Students completing the 6-week course "Getting Started on the Computer" got a nice surprise on Friday 23 October 2009 when Mike Hall MP arrived to present their certificates of achievement.  During this course the students do a word processing exercise which is to write a letter to our MP at the House of Commons.  They also use the Internet to look up who is our MP and what is the address of the House of Commons.  When the letter is complete they print it out, sign it, and put it in their portfolio of work.  Course tutor Nick Walton says "I often say to students:  are you going to send it, then?  But that usually falls on deaf ears!"  On this occasion student Joan Johnston decided to take Nick at his word and duly sent the letter off to London.  A couple of weeks later Nick got a phone call from Mike Hall's secretary to arrange for Mike to come along to the last class of the course to meet the students and present the certificates!  It just goes to show that if you dare to ask then sometimes things happen!

Here are the proud students with Mike Hall MP at left of shot:

Joan Johnston, out letter writer, can be seen on the front row in the centre of the group.  Course tutor, Nick Walton, can be spotted on the back row in the centre.  To his right (left of him in the photo!) is Sophia Manners-Price from Rocksavage Power Company.  Rocksavage are strong supporters of the work of the Telematics Centre in the local community.  Sophia regularly comes out to visit the students at the Telematics Centre to see the work they are doing and to encourage them in their studies.  "Everyone at the Telematics Centre, both students and staff, wants to say a big thank you to Rocksavage Power Company.  We really value your support, both financial and human," says Nick Walton.