Mention the social internet site Facebook and most people would think of teenagers chatting to each other from the comfort of their bed rooms.

But that image is about to change in Great Yarmouth as a new generation of silver surfers in a care home learn how log onto Facebook and catch up with relatives and friends online.

Jackie Wymer is a 67-year-old internet trail blazer at the Abbeville care home as she is the first of its 34 residents to use Facebook.

Staff at the care home hope Mrs Wymer, who used to live in Ormesby and has been at the care home in Wellesley Road since July, will inspire the other residents to go online.

It is hoped the residents' interest in Facebook will lead to the creation of a permanent IT room.

In just the space of a few weeks Mrs Wymer has learned how to use a laptop computer and is becoming an expert on contacting and chatting to her family on Facebook.

She has a total of 16 Facebook friends.

Yesterday she could be seen chatting to her daughter Colleen, who lives in Holland and her grandson Shane, who lives in Caister.

Fellow residents, Aubrey Wright, 88 and Elsie Howe, 88, looked on as Mrs Wymer told her family she was looking forward to having ham, egg and chips fur lunch.

However Mrs Wymer had to correct herself slightly as she originally told her relatives she was having ham egg and hips for a meal.

And to show how much Mrs Wymer is loving her new found technical skills she has been known to have delayed her lunch until she has finished catching up with friends and family.

She said: 'I just love it, I really do. I have never used a computer before but it is easy to use and so is Facebook.

'You can talk to people and get messages from them.

'My family were always telling to go on Facebook when I lived at home. I just wish I had started to use it much sooner.

'I hope all of the people here have a go on it. I have told them how easy it is to use.'

Abbeville care home's activities co-ordinator and senior carer Carol Carrier was confident other residents would soon be surfing the net.

She said: 'Jackie shows you are never too old to try out new things.'