Silver surfer Robert Ridgway is urging other pensioners to discover the joys of being online after taking the plunge at an internet taster session.
Robert, 72, has already started to take advantage of online bargain deals after learning the skills he needed to surf the internet.
The former steelworker took part in Swansea Council’s internet taster session for older people entitled the Digital Unite Silver Surfer Event.
He is enjoying using his new computer skills so much, he has now signed up to an ICT course with the council’s Lifelong Learning and Employment Training team, and is urging others like him to follow suit.
He said: “The way the world is going if you cannot get online you are missing out on so much. It is the place for all the bargains from clothes to holidays. I felt I was missing out but did not have the confidence to do anything about it.
“Now I am on my third lesson and it does not seem that scary after all. The course is building my confidence and skills online. Before you know it, I will be the one telling people about the bargain holiday or shirt I found online. I can hardly wait.”
The free taster sessions cover areas such as Skype, internet shopping and browsing, setting up an email or Facebook account and researching family history.
Another participant said the session had helped her to “expand knowledge” and “talk to friends and family via Skype” whilst another said his session had made him “more confident to start to use the computer”.