The BBC's Ceefax service teletext service has disappeared from out TVs after our area completed digital switchover. I can't say I'll miss it.
I've not looked at Ceefax since I went online over 15 years ago. I recognise that it was once a worthwhile innovation, giving information about news, sport and travel developments on screen at a time when we had just a handful of TV channels. But it was a frustrating system to use. The difference categories had a series of scrolling pages, and I always seem to miss the page with Cardiff City's result - meaning I had to wait for half a dozen pages to appear before 'my' result reappeared.
The BBC also split Ceefax pages between BBC1 and BBC2 - I could never remember which appeared where. And in an era before hyperlinks, you had to note the page number of the story you wanted. ITV and Channel 4 had their own teletext services.
It all makes the world wide web seem even more miraculous!
Do you remember Gary Lineker once said that watching Wimbledon FC play was like watching Ceefax!? I have great memories of sitting in front of Ceefax waiting for the pages to toggle around and hoping that by the time Saints came up again they'd have scored. So much easier with online, but not as much anticipation!!
Posted by: Charlie Brett | April 22, 2012 at 07:54 PM
I have excellent reminiscences of near Ceefax awaiting the webpages to toggle around and expecting that by enough time Team came up again they'd have obtained.
Posted by: car insurance orlando | July 17, 2012 at 04:50 PM