A Cornish learner shares her adventures into the world of the internet

Recently trying to make contact with an old friend from hockey playing teenage years, whose phone calls and Christmas cards had dried up, a neighbour suggested looking her up on the computer.

Having her proper name and latest address, I tapped them into Google and to my amazement up came an obituary notice in the Evening Herald.

Some Cornish Times readers will recall Kate, as her father Canon Jack Parsons was a popular vicar of St Martin’s back in the 1950s.

Having played cricket for Warwickshire in his youth he was friendly with the then Bishop of Truro, Joey Hunkin, and thought it his duty to spend time every Thursday morning in the cattle market where he was considered ‘a proper chap’ and I suppose acted as unofficial chaplain for the countryside.

Some will remember he had much publicity for turning his army sword into a ploughshare and I fancy he went to Bolitho farm and John Moon taught him to plough a furrow.

Always carrying a rucksack on his back he bought fresh vegetables from the growers in the market and probably checked with butcher Dennis to know whose bullock he was buying that day for the evening rib of beef he would later be buying.  Traceability of the highest order and a proper spoken relationship between producer, middle man and consumer – no bureaucracy or reams of paperwork for DEFRA and Health and Safety and Liskeard had prestige as a market town where livestock was sold and bought, and town and country met to mutual benefit.

Times change and several days into this darkest of winters were spent in good company in the church rooms where Sheri Sturgess had organised a wonderful course for elderly computer users who needed help.

Some had no machine at home and needed introduction, other brought laptops but had no idea about potential use, and books written on the subject are written by high-tech experts in their own peculiar language.

Being completely computer illiterate, having done farm accounts when pen and paper sufficed and having no desire to do business with a machine, I had a sudden hunger to find the mass of information available on Google, so bought myself an iPad.

These mobile tablets are the future as they can be used in the armchair, in bed or taken on holiday. Used as a camera, would you believe it you can turn your landscape into a jigsaw puzzle of as many pieces as you like and amuse yourself with that, send emails to friends and grandchildren and many of my Apps concern the racing industry.

David Hockney, the famous artist, uses his to create eye-wateringly expensive artwork and I do art hesitantly, and that’s the great thing about the church classes. When we get stuck or don’t have an eight-year-old in the house, the tutor from Citizens Online called Jay Chapman, was a saint. Helpful, interested, patient and encouraging, he was a master of his job. And with a grant from BT to the church to get broadband for a year thought is that it may be possible to start a drop-in cafe for those of us who forget what to do next or need advice.

If you are in this situation just contact the church office or Sheri Sturgess and if you are able, email sheri.sturgess@googlemail.com

Another gem of information while on this subject – a friend told me that her daughter has just produced a book, I had sight of it and promptly ordered a copy from mum.

Written by Angela McConnel it is called Grandma got an iPad, published by Happy Lappy of Lulworth.

 

Citizens Online was thrilled to receive a newspaper clipping from Bridget Best, writing for The Cornish Times. We would like to thank Bridget for this wonderful article and for allowing us to share it.