A dad and daughter run their own TV channel showing classic films from an office in their garden - and get six million viewers a week.<br /><br />Noel Cronin, 74, and Sarah Cronin-Stanley, operate the biggest home-run independent television station in the UK - only airing vintage programs and movies.<br /><br />Talking Pictures TV launched in 2015 and now gets millions of young and old viewers for its nostalgic content - including romance, horror and comedy.<br /><br />Based from their home in Hertfordshire the channel airs some of the "rarest and greatest gems" from British film history - 24/7.<br /><br />The father and daughter duo say they hope to maintain the history of British cinema and classic TV.<br /><br />Its celebrity's fans include the late Queen Elizabeth who used to watch Laurel and Hardy on the channel - and saw Noel later awarded a British Empire Medal.<br /><br />Archivist Noel has worked in the film industry since 1962 as a producer and editor.<br /><br />His daughter says she was inspired by her father and developed a passion for film early in her youth.<br /><br />Sarah said: "It's all about saving film history, celluloid and TV history. Young people are also fans of the vintage and that is encouraging."<br /><br />One of their most popular shows is The Footage Detectives, where broadcaster Mike Read joins Noel on the quest to track down old films, footage and programs.<br /><br />During Covid times the channel had almost six million viewers a week - and Sarah says the numbers haven't dropped since then.<br /><br />The channel is free to watch and does not run on subscription because they want to be "accessible to everybody" and is funded through advertising.<br /><br />It was launched in 2015 on Sky but later also became available on Freeview, Freesat, and Virgin Media.<br /><br />They also launched a free online catch-up service last year, have 95% of their content subtitled and were the first independent channel to have a red button feature on free view.<br /><br />Talking Pictures TV has a predominate viewing audience of over 65 - but also has developed a significant youth following too.<br /><br />Noel admits he likes to "structure the channel in the old fashion television way" and is not a fan of the modern instant gratification of streaming services today.<br /><br />He said: "I would play one episode on a Wednesday, and then the following on the next Wednesday.<br /><br />"Everything is immediate now, but we play the old fashioned way; I would be very unhappy to play things in stripes, day after day <br /><br />"We are against this trend in current television - I'm horrified when I hear someone watches a whole series in just one day! <br /><br />"I like chocolate but I don't eat the whole box in one sitting!"<br /><br />Leading up to their ninth anniversary, both Sarah and Noel said community and their relationship with their viewing audience lay at the heart of the channel.<br /><br />He said: "It is all about the rapport with our audience - we share the same thoughts and ideas by and large - a love of a time era that people enjoyed, which is perhaps a happier time in their life or time they got married and so on."
