Missing in Battle Sussex

[DeborahBlythe]

Ann, thinking about you and all your family today and hoping that there is good news very soon.

I sent a hard copy of the poster to friends in Brighton, Littlehampton and Pevensey this week and also emailed it to a group of coastal volunteers who mainly keep an eye on things environmental but would certainly take an interest in anything untoward like a missing person, I think.

I wonder if it is possible for people who visit this thread who are also AS members and in touch with AS branches to mention John at their AS or carers' meetings? I am a member myself but to my shame have never visited a meeting mainly because my weekly routes always seem to lead me in the opposite direction.

I went into the cafe where I had posted a poster over a week ago. The people in there were immediately asking warmly for news. A lovely Italian family, I think. People DO care, even total strangers.

 

[Cate]

Ann I have been checking in every day to see if you have any news.

Still thinking about you and John

Love

Cate

 

[Grannie G]

I wonder if it is possible for people who visit this thread who are also AS members and in touch with AS branches to mention John at their AS or carers' meetings? .

Deborah,

I start a course for relatives, at the Mental Health Day Centre, where Dhiren attends for assessment, on Monday. I think it is run by the AS.

Just in case, I`ll take a Poster.

Love xx

 

[DeborahBlythe]

Your local supermarket

Hello Cate, thanks for dropping in on your big day amongst all the other times.

Well done Sylvia!

I've had another couple of ideas, which visitors to this thread may like to think about.

Ann has approached some of the 'big name ' supermarkets, but there are others out there. Tesco and Cooperative stores, eg, have some 'community' message boards, and it might be worth taking along a poster of John and asking them to display it, if you have one of these stores near you. I'm hoping that one of the big stores might like to display posters for free rather than charge a weekly or daily charge as I think may be the norm. If one of them will do it for free it would be great publicity for them as 'community minded' wouldn't it? And it might mean someone spots John as a result. And it might encourage other stores to follow suit. I'm going to go up to my local Coop this afternoon and see what they say. Could readers try their stores too?

Also, Sylvia's thread about her husband has given me an idea too. The station near her accepted a photo of her husband so that staff would look out for him. Maybe a station near you, dear reader, would accept a poster of John: if not to display in public ( which would be brilliant), then at least to put up behind the counter for staff to be aware of?
I'm going to try this out today with a station near me. I'll take a couple of posters in case I'm ultra lucky and they agree to both !

 

[DeborahBlythe]

Shops and stations

I took a poster up to the Co-Op but the staff said the manager would have to approve it and he wasn't in today. They held on to it any way.

The station was a bit of a puzzle. They have recently given it a bit of a much-needed facelift and there are noticeboards sprouting up all over the place. A set of about six by the 'back' entrance, one of which is completely empty, but is a showcase so you can't just pin stuff up.

At the main entrances at street level there are two more enclosed noticeboards which are designated 'community noticeboards' and are completely empty. Up on the station concourse there is another noticeboard, which does have a few notices on it.

I spoke to the ticket clerk and he said all the boards were the responsibility of the platform guard, but he did take a poster to show colleagues behind the counter. I then spoke to the platform guard who said only the noticeboard in the concourse was his responsibility and he took two posters as I had printed the press release on the back and he wanted to display both the poster and the press release. He said the boards at the entrances were the responsibility of a coffee shop down the road!

I went down to the coffee shop and they didn't know they were responsible for the boards but thought the hardware shop over the way might know. The woman in that shop was out so the coffee shop took my details and said they would get someone to ring me back. They took a poster for their own window anyway!

 

[cannuck]

London Metro

Hello again Deborah, Ann and everyone,

A friend in Gloucester has an idea about posting in the London Metro newpaper.
Is that something that may already have been done?

I am not quite sure how to access that from over here, but I will give it a shot.

Speaking of environmental groups... what about distributing the poster to a wide sweep of local green crews? The Gas Board and the fellow's who do Water Meter
reading? Sorry if that sounds silly or has already been done...I'm just thinking of all the people who are on the pavement each and every day.....

Love Louise
X

 

[Margarita]

cannuck

What I did notice on one of my local london buses , they have Video TV , that showed Missing people , showing the sigh of www.missingpeople and they phone number to ring if you see them . they where showing elderly people , that what catch my eye to watch it .

I think the main link into london is from those people that run the The missing people in london, they also must have the authority to get in contact with the metro paper to put a photo in it

Has John family heard back from www.missingpeople

 

[cannuck]

London Metro and Missing People

Hello Margarita,

Yes, I have already given Ann the information and sent along the documents from Missing Persons last week that they sent to me. Her mum, Jill, is looking after that end since she has more information and can be a UK contact.

I didn't know that they had a TV/Video screen...that is great! If it caught your eye then it is working!

