On the 11th September 1984 my Dad’s sister and husband were visiting Dad, my mother was in hospital.

As they walked down the drive with Dad he keeled over and died.

They used the house phone for an Ambulance etc.

Then they tried to contact me living 80 miles away.
They could not find any information to make contact. My home phone number was in Dad’s phone book.

Both Ann and I away at work so a no go.

No works phone no. In the phone book.

However they knew that I worked for a company in Harrogate and it was a subsidiary of a big company.

They phoned the Police and gave them the only info. That they had.

I think it took the Police about an hour or less to get in contact with our personnel officer and confirm where I was and he came and told my boss and then told me.

If I remember correctly my Aunt did not know the name of the company that I worked for only the parent company in London. So she told them that I worked for Taylor Woodrow in Harrogate and they took it from there.

So since then tried to cover all bases.


I understand that now if you do sports you have to supply various bits of info, to take part or do.

In the 80/90’s while on diving trips particularly to Scapa Flow we needed full info. Just in case. Only once required in 10:years but we had it.
Allan C.