Back in March 2003, the Commemoration Hall installed its computer system, with the funding coming from Tynedale Council. Since then, there have been changes, notably in 2005, when a broadband connection was provided and again paid for by Tynedale. However this funding came to an end in December 2006, and the costs of the Internet connection were then paid out of money earned by volunteers. Over the last year or so, use of the computers has declined and the Hall Committee have reluctantly decided to cancel the broadband service from the end of January 2008.
All the fixed equipment is still available, however, and anyone can make use of it (by prior arrangement). Our system includes two Dell PCs and one laptop, a laser printer, an A3 colour inkjet printer, a simple digital camera and a scanner. There are also supplies of paper, disks, and a paper-trimmer and laminator, both taking up to A3-size paper.
Many people have used the computer equipment in the Commemoration Hall since it was installed in March 2003, and have benefited from the support given by Tynedale Council. They have paid the costs of the broadband connection, and helped with the maintenance of the computers, printers and other equipment. This has been managed locally by Michael Elphick (initially with assistance from Pat Wilson and others).
From January 2007, however, this support will cease. The equipment will be handed over to the Hall, for the use and the benefit of the community, but all running costs (including the cost of the broadband connection) will have to be met by us.
Earlier this year a number of people volunteered to take part in the “First Time Online” programme, and in this way raised the sum of £1165. This will be enough to pay the running costs for the next 2 or 3 years or so. There are plans to put on some more short courses, including digital photography.
The Hall Committee, and especially Michael, would like to know whether there is general support for the continuation of this service, or whether the money raised should be used for other activities in the Hall. You can make your views known in a number of ways:
As you may already know, Tynedale Council currently pays the costs of the broadband connection in the Commemoration Hall, and helps with the maintenance of the computers, printers and other equipment, but this source of income will cease at the end of this year. If this facility is to continue as a community resource, other sources of funds will have to be found.
All avenues are being explored, but if we can find TEN people willing to take part in the scheme described below, Tynedale will make an immediate grant of up to £1000 – a sum that will cover our costs for some considerable time.
What are we asking?
We are asking for 10 or more volunteers to take part in a new government initiative. It is called “First Time Online”, but can be used by anyone whether or not you have experience. If you can help, please ring Michael Elphick (phone 673443), and he will arrange your first session at a time to suit you.
Note: In order to qualify for the grant, everyone involved must complete these stages before July 15th!
What would you have to do?
Each person would be asked to go through three stages:
1. A short “taster session”, and registration for the assessments.
2. Learning to use and completing an “Initial Assessment”
3. Learning to register and completing an “E-skills Passport”
At the end, you will have checked up on your skills in using computers and the Internet, and can go on to investigate further options, based on your own interests, needs, assessment results and preferred methods of learning.
Only the first stage would need to be taken in the Commemoration Hall; if you have access to a computer with an internet connection you can carry out all the other exercises there. Help will be available, either online or by phone.
Although we said that Michael Elphick would be starting his short course on ‘Getting yourself on the Web’ this last Thursday (November 3rd), the school Hallowe’en party was also taking place that night in the Hall. Accordingly the first course session has been postponed to Thursday November 10th, at 7.30 pm in the Commemoration Hall. Subsequent sessions will be on November 17th, 24th and December 1st.
Our apologies to anyone affected by this ...
For the last 12 months Michael Elphick & Pat Wilson have been running a drop-in session on Wednesday mornings for anyone wishing to use the computer systems or get assistance. As there have been very few customers, we are considering whether to discontinue this. If you still find this useful, please let us know by email (to Michael or Pat) or by adding a comment below: we do need some feedback!
If there is sufficient interest, Michael Elphick will put on a short evening course on how to use the Internet to publish information for you, your family or your organisation. A separate course on digital photography is also being planned.
In order to gauge demand, please phone Michael (on 673 443), sign up on the list in the Hall, or email him at elphick@gmail.com. These courses will only start if people want them!
After seven months waiting, and several postponed or cancelled installations, the computer suite in the Commemoration Hall finally has a 0.5 Mb/s broadband connection, with a wireless router!
In simpler terms, users will now be able to access the Internet about 8 times faster than before, and will be able to use one or more laptops in the area via a wireless link.
