I have a friend who used to live here but now lives a short distance from her son and his partner in the UK. She has not answered emails, texts or phone calls for at least 3 weeks.
Her son’s telephone numbers only produce ‘Unable to Connect’ messages, as does hers.
I am starting to get worried so tried 3 other ways this evening. A name finder service for her neighbour,
I was willing to pay the 50p demanded but when I read the tiny t&cs realised that I was signing up to a recurring £39 .
I ran a local taxi service to ask them to send a car round with a message but they said that council rules forbad that and suggested the police non-emergency 101 number.
All I got there were different voices offering me multiple buttons to push non of which was anything to do with what I wanted.
We do not have anyone in common in the UK and she is too far for me to send a friend or family member of mine round.
Any suggestions.?
Also, what does Unable to Connect mean? It isn’t an international block on my phone because I have just tested a phone call to my English bank.
Thanks, I’ll give them a try in the morning. Strange about that taxi though, I have often delivered messages in the past when I was taxiing to people who couldn’t otherwise be contacted. She said they couldn’t even deliver parcels anymore, that used to be a very big part of our job. She mumbled something about shopping during Covid but that had all come to an end. Very strange.
Ilisite operations are now returning to low-tech more difficult field/track, e tc maybe that’s why they don’t want the hassle & of getting involved in anything which maybe out of order.
What about asking on here if anyone has relatives near to the address. If you gave the nearest town where your friend lives its not giving much away. Someone might have a relative who could contact them for you.
Good idea @Shiba , though I haven’t noticed anyone in the vicinity of Sutton in Ashfiled, Notts. But worth a try. I have family in Nottingham and also Fran’s daughter is in Chesterfield, so I might try them before too long.
I didn’t mention that as well as Val, my best pal and his wife have also been out of touch but I have family close by who are investigating.
All these people are close friends of both Fran and I and are the only ones not to respond to the news of her death. I am certain that it isn’t a case of embarrassement in not knowing what to say, but very puzzling.
@b33jay Thank you, if anything that is more worrying, one phone, understandible, but 2 phones of a separate but related person, very strange.
Do you know which local newspaper covers your friend’s area? Just thinking that if something unexpected had happened, it might be reported. Simple Google checks with her name is worth a try too, but I imagine you’ve already done that
Another thought - when did you last hear from her? Although the usual websites showing deaths are not at all recent, the probate site is up to date. Bit morbid, I know, but I do check there if all else fails… Hopefully something else more positive will appear soon!
Last communication was in February when she sent her usual Birthday Greetings to Fran. Her birthday is near both of ours so she never forgot.
Google produced nothing, nor the local paper but I was surprised there isn’t a letters section. Are these old hat nowadays then?
Off to check FB now, but her name is not unusual so I reckon I will get the same results as I did when trying to contact Fran’s daughter in law. Hundreds of hits, non useful.
You have her address so perhaps searching that might come up with something on an estate agent’s website if it’s being sold…
EDIT: Also, if you normally use Google to search, you could try another search engine like, say, dogpile.com which combines the results from several different search engines, not just Google.
It may be the case they are corresponding by letter. In that case, it has taken six weeks for a birthday card to reach my sister which I posted ten days before her actual birthday to allow for delays - six weeks though,that is not acceptable and I shall not be sending anything by post to the UK in future as even SIL in the US got his card within ten days posting from here.
I know the name is off-putting but it uses results from Yahoo and other search engines so I found it to be the best by a long way a few years ago. However, it has since been sold for megabucks so presumably has gone to ground…
Just ot say “Thank you” @David_Spardo for raising the question as it prompted me to check the https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk site again for a friend who hasn’t been in touch and, sadly, I found out why…
A difficult one to “like” but immensely useful. I just realise I’ve not had a birthday card from a (now) 95 yo close friend of my mother I’ve known since I was born.
The death indexes for the UK registry office only go ip to 2021 although there are other (partial) ones covering the UK which get to the beginning of 2023 now.
Probate office entries appear as soon as probate is granted (if it ever is) so may or may not be long delayed after death.
Bit depressing, I know, but I check them regularly - a less-than-cheery aspect of getting older I suppose
