Local Folk

Call for Silver Surfers

By Jennifer Drury

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to be a winner in the national competition for the 'Silver Surfer of the Year'.  The Silver Surfer awards (www.silversurfer.org.uk) are part of a programme by Digital Unite who work to help tackle the growing problem of digital exclusion of older people in the UK.  Last Friday May 23rd  was Silver Surfers' Day 2008, managed by Digital Unite Limited in partnership with Ofcom.  When I was invited to take part in the day of activities I very gladly agreed to contribute.

Mid morning radio show
BBC Southern Counties Radio were running a section on their mid-morning show devoted to Silver Surfers' Day.  So - off I went with Tony Mould, our website photographer to talk to presenter Gordon Astley about my experiences as a Silver Surfer.  I have always been a fan of Gordon's show and I was delighted at the prospect of meeting him.

The Gordon Astley Experience
When we arrived at the BBC we were welcomed very warmly by Karl Grewar who is the producer of Gordon Astley's mid morning show.  At just after 10am we went into the studio to meet and talk to Gordon.  Actually I think that the show should be renamed 'The Gordon Astley Experience' because chatting to this larger than life character is certainly an experience I am not likely to forget!  In fact I enjoyed chatting to Gordon so much that I almost forgot I was on the radio.

Bridging the digital divide
Apart from the fun and chat I do hope that the message about Silver Surfing got across.  So what is the message I hear you ask?  That you are never too old to start - that the internet is for everyone - and computers are only scarey if you don't give them a try.  Here at My Brighton and Hove we have encouraged hundreds of people, many of them in their 70s and 80s to use the website to share their memories and experiences.

Calling all Silver Surfers
My Brighton and Hove would warmly welcome any Silver Surfers out there who would like to tell us about how they use the internet.  And we would also like to hear from those of you who would like to become Silver Surfers and make a contribution here on the website.  You will get all the help you need and I am sure you will enjoy it.

In the first instance, mail me jennifer@mybrightonandhove.org.uk