A FORMER music shop department manager has struck a chord with modern technology and gained her first formal qualification at the age of 68.

Barbara Sanderson has become the first learner to complete the first module of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) at Crown Street's e-library in Darlington.

Ms Sanderson, a former Darlington music department manager at Williams left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications and started work.

She said: "When I retired I did feel I wasn't in the 21st Century as far as technology was concerned.

"The phone seemed to be being replaced by www dot and I felt I really needed to start to learn.

"I wandered into the e-library one day, was made very welcome and before I knew it I was mousing around."

Since then, Mrs Sanderson has learned about basic computing and how to use e-mail, with which she keeps in regular contact with her son, David, in Peterborough, and her sister Brenda, in Chester.

Darlington College learning advisor Susie Bird said: "She has been an excellent learner and made really good progress already. She is really dedicated."