights and canisters to take back to London. It was winter time and the seas were often choppy. I found that my lorry was stowed on deck, rather than with the other freight lorries below decks. This was so that my vehicle could be cut loose and ditched overboard if there was a problem. Just imagine a load of gaz cylinders exploding on board a ferry!! I arrived back in London and the banks were lining up with cash to collect and take. I think this was one of the few times when the banks paid in advance.

But now everything depends on electricity. A power cut will mean none of these: lights, kettle boiling away, recharging mobiles and laptops, stair-lifts, microwaves, recharging electric vehicles, even putting fule in a petrol driven vehicle. So maybe prepare now. Some very basic things are camping Gaz lights and single burner cookers are inexpensive and can easy to use for continuous light and heating a saucepan, certainly a supply of  tea candles, keep mobiles charged and possibly get a power pack. Keep fuel topped up, at least sufficient for any emergency journey, make sure freezers and fridge doors stay closed. They say a full freezer will stay colder longer but certainly they will be ok without power for 4 hours. And have some exra layers of clothes handy because there will be no central heating for most.

But back to NOW! There are  some small things we can do with the dark nights here with a vengence. One is to switch off lights that are not in use. I know I often leave lights burning unneccessarily. It's too easy. Now one or two lights burning isn't going to make a huge difference to you or I short term but there is a saving long term. But far more important is that if we all switched of lights when we finish then overall there will be a big saving and it will help with reducing power cuts. So SwanTV have launched their "SWITCH OFF" campaign and are offering free labels for you to use.

These will be available from 20th October free of charge. Just become a supporter on Patreon click here https://www.patreon.com/swantv/membership and we'll send you a dozen plus other benefits you'll see there. We are looking for pick-up points too, where you can get these useful labels free in Swansea so watch this space.

And please keep an eye out for frail, old and disabled neighbours who might need a friendly hand. Talk to them now rather than leave till a power cut happens.  

Stay safe. Prepare with SwanTV. Get your FREE stickers now.

Mike Leahy  SwanTV

SPECIAL. Become a Patreon Supporter today and get your stickers FREE, no postage. You will save at least £2 in postage pluse get additional material, a pin-badge and other goodies. Click on the image for details.

SwanTV On A Shoot

 Hi Swantv Viewer

We haven't got our own studio at the moment but hope to organise one soon. In the meanwhile we are begging and borrowing where we can and shooting interviews in cafes, outside (weather and background sounds permitting) and on the street. And this can create unexpected difficulties.

We were shooting an interview and I had arranged to use inside a theatre reception area but when we set up I could here the refridgeration equipment humming loudly so that was no good.

We moved outside a cafe/restaurant at the Marina. So far so good. No loud background noises and the wind was relatively low. When we use lapel mics it is suprising how sound can be tolerated, I guess the mic is just pointing to the person's mouth and is very near. So we are half way though when suddenly the cafe turns on its music and there are loudspeakers fixed to the outside wall, just above our heads. That was really terrible but they kindly switched the music off when I asked them, unitl we had finished. 

But you never know what life is going to throw at you. A group of students on a sight seeing walk with a tutor passed by. Now you know how boistrous students can be so we stopped whilst they passed. Then a dog started barking! 

Now this was exceptional but it showed me how urgent it is to find a studio. Luckily technology has come to our rescue. Cameras used to run on cellulose film on a roll and the professionals used a 35mm format so cameras were bulky to carry the film cassettes. Editing was very manual, you actually ran the film through an editor and cut it physically before sticking it together again with either a special glue or a sticky tape. Effects were difficult to add after filming and so different filters were use. I can rememeber watching a friend film a ghost film and he had to rewind the film in the camera in the dark and run it again, being careful to get to the correct spot to record again. And sound was recorded separately. That is why a clapper board was used. It was banged closed and this was visible on the film and could be heard on the recording so the two could be married up. Time consuming and you needed to be skillful to do it successfully.

.I used a smaller format, a Bolex 8mm although 16mm formats were available. This film was very small and editing was time consuming and tiring. I remember filming with the Bolex in about 1959 as you can see from the clip here. No sound as it was too difficult to record sound outdoors. This clip has deteriorated in the last 60 years but I've digitalised it now so degregation should stop. This clip is interesting showing the personal service given at a petrol station when the attendant came out and filled your tank for you, the village was serviced by a small shop but also trademen from the local town brought out pre-ordered groceries and other supplies (a bit before supermarket deliveries that we all know today). And the coach took us to the local town on a Saturday which was the weekly market day.

