News

It is with sadness that we have to report the passing of Alan (Butch) Laycock.

Alan Died on 12th June 2010 in hospital after a long Respiratory illness. Alan was a member of the 71st entry and was the founder of our entry association, he arranged our first reunion.

Music played a large part in Alan’s life, while at Halton he was a member of the military band who played at the Queens coronation.

Alan left the RAF at 30 and moved into civil aviation, initially with South African Airways then with Malaysian Airlines and finally with Gulf Air.

He retired early and returned to England and settled in Cornwall where he was a member of the Newquay Male voice choir, the Cornwall choir and the Duchy Opera. The Cornwall Male voice choir sang at his funeral.

  Geoffrey Payne

From: Ray Dodd

  REVENGE ON THE TELEMARKETER

Three Little Words That Work.

(1) The three little words: 'Hold On, Please...'

Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off(instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.

Then when you eventually hear BT's 'beep-beep-beep'tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset ..... you have efficiently completed your task.

These three little words could help eliminate telephonesoliciting.

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one onthe other end?

This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone.

This technique is then used to determine the best time of day for a 'real' salesperson to call back and get someone at home.

What you can do after answering: If you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7times, as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialled the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer!!!

3: When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope.

Most of these come with postage-prepaid return envelopes, right?

It costs them more than the regular postage 'IF' and when theyare returned. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool, little postage-prepaid return envelopes.

Send an advert for your local chimney sweeper to American Express .. they might need one!

Send a pizza coupon to HSBC ... in case their canteen packs up. You get the idea.

If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them back their blank application form ... after all, it is their form!

If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you return.

You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to - just to keep them guessing! It still costs them, and it is their envelope after all .. you are just returning it!!!!

The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lotof their own junk back in the post, but folks ...... we need to OVERWHELM them, in order to stop them.

Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they're paying for it ... Twice!

Let's help keep Royal Mail busy. Sincethe Royal Mail are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, let's help them so they will not need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea!

If enough people follow these tips, it will work ---- maybe you'll get very little junk mail anymore.

19 Sept 2009

 From: Peter Cuningham:

  The new telephone 'scam' has arrived.

  I received a call from a 'representative' of BT, informing me that he was disconnecting me because of an unpaid bill. He demanded payment immediately of £31.00, or it would be £118.00

  to re-connect at a later date. The guy wasn't even fazed when I told him I was with Virgin Media, allegedly VM have to pay BT a percentage for line rental! I asked the guy's name - the very

  'English' John Peacock with a very 'African' accent - & phone number - 0800 0800 152. Obviously the fella realized I wasn't believing his story, so offered to demonstrate that he was from

  BT. I asked how & he told me to hang up & try phoning someone - he would disconnect my phone to prevent this.

  AND HE DID!! My phone was dead - no engaged tone, nothing - until he phoned me again. Very pleased with himself, he asked if that was enough proof that he was with BT. I asked how

  the payment was to be made & he said credit card, there & then. I said that I didn't know how he'd done it, but I had absolutely no intention of paying him, I didn't believe his name or that he

  worked for BT. He hung up.

  I dialled 1471 & phoned his fictitious 0800 number that was not recognised. I then phoned the police to let them know. Apparently I wasn't the first! It's only just started but it is escalating.

  Their advice was to let as many people know by word of mouth of this scam. The fact that the phone does go off would probably convince some people it's real, so please let as many

  friends & family aware of this.

  This is good but not that clever. He gave the wrong number - it should have been 0800 800152 which takes you through to BT Business. The cutting off of the line is very simple , he stays

  on the line with the mute button on and you can't dial out - but he can hear you trying. (This is because the person who initiates a call is the one to terminate it). When you stop trying he

  cuts off and immediately calls back. You could almost be convinced! The sad thing is that it is so simple that it will certainly fool the elderly and vulnerable. Obviously, if this scam is real,

  once they have your credit/debit card details, there is nothing to stop them cleaning out your account.

  17 Sept 2009

Ian Cochrane wrote:

 Hi Guys,

  It is with great sorrow that I have to inform you of the passing of one our number. Laurie Stormont. Laurie had been in poor health over the last few years with heart problems and numerous joint replacements. Recently he had a serious fall at his home in Whiritoa ( Coromandel Peninsula ) and shattered his hip. He was taken to Thames Hospital but immediately transferred to the larger hospital in Hamilton. After a recovery period there he was transferred back to Thames Hospital where he passed away yesterday ( 6th May 2009 ). It is not known what the actual cause of death was. Funeral details are not known at this stage but I believe he is to be buried at his old home town of Wellington.

 75000 Laurence Arthur Stormont - one of life's colourful characters, would have been 73 or 74 years old.