A FORMER East Lancashire couple who emigrated to Canada are urging old folk to get on the Internet so they can keep in touch with long distance relatives.

Dave and Rena Barnett read the Lancashire Evening Telegraph every night - direct from their computer on the world wide web.

And they want older people to find out about the benefits of modern technology, especially e-mail, which can send messages around the world in seconds.

Rena, who moved from Blackburn to Ontario and who still has relatives in the area, said: "I find older people are having trouble understanding this, including mums and dads.

"I know I've had problems trying to get my friends and family in Lancashire to understand.

"Nobody in our family has a computer but friends who live in Burnley have and I'm trying to convince them they should get on the Net. "I think someone should set up demos at shopping centres or free seminars at the library, explaining how people can become familiar with it.

"It can be costly to keep phoning long-distance. If only people realised that e-mail is as simple as having a pen pal but on computer."

The couple say they have found the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Internet pages priceless for keeping up to date with the latest news and sport.

They have created their own home page which has a link to the Telegraph web site.

Rena added: "We enjoy reading the Telegraph and have other Blackburn area ex pats as friends on the Net in Canada, who also enjoy a good read.

"We often find ourselves talking about news we have read from home.

"One other fact I find fascinating is that I can read your paper over here almost quicker than some people get it delivered to their door in Blackburn.

"The older people think this is amazing."

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