Take care and thanks for the input of information! I feel like I am feeling my way around in the dark sometimes when I do search things on the internet! It is good to have a source that actually give real time information!

Louise

 

[cannuck]

oops..I did it again. That was confusing......Missing People not Missing Persons actually...is the Organization. I wish that the previous posts were displayed when one writes a reply.

 

[Margarita]

wish that the previous posts were displayed when one writes a reply

it is..... when you press reply . just stroll down your see other posting

yes those video TV have been around few years now , I find they have the adds on when it high peck time in the traffic most people likely to watch , going to work 7-am coming home times 4pm till late in to the night

other time they have them on as CCTV monitoring the whole bus , must be a deterrent to vandals , to see themselves on TV scene on a bus, you hear the kids on the bus say ''look mum we on TV''

It gets so boring on the bus suck in traffic , or coming home late at night that you end up watching all the adverts. .

 

[Tamariu]

Today sees the one-month anniversary of John's disappearance. I really can't believe that it's been so long and there's still no sign of him.

I've not much to report at the moment. The MissingPeople papers have been passed on to Clare (John's daughter); I don't know if she's managed to deal with them yet. Apart from that, we are following up with some more suggestions, but nothing positive has come of these yet. I was disappointed when not one of the companies I wrote to offered to display the poster of John. We have had a more positive response from the church community - London, Chichester, Guildford (CofE) and Arundel & Brighton (RC) dioceses have all circulated the poster to be displayed in churches in those areas.

And finally, the vigil that was held for John 10 days ago was featured in local newspapers both in Sussex and Dorset. One of the papers had the great headline "Vigil & Vigilance for Missing Pensioner" which does sum it all up very nicely!

Ann

 

[Linda Mc]

Ann I so hoped there would have been news by now. I can't believe it is a month since I started this thread.

Still thinking of you all each day.

Love Linda x

 

[Grannie G]

I went to the Relatives Support Group at my local Mental Health Day Centre and no-one knew of John. They were happy to display the two posters I printed out.

I am surprised the appeal doesn`t seem to have spread to Kent, even though the local BBC radio appeals cover the South and South East.

 

[Margarita]

I do hope they find him soon , must be hell for john family just wondering

 

[DeborahBlythe]

oops..I did it again. That was confusing......Missing People not Missing Persons actually...is the Organization. I wish that the previous posts were displayed when one writes a reply.

Hello Louise, I am not surprised over this confusion. There are two separate organisations I think. The Missings Persons Bureau is an arm of the police service, I think. As far as I can tell, their website only lists missing children. ( Don't ask me why). The organisation Missing People has a website which lists both children and adults ( I think) and this organisation is run by a charity.

Well done Sylvia for your contact with the Relative's group. That was great! The gas people have let me down a third time today ( supposed to be coming to do a quote), so I am unexpectedly free this afternoon. But it's an 'ill wind ' as they say. Or should I say every cloud has a silver lining. It gives me time to make contact with the people who manage the community noticeboards outside my local station and then this afternoon I'll go to a meeting of a Pensioners group, so I will take some spare posters over there. They are a very feisty bunch and always leave me feeling a proper wimp by comparison. I bet they'll help!

 

[DeborahBlythe]

Brighton Argus

Thanks to Andy Whelan of the Brighton Argus for tonight's article and photo of John, and well done to Clare for her quotes.

 

[Margarita]

I would like to thank Deborah Blythe

It gives me time to make contact with the people who manage the community noticeboards outside my local station and then this afternoon I'll go to a meeting of a Pensioners group, so I will take some spare posters over there. They are a very feisty bunch and always leave me feeling a proper wimp by comparison. I bet they'll help!

and all other orgaiation you've posted and got in contact with

I do admire your determination in getting the ball rolling in helping , well done

and Linda Mc for starting this thread , well done

 

[cannuck]

Hello everyone,

My heart sinks everyday that we hear nothing. One great thing that sustains me from across the sea is that all of you are still pushing on. I receive emails from colleagues and friends inquiring everyday on the search, and to let me know that they are passing on the poster to their UK friends and family, and continuing to light candles at their churches and in their homes.

Thank you to Ann for the phone call. It was wonderful to hear your voice.
I am continually amazed at how creative everyone is! Good work! Let's hope Deborah's group have some more ideas!
Yes, I see that the Missing Person's group lists both adults and children and I think they are the one's who can send the poster notice onto their videos, I think.
I believe that Clare has been passed on the information.

I will look for Clare's quotes in the Argus.

Love Louise

 

[strawberrywhip]

So sorry Louise that you have had no news Thinking of you and your family

 

[Cymbaline]

Today sees the one-month anniversary of John's disappearance. I really can't believe that it's been so long and there's still no sign of him.

I'm so sorry to come across this thread. What a terribly sad story. I really hope that John will be found soon. My thoughts are with you all.