Log on in the graveyard

The WiFi area of All Saints Church in Norwich near Westlegate, and a laptop being used on the bench outside.

10 May 2006 10:47

A city church is the unusual destination proving a hit for internet surfers wanting to travel through cyberspace.

While historic buildings are normally preserved as monuments to our past, the All Saints Church, in Westlegate, Norwich, has proved it is very much in tune with the future.

It is providing free facilities for internet addicts to get their fixes, and people can log onto the web while sitting among the grass and gravestones.

The beautiful building houses the Norwich Internet Café as well as the All Saints Centre charity.

But in addition to using coin facilities inside, lap top users can also hook up to the worldwide web thanks to a free wireless (WiFi) connection, which is provided by the Internet Café.

A wooden bench in the garden is one of the best places where laptop users can log on.

Trevor Scott, administrative manager of the All Saints Centre charity which is entirely separate from, but works alongside the internet café, said: “Some people might think it is a bit strange that a Christian drop-in centre might have an internet café, but we were always meant to be all things to all people. It was not only meant for homeless and marginalised people but shoppers and anyone else.”

While the internet café and All Saints Centre are separate entities under one roof they work together for mutual benefit.

Mr Scott said he was hoping to carry that relationship on by adding more tables and chairs outside for people throughout the summer.

“People can take their bacon rolls and coffees outside and if they have their lap tops with them they can use the internet facilities as well,” he said.

The All Saints Church, which was a centre of Christian worship in Norwich for more than 600 years, is now a centre of Christian hospitality.

It houses a coffee shop, charity shop, and chapel or quiet area where people can be by themselves.

“We're delighted that, especially in this nice sunny weather, people are able to sit in such delightful surroundings and access the internet within the site of All Saints,” said Canon Michael Stagg, spokesman for the Norwich Diocese.

Canon Hereward Cooke, of St Stephen's Church, said: “It's a very imaginative use of an old church building of which there are many in the city centre and for which the Norwich Historic Churches Trust is always looking for new uses. This seems to be one that can provide a service to the passing public.”

Norfolk County Council is spending £1.1 million to cover the whole of the city centre with WiFi.

That will mean businesses and members of the public will also be able to surf the internet using wireless enabled computers, laptops and handheld devices. Wireless aerials are being attached to lampposts and it is hoped they will be up and running by the summer.

What is WiFi?

WiFi is the acronym for Wireless Fidelity - a way of transmitting data over a wireless network.

WiFi allows you to connect to the net at broadband speeds without cables, as long as you have the right equipment and, in most cases, a regular internet service provider and a WiFi account.

It works a bit like a walkie-talkie. With a walkie-talkie your voice is picked up by a microphone, encoded onto a radio frequency and sent to another walkie-talkie, which decodes your voice.

To understand the technology behind WiFi, imagine using a walkie-talkie. Your voice is picked up by a microphone, encoded onto a radio frequency and transmitted with the antenna to another walkie-talkie, which decodes your voice.

WiFi works in much the same way, but uses technology which can handle a lot more data per second.

WiFi enabled laptops and phones can be set up to connect to the service automatically.



Have you surfed the net in an unusual place? Call Evening News reporter Peter Walsh on (01603) 772439 or email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk

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