Last week was Age Resource Week and the junior branch of Age Concern used it to launch a campaign to persuade as many over-50s as possible to delve into the Internet and find out what it's all about.

The organisation has produced a beginner's guide to the mysteries of this global information network, which has been given almost God-like status by many of those who have dealings with it.

Age Resource has joined the crusade on the Internet's behalf and is determined that seniors should learn how to worship properly so they can come in from the wilderness.

The world of computers is filled with alien language. However, Age Resource has come to the rescue. It's produced Grasp the Nettle which, it says, "is written in a clear, jargon-free way and should overcome these difficulties and help more of the over-50s to get involved."

And once fears and worries have been overcome, the over-50s can visit the special chat site called the Baby Boomer Bistro where they can enjoy "a virtual cup of coffee and have a chat about topics that concern them". It adds that "rooms" inside the virtual caf will be hosted on a regular basis by organisations such as the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, University of the Third Age and the Retired Senior Volunteer Programme.

And it promises: "Information about free time, health, and much more will be available as well as the potential for new friendships to be formed."

In case you're thinking that it all sounds a bit surreal, then you're on my wavelength. But here's what Age Resource patron Claire Rayner has to say: "Age is not a barrier to learning and older people should not be left out of the technological revolution. Despite my initial reluctance, I have now got a computer and I use it constantly and love e-mail and the Internet."

You can pick up more information about Grasp the Nettle from the Age Resource desk at Age Concern in Sunbridge Road, where you can also have a go at accessing local information on the computer and using the Internet.

In case what you've read here suggests that I'm a Luddite and have no time for computers, let me assure you that I use one every day at work and even, occasionally, show other people how to carry out certain tasks on it. And e-mail is wonderful.

But all this World Wide Web-worship worries me. The Internet is all right in its place, but it isn't the be-all and end-all of life. There's reality to fit in as well: meeting proper people instead of communicating with "virtual" ones, getting out into the country to look at the birds and the trees rather than calling up information about them on a small screen.

What worries me about the current obsession with the Web is that it's promoting the Internet as an attractive alternative to real life. Surely most over-50s have been around for too long to get swept along with that!

I Don't Believe It!

Litter's a common theme among many of the moans that come my way. Those people who care about the environment (you can count Mrs Mildew and me among them) simply can't understand what goes on the minds of the rubbish dumpers.

Take Judith Meggison, for instance. Writing from Thackley, she tells me that she contacted Councillor Keith Thomson about clearing the rubbish which had been accumulating in Coal Pit Lane (which runs between Leeds Road and Windhill Old Road).

"A couple of days later a gentleman from the cleansing department spent two days collecting all the debris. Many bouquets to him and to Councillor Thomson. But three days later back had come the empty drinks cans, plus Morrison's carrier bags full of garden rubbish!

"I can understand the cans - no doubt dropped by youngsters - but the garden rubbish in plastic bags? It would be bad enough dumping garden rubbish - but to leave it in white bags? I despair. When will we take pride in our area, city, country?" When indeed, Mrs Meggison? A bouquet to you, too, for contacting the Council and getting something done rather than just moaning about the litter and leaving it there. And a similar bouquet to Jack Aggus, of Wrose, who tells me that the other week he picked up some of the pages of newspapers which were scattered among the wonderful display of daffodils in Valley View Grove, on the fringe of Peel Park.

"We took the opportunity to deposit them in the refuse bin lower down at the park entrance - and reflected that if only a few other admirers would do the same, the whole scene could have been improved immensely," he writes. "You may agree that if we all did a little to help, our environment could be vastly improved."

I do agree, Mr Aggus. I often pick up dropped drinks cans or paper and polythene bags and put them in bins, particularly in the middle of town. But have you noticed that when you do that sort of thing, passers-by give you curious looks as though you're some sort of eccentric?

And there's another complaint, this time from Idle (it's all north Bradford this week, isn't it?). This was from a telephone caller called Peter who left a message for me with Mike Priestley about the state of the new children's playground in Idle Rec. "There are two big litter bins in it, but they were only half full," he said. "Instead the ground was scattered with sweet wrappers and particularly chewing-gum wrappers. There were so many of them, it looked as if there must have been a chewing-gum chewing contest taking place. And there was a dollop of dog muck on the rubber matting near the slide. Can you imagine anyone being so stupid as to take a dog into a play area like that?"

Well, actually, yes I can, Peter. Not a lot surprises me any more.

If you have a gripe about anything, drop a line to me, Hector Mildew, c/o Newsroom, T&A, Hall Ings, Bradford BD1 1JR, email me or leave any messages for me with Mike Priestley on (44) 0 1274 729511.

Yours Expectantly,

Hector Mildew

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Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.