I belonged to an amateur film club in Muswell Hill, London and we watched films, had talks from any professional film makers we could persuade to come along and we made films. This photo was of me directing a film scene in a pub, once again using a Bolex camera. THe lights were essential then as without them the film would be so dark. These lights gave out very bright illumination and the bulbs got extremely hot. You could only run then for about 20 minutes, and you'd see smoke coming off the shades. I was about 29 when this photo was taken and most of the members in the club were very experience. I look confident here but it was bravado and a steep learning curve!!!!

I made a 15 minute film about the London Fire Brigade and spent several weekends at the Tottenham fire station where I lived. I climbed buildings and the extended ladder during training sessions in the station yard and went though a smoke filled building with breathing wearing apparatus, what an experience. I was instruced by the Head Office that I could not travel on appliances but this proved difficult so the station governor gave me a uniform and I rode with them capturing some exciting footage. One day I saw smoke in the distance and heard on the radio that Alexandra Palace was burning. I sped there and luckily had my camera in the boot of the car. I was fortunate to get some stunning footage of the building aflame. Such a shame for a historic building. I believe the first BBC TV programmes were transmitted from there. 

Then film making moved to VHS cassettes and then a smaller version but the cameras were still bulky and editing slow. Back in the eighties I remember taking a bulky camera to Florida to capture our time at Disneyland. The camera was huge and held on my shoulder as I filmed. The smaller cassette helped a little.

Now we use DSLR cameras that were previously just used for straight photography. They produce stunning quality 4K video and are small and easy to use. Lighting is not so critical. And a big plus is that costs have plummeted. In addition wnen I interview my guests are not so intimidated as with a large camera and outdoor you can be quite discrete, nobody realises you are capturing movie material. Incidentally you can film anyone in public areas without fear. It is only on private property or if you are focussing on an individual unneccesarily that you

might run into problems.  Sound is incorporated and effects can be added when filming or afterwards when editing. Lighting is now generally LED which uses less power and is cold to touch.

And finally you can use your smartphone to produce stunning high quality footage with sound at the press of a button. Everything is automatic. So if you have any news stories or a point of view send us a clip today, landscape and not portrait. So sideways not vertical. We want to hear from you. 

Send any clips to ask@swantv.com or email and we will contact you, give you contact number, name and a sentence about what you have to say.

Watch www.swantv.com for everything local. We are actively looking for content.

Mike Leahy SwanTV 

ps. Don't forget we are looking for a small studio space,needs to be quiet and at least the size of a lage double garage, power is esential. Thanks

 

Welcome to SwanTV

 Hi SwanTV Viewer

 

Thanks for reading this first post on SwanTV, the online TV station covering everything local in and around Swansea Bay. Our aim is to make this the place you come to for local news, events and people. 

 

Smartphones are now in everybody's pocket so this seems the natural time to re-launch. National TV doesn't cover what is happening in Swansea but we will. National TV doesn't tell you about forthcoming events but we will. And our programmes will not be broken up by adverts. Any adverts or sponsorship will be mentioned at the beginning or end of a show and last no more than 90 seconds. 

We are building several channels and one of the first will be a "Lets Live" show, and that is a provisional title but it will be showing you how to live better for less with cookery, gardening and money saving tips and tricks. 

The cooking segment will concentrate on creating simple but tasty meals using basic ingredients and essential utensils for families and for people living alone. Each dish will be easy and fast to prepare. Essential utensils are those that should be in every kitchen and we will show these and describe how they are used. Basic ingredients will be vegetables that can be bought anywhere and items from your store-cupboard such as a limited range of spices and herbs, sauces and those standards - such as flour, sugar, butter or spread, pasta, rice, eggs, chicken (unless you are vegetarian of course) and some living herbs that you can griow on your windowsill. We will show you in the studio and have a panel of guests who will sample each dish and tell you how much they enjoyed. We'll also include the recipes with ingredients and know-how.

There will be gardening too. So whether you grow on a window sill, your patio or a small patch in your garden we have the answers. Gardening is simple and once you have planted your seeds or plants then it's usually just watering. And you'll produce some tasty vegetables that are full of nurishment and cheap. When you garden you will probably get caught up in the moment: gardening is really good if you are anxious, depressed, lonely or just not feeling yourself. Try some of our ideas and see for yourself. There are allotments you can rent from the Local Council but unfortunately there is usually a long waiting list, so sign up now. And there are community gardens where you can be a volunteer and also buy produce. Ask in your area.

Money saving tips and tricks is something very important in our current economic climate so watch our for that.  And if you have a tip we can use then tell us about it, everybody loves a quick tip to save money. 

We want SwanTV to be the place to go for everything local to Swansea, A local community. So plewase watch the station on your smartphone, laptop or other device. And if you have ideas or want to be involved then e-mail us at ask@swantv.com.

Thanks for reading this blog. Stay safe.

Mike Leahy Managing Director Swantv