how to find someone, help please

happyhero

Hi, sorry if this is in the wrong place but I was struggling to find a better place. My mother's 75th birthday is on 15th February and I would like to find a friend and family that she was friends with a while back. I would like to do it as a surprise so I cannot ask her any more questions although over the years I have asked her loads to try to find them. Her friend could be up to 10 years older than my mother and she definitely hasn't spoken to them in over 15 years possibly 20.

I am pretty good on the internet at finding stuff and often get asked to find stuff for other people but this family seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. I have tried all clever searching on Google, Facebook , Friends United, 192 etc. With her friend being the age she is I doubt she would have a Facebook account anyway, but I tried looking for her sons with no luck.

I am 53 and the lady in question had 2 sons who I have also searched for and they were a little bit younger than me but I would say less than 5 years between us.

Obviously I have not put their names on the public forum but I would just like some advice as to how to find this family and obviously I am a little worried as to whether the lady is still about due to her age, but if she was I would try to arrange that she contacts me mother on her 75th birthday, I think it would be the most fantastic surprise for her as they were really good friends. My mother does not really know why they drifted apart but distance was a factor and the family in question were very busy people running a restaurant/pub business back then.

So anyone any ideas please what I could do now that I have tried all the obvious avenues?

Any help appreciated, and private message me if you think you can help please.

cookie365

Do you know which pub/restaurant it was? Even the town?

Is it possible to actually go to the pub/a pub in the town and ask the manager? If you're at the bar with 6 regulars who each know a couple of people who might know the family, you've made close on 20 possible leads in the time it takes to have a drink.

Ralph-y

that you may need to supply more detail .....
If areas are know you can search through Parish/church / local gov records ..... for deaths
hers ( hopefully not) her husband , sons ...... marriages for her sons........

Any first trace will help you search further ....

Good luck

Ralph:cool:

happyhero

I don't know the pub, but I know it was in Basingstoke, (which unfortunately is too big an area for me to start picking pubs) many years before that I know they ran the Spar in Feltham and lived above it for several years.

I know they lived in or near Virginia Water in Surrey for several years but I think it is their names that will hold the most hope. The husband had lessons and got his pilots licence. Occasionally he hired a tiny plane at Biggan Hill (he took us up in it once) but he would be too old to do that now obviously.

Is there no place or person that will find people for you other than hiring a private detective, or have I been watching too much TV?

aaroncaz

I'm sure I heard that the Samaritans will search for you for a fee. Not found much info by googling though.

happyhero

I know the pub was in Basingstoke, unfortunately too big an area to start trying pubs.

I know they lived in Virginia Water in Surrey for a few years and before that over a Spar in Feltham; they ran the Spar. The husband took pilot lessons and got his licence, he used to hire a tiny plane occasionally and fly it at Biggan Hill, we got a ride in it once. He would be too old to fly anything now obviously.

Obviously all the information is helpful but I think it will be the name in the end that will be the biggest clue, to someone.

Are there no people or organisations that can find people for you for a small fee?

paddyrg

This is bread and butter work for probate tracing companies so try asking one of them?

Or these guys reckon £99 no find no fee - http://www.peoplefindersuk.co.uk/ worth a try?

Mojisola

Have you checked for deaths, marriages (of the sons) and births?

Also, a letter to the local paper (especially as they ran a shop and a pub) could get a response from people who know where they are now.

chivvy

Try messaging the admin of this Facebook page with the Basingstoke Pub request https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spotted-Basingstoke/560509007322517?fref=ts and this one for the Feltham Spar request https://www.facebook.com/SpottedStaines?fref=ts

happyhero

chivvy wrote: »

Try messaging the admin of this Facebook page with the Basingstoke Pub request https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spotted-Basingstoke/560509007322517?fref=ts and this one for the Feltham Spar request https://www.facebook.com/SpottedStaines?fref=ts

Thanks chivvy, I think we may have found them as one has an unusual first name. We used a combination of births, death and marriages and 192 which frustratingly holds the exact information back, but the info looks very positive.

We looked on directory enquiries and even tried one number with no luck that was in same postcode. The details we found are Reading, Berkshire, RG6, so I am thinking maybe if we had a facebook link to that area maybe someone may see it and know them.

They would be in the 75 to 85 age range I reckon and the wife has a unusual first name.

At the moment I am stuck as I have no number to phone or address to contact.

chivvy

OK, here is the link to the Reading Facebook Spotted page so try posting on there https://www.facebook.com/SpottedReading?fref=ts