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Search forBRENTWOOD: Silver surfers ride high with computer lessons
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 16:37
But some pensioners are jumping on the cyber bandwagon for the very first time to embrace the information highway.
Adult learning classes in the Brentwood area are giving senior citizens, who may not even have dared turn on a computer before, the chance to keep abreast with the latest technology.
A typical example is 87-year-old Fred Dowsett and his wife, Doris, 81, of Arnolds Close, Brentwood, whose son Barrie recently offered them a secondhand PC.
So the couple, who once marvelled at what relatives could do with the click of a mouse, are now on a voyage of discovery thanks to classes at one of Essex County Council's adult community learning centres – Bishops Hill in Rayleigh Road, Hutton.
These courses are not just for the elderly and the Dowsetts are by no means the only pensioners at the centre.
They first took the Starting with Computers course and have recently embarked on a Basic Computer Skills course, where they are learning how to write letters, use spreadsheets and manage files.
Mrs Dowsett, who could not type before, said: "At first I was a bit concerned because I thought I would never be able to do this.
"But I thought I would give it a whirl – it's good at our age to keep the brain alive.
"The more you do the more you want to learn.
"I didn't believe all these things could be stored in a computer and from pressing the keyboard what you can achieve with it.
"I'm pleased we took to doing this, what else would we be doing now?"
Mr Dowsett said computer technology was a huge step from the days of crystal radio sets.
He said: "There is a real sense of achievement you get out of doing something you never thought you could do.
"It has opened up a new life. I want to go as far as I can go. I don't know what my brain is capable of."
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WE CLICKED: Doris and Fred Dowsett say IT is helping them to keep alert.
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