Online voices
STORY: Campaigners are asking Brits over 60 to cancel their TV licence fee direct debits in solidarity with over-75s who are losing their free licence.
Margy James: BBC make money from other places they don’t need to charge for this.
Martin Rodgerson: Aw the BBC will shut if they don't charge over 75s for a licence. Make it a pay as you view channel and shut down anyway because it's all repeats anyway.
Jenny Tulworts: If the BBC is so short of money the first thing it must look at is salaries and the number of staff. Anyone else noticed all the 'new faces' reporting and presenting since lock down was implemented? They have no money but can invest in Britbox and many other things, they scrapped BBC 3 (TV) claiming they couldn't afford it (yet BBC programmes are screened after their News at Ten, they are scrapping the Red Button because they can't afford it. When the TV Tax was frozen the Government funded the BBC World Service at a cost of around £289 million a year. An article in December stated there was (then) 25,752,560 television licences in the UK. At £157.50 each that is an income of £40,560,282. The TV Tax is a method introduced in 1923, almost a hundred years ago. It's true to say that some things just don't 'move with the times.
STORY: Where you would have shopped in Sunderland for your summer outfit in years gone by.
Michael Kearney: Still got a couple of Armani denim jackets from west one. They haven't dated. Great men’s shop and loved Joseph's as a kid.
Bob Darbyshire: Yes Hodgsons clothes shop also went to school with David Hodgson.
Carol Smith: Books fashions with immaculate attentive staff, Richard Shops with their (working wardrobe range) and the fabulous unique petticoat boutique and Paul Ford shop where you had jeans, trousers etc made to measure. Could break my heart at state of our centre .… hadn’t been for over 5 years and my first visit to our once mighty high street, had me so shocked, angry and quite tearful .… then further up, the once Magnificent Londonderry, n ow standing like a forlorn Marie Celeste.
Rachel Simpson: Loved Joseph's toy shop.