Bermuda has a new place to take a seat, log on and send and read e-mails and surf the net right in the heart of Hamilton in the Internet Lane.

The new venture, based in the Walkway - a hallway which links Trends on Reid Street with Frescos Express entrance on Front Street, was the brainchild of Ralph Richardson Jr.

Bermudian Mr. Richardson, who is president of the new venture, and his partners only thought up the idea about 14 weeks ago.

But with hard work and determination they have given use to a small site that has lain empty for years with six staff on hand to help customers.

The 27-year-old entrepreneur said: "You can use our high-speed T-1 line to check your e-mail, get stock quotes, pay bills, bank on-line or just surf the Internet. There will be reliable access without annoying long waits for page downloads."

Seven terminals now line the wall in small booths with high seats and rented out for between $5 and $7.50 a half-hour depending on the time of the day.

Mr. Richardson, who lives between his home in Somerset and California where his wife Tiffany is studying, has even managed to set up two mini-office suites with computers, Internet, fax and phone, which can be rented from $40 an hour - with slashed rates if taken over longer terms.

And the company specialises in high-tech gadgets and now stocks the latest MP3 players, hand-held PCs and Palm Pilots. It also rents cellular phones and digital cameras to customers.

The business also offers fax, printing and copying facilities, including making colour prints for posters and pictures.

Access to applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel is available as are facilities to recharge computers and cell phones, custom Web sites and burn CDs.

"We are delighted with the way it has turned out and we have been busy all day," said Mr. Richardson. "There are four of us who are partners, and we all had a lot of good ideas. And this is a kind of outlet to showcase these ideas.

"We wanted to be a technical centre and help people learn about technology. They may have heard about a Palm Pilot but not know how to use it or what it is. People may want to know more about digital music and digital imaging, and they can get that information here.

"We sell a lot of gadgets and some computer accessories - but you can get stuff here you can't find anywhere else on the Island."

The business will also be holding sessions for beginners wanting to learn how to use the Internet.

Mr. Richardson is also involved with Cupmatchbermuda.com and is involved with Internet Lane's parent company G7. Ltd. and Web design company Bermuda Web Solutions.

But Mr. Richardson was staying tight-lipped about any expansion of the Internet Lane to other parts of the Island.

Internet Lane, which is operated in partnership with Logic Communications, Cellular One and Digital Dynamics, will have a grand opening on Monday at 2 p.m.

More information is available at www.internetlane.net

Picture: Ralph Richardson at his new set up in a narrow lane in the centre of Hamilton - and is called Internet Lane. - Photo by Tony Cordeiro