Update: December 16th, 2009

Well what can I tell you?

Although my popularity on YouTube is diminishing somewhat I do still enjoy doing videos there and feel that when I do that I am talking with very close friends who have been faithful over the years. I don't expect to attract many of the zillions of newcomers to a site that has grown to massive proportions. However I do still receive invitations of various sorts resulting from the fact that I was the first elderly person to use the site and become the Internet Grandad. Sometimes this is by television interviews. I find it difficult to travel these days and usually the crew come to visit me here in my little home which is nice and as you know two hours of filming only results in a few minutes of coverage  (and you never know what that will be and usually something that makes you look an idiot maybe). Often the programme is months away and unless they have sent me a reminder or a DVD I don't see it. Actually I would rather not as I hate to see myself on the big screen. I much prefer radio and have done one or two with my local radio station recently. I enjoy the excitement of this as it is live and one has to think on one's feet so to speak, hopefully I usually manage it as the questions seem to be those that I have answered many times before. Unfortunately since these are BBC programmes they are not available anywhere other than the UK although I don't know about the access to the station's website which I would have thought was universal.The most recent radio interview was for BBC Worldwide (which of course as the name implies would be universal.) In this case the reporter came to my house, not as in the old days with a heavy bag of recording stuff but a small recorder the size of a mobile phone with the recording stored on an SD card. This broadcast will go out on Dec 31^st I think at 8.30 a.m. GMT. A recent television interview will go out on Sky television on Saturday the 19^th December this has the title Viral Videos shown at 6 .p.m GMT. It will be available in the UK, Ireland, Italy and America on various channels and also on the website of the producers Current TV which is www.current.com

Probably one of the more important thing that I get involved with is the  continuing involvement with Age Concern and the promotion of encouraging the elderly to embrace computers and the Internet and so much to do behind the scene there. Also out government have set up a department to promote the idea and much work has already been done and the elderly and computers is a regular subject on our radios and in other parts of the media. On a personal level I am in touch with a number of people who instruct the elderly in Retirement Homes. Note to Michael here.....would you like me to send some of the interviews as short video clips to put on the Silver Surfer Page?

I do still get invitations to go abroad to various meetings and if I cannot attend will make my speech by video. One such invitation came from Google Ireland and it would have been a nice place to visit as I have never been there and having been to the Google Offices in London could imagine that it would be a very grand occasion but we have arranged that I do it with the facility of Skype, I remember that I did a similar thing with ZDF Germany some time ago which worked out well. We will be doing that on the 18^th December so I hope that the questions will be easy to answer.

So there is always plenty to do, my life is pretty full and the joy of having made so many contacts and friends through the years is something that I treasure.

With Christmas nearly upon us I would like to wish all the visitors to the site a very happy Christmas and hope that it will bring you much joy.