January 6, 2014 2.52 pm This story is over 121 months old

Some 20 people still watch black and white TV in Lincoln

Nostalgia: There are still people watching TV in black and white in Lincoln, according to TV Licensing figures.

There are still 20 households in Lincoln watching TV on a black and white set, according to TV Licensing.

Despite this low figure, it puts Lincoln in to top five areas in the region for people watching TV on a black and white television.

In comparison, there are 14 black and white licences in Spalding, 13 in Grimsby and 12 in Scunthorpe.

The highest figure for the East Anglia TV region, which includes Lincolnshire, is Norwich with 36.

Across the UK, the number of families watching on black and white TVs has dropped to just 11,550 sets, out of 25 million licences.

The steady drop in black and white sets is due to advances in technology. In 2000, there were still 212,000 black and white licences issued.

TV Licensing believe this is due to nostalgia, despite being nearly 48 years since colour transmissions began, the digital switchover and Christmas surge of technology sales.

It costs just £49 for a black and white licence, in contrast to the £145.50 for a colour one.

If a recorder is connected to a black and white TV though, a colour TV Licence will be required.

Mark Whitehouse, spokesperson for TV Licensing in East Anglia, said: “Today’s figures show, even in the digital age, more than 11,000 homes still watch their favourite programmes on black and white televisions.

“Despite over 25 million people opting for a colour TV Licence in the UK, it may be some time before the black and white television disappears completely from our living rooms.

“The National Media Museum has hundreds of black and white television sets in its collection and there will always be a small group of people who prefer monochrome images, collect vintage sets or just don’t want to throw away a working piece of technology.”