Room 101 in Orwell’s book 1984 was the torture chamber to which opponents of the regime were sent to experience their worst fears.

A very good TV show was made where guests chose the things or people they would like to send there, and in this article I’m filching the plot. Here are my ten, worst last (of course):

Eggs. Well they taste eggy don’t they? Even when smothered with Daddies sauce.

Salt included in food. Who are these people who keep putting salt in our food? I never asked anybody to do that, did you? If you’re a salt addict you’d want to put it on fresh before eating, so you can taste it and know how much you are getting.

Isle of Wight County Press: Jim hates overdramatic medical scenes in television shows.Jim hates overdramatic medical scenes in television shows.

People on trains and ferries who drown out public announcements which are useful to other passengers.

Characters on TV who storm into operating theatres or — when a medic says “xxxx is critically injured and we don’t yet know how it will go”— say: “But he will be all right...” I blame bad behaviour in ET departments on soap operas who persuade the public that it is reasonable to act in this way.

Documentary TV programmes (mostly science programmes) which creep at a snail’s pace and keep repeating themselves. This is a cheap way of stretching a 15-minute programme to fill an hour.

The absurd fake tension built into programmes such as “Strictly” by saying: ...”the winner is...” pause for 30 seconds “...Fred and Sheila Gerbil!”

John McEnroe and the Wimbledon authorities who cravenly kowtowed to him, and the BBC who then thought it reasonable to inflict him on the viewers.

People who make protests against anything by inflicting damage on those who disagree with them.

There has never been a time when it was easier to make your opinions clear to our representatives. I do not exclude political demonstrations. There should be effective laws, and enforcement thereof, against obstruction.

English literature, as imposed on schoolchildren. This has the effect of putting people off Shakespeare and Dickens et al for life, instead of letting kids find the great writers in their own time.

And finally, TV controllers, mostly but not exclusively BBC, who blithely cancel advertised programmes.

How many times have you seen something in the listings and said: “I must see that,” or: “I’ll record that for another time!” and found it has disappeared from the time-slot without any explanation.

Bring back the stocks or pillory, and provide the infuriated viewer with a supply of rotten tomatoes and dead cats!

It was Margaret Thatcher who commented “It’s a funny old world!” on the day of her enforced retirement. Now, who said “Television is for appearing on, not looking at!”