Drop in on a Wednesday morning between 10 and 12 to try it out (after the re-decoration has been completed). Now that Internet access is easy and reliable, we are also planning to run a short course on creating simple websites, sharing pictures and using the net in other ways than just 'browsing'. If you would be interested in this or similar courses, please ring Michael on 673443 or send an email to editor@slaley.org.uk.
Some more news about the long awaited conversion of the Hall computers access to broadband. Back in September 2004, the news was that "it might not come as an utter surprise to you that BT announced, as late as yesterday, that the Slaley exchange upgrade will not be happening today. The new target date is October 8th." This did in fact happen, and like several others our own broadband connection became active shortly after.
However since then, the promised conversion of the ISDN line for the Hall computers has been a long saga of delays, starting in November 2004 ("both orders have been delayed due to incompatible products on both lines"). So far this year, we have heard in January that "BT are not processing orders because the postcode is not correct", in March that "at present there is not enough space at the exchange to upgrade your line to ADSL", followed by "BT say that they can not convert the line due to the fact that it has a PBX switchboard on it."
Finally a message to say "the conversion is now scheduled for Tuesday May 3rd", only to be told at the end of April that "The earliest date that they can come to Slaley Hall is the afternoon of 24 May." We're still hoping to have something to announce by the end of May ...
Many of you will have seen in the Hexham Courant that BT’s exchange in Slaley is now scheduled to be upgraded to support telephone line based broadband access from June. Naturally we are delighted that this is happening in just a few months time, when it could have been left as late as the spring of 2005 under the terms of the contract awarded to BT by our Regional Development Agency, OneNorthEast (ONE) in January (see last broadcast message). Those on 60xxxx numbers should already be able to obtain a telephone line based broadband service from the Hexham exchange. You might already be aware that although BT own the exchange and the lines, you have a choice of suppliers of the actual broadband service running over those lines.
Last week Michael Elphick and Greg Finch met Ed Brown, who ran the ONE project. This meeting provided some interesting additional information which we want to pass on to you.
Firstly, as expected, everyone on a 673xxx and 676xxx number within a roughly three mile radius of the Slaley exchange (more or less opposite the shop and church) should be able to obtain a broadband service from June onwards. This should cover virtually all of Slaley parish and extend into the ‘Shire as far as Juniper, Whitley Chapel, and Rawgreen. However, it is possible that the rest of the Shire could also obtain broadband because the distance limit from an exchange is greater as long as high quality copper cable has been laid. In parts of Scandinavia the same technology reaches more than 5 or 6 miles from exchanges. Lines in the High Quarter of the ‘Shire were renewed relatively recently. This could, for example, bring Lillswood within range. We won’t know for sure until after the Slaley exchange has been upgraded, at which point individual lines can be checked.
It is also becoming clear that the telephone exchange upgrade will support higher speed access than the current ADSL service – which provides high speed internet access (512kbps), but a slower outbound connection (tho’ still faster than over a dial-up line). Ed told us that BT will equip the exchange to provide higher speed SDSL access, which will support even faster inbound speed (eg. 1mbps+) and much faster outbound speeds, which will probably be attractive to those of you running small businesses and needing fast internet and email access. In fact, they would be interested in gaining an idea of the potential level of demand for these faster services. Please respond to this message by using the 'Comments' link at the bottom of this article. We will then send an overall indication of potential demand back to ONE – without mentioning individual names.
ONE’s original aim of providing 100% broadband coverage of the county remains intact. Their plan is to trial wireless access in one part of the region early next year, as the BT exchange upgrades are completed. If we find, following the Slaley Exchange upgrade, that many potential subscribers remain beyond the maximum radius for DSL access, then we could become a pilot area for wireless coverage. In earlier broadcast update messages we mentioned the wireless network that Horizon Wireless are installing in Corbridge. They still intend to proceed with this, but with BT’s planned exchange upgrades it’s now not realistic to see this being extended as a commercial venture into our parishes ahead of ONE’s own pilot plans for next year.
In summary, from June we should see a real difference in the availability of broadband services in our area. With a following wind this will reach the vast majority of those of you who have expressed interest in obtaining broadband access, and wireless/satellite based access remain as options for the rest. If you have any further questions, please respond to this article
by using the 'Comments' link, or (as before) you can email Greg at