Credit where it is due - Scunner actually suggested this so - last December I bought for £34.99 on eBay a Bush 500 GB digital recorder.
Throughout Christmas / Jan / Feb & March we recorded lots of TV and eventually arrived at 300 hrs of recorded programmes like Call the Midwife / Lewis / etc etc. When we didn't know what to record we recorded Morse, Come Dine With Me, Under the Hammer etc.
Put it in our hand luggage - weighs under a kilo - plugged it in - as I was running out of scart sockets I used the 3 coloured cables from unit to TV but anything will do - and we are really enjoying the variety of 296 - yes 296 programmes from which to choose in the evening. I have to delete after watching otherwise I get confused
So we will now repeat this each winter - thanks as always - CBF