The beer is much better up north so people actually sit in a pub and talk to each other face to face, the way it used to be before the internet.

The charity also said poorer people, those living alone and those in relatively poor health were least likely to access internet services.

That category describes me perfectly, but I am in daily contact with the Internet and I am pretty sure that I am not alone in this respect! I don't think enough people were included in the survey - 40,000 is just a drop-in-the-ocean surely.

Like all surveys and information gathering,there is always the element of doubt, especially if that information is obtained on a selective audience. Personally I will never accept these sort of reports, because from own experiences, figures and supposedly facts can be manipulated to suit the object of the exercise.

I know a number of silver surfer's who use the internet, mainly for chatting with friend's or shopping. Gaming doesn't come into their lifestyle at all. North-south divide is probably more South inclined, because that's the way it always seems to follow. Felt hats and cloth caps might be a way of comparison?.

ps Manchester is also closer to London than where I live.

Interesting figures for Cornwall which has no large cities. The Devon figures could be skewed by Plymouth and Exeter. The problem with this survey is that it doesn't divide between rural and urban areas. I have cable and good speeds but just a mile away (rural) they have dreadful speeds and therefore use is down. However that doesn't explain Tyne and Wear. I suspect that more analysis is required.