Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

What chance finding someone with just a name?

What's Hot
axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
I'm guessing pretty non existent.

Way back in 82 I went to art college and had a great time for 3 years. Just managed to scrape a degree out of it as well. I had a great pal for the first year, we were close buddies, but the whole college ethic didn't sit well with him and he ended up pissing about and got kicked off the course after the first year. He was always smoking weed, and I knew that he used to live with friends the year before and they all got into drugs.

Not a great sign, but the 'friends' turned up in the same city, off to the local Uni. They seemed nice enough. Anyway, after being kicked out I didn't see him for a year, and then one day he came looking and found me. It was a bit of a shock, he had got badly into drugs and was visibly affected. No longer the strong minded, strong willed physical person I knew, he was dishevelled, barely liked to make eye contact, was lost for words. It was rather heartbreaking to be honest. That was the last time I ever saw him, but I have wondered so much over the years what happened to him. 

I was in my loft the other day looking for something, and out of the blue I found a pic of him in an art studio that I don't recognise ever seeing before. It made me think that I would love to know if he is still alive, but all I have to go on is his name and that he came from the South Coast somewhere?

I'm thinking this is a lost cause. I've done stuff like google and Facebook searches for his name but not sure what else one can do?
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    Try posting the picture and ask people to share on the basefook. Stranger things have happened.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • MrBumpMrBump Frets: 1244
    Are you prepared to find him..?  I wonder if that sort of thing ever ends well...
    Mark de Manbey

    Trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/72424/
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Tried Google, LinkedIn and 192 ..



    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    Look, it's over, OK.
    You hurt me so bad back in 82 I had to drop out of my first year of art college.
    There's no going back.
    9reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  •  I honestly think some things are just best left alone. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • usedtobeusedtobe Frets: 3841
    I’ve tried finding old friends, when I get random flashbacks. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. I hope you don’t regret it, if you do find him. It happens sometimes..
     so if you fancy a reissue of a guitar they never made in a colour they never used then it probably isn't too overpriced.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • RockerRocker Frets: 4943
    The Uni may be able to help, they could/might help with contact details for class reunions etc. Generally such friendships are best left in the past. The happened then, you moved on, your friend moved on.
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Depends on the name.

    John Smith might be tricky.
    Flobbity Blipbop would be somewhat easier.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    Do you know what school he went to?  Most secondary schools have some kind of Facebook page that old pupils sign up to.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • MyrandaMyranda Frets: 2940
    It does rather depends on the name, if there are middle names etc

    John Smith - no chance
    John Robert Smith - probably not
    Ezekiel Zebediah Archibold-Smith chances are much better

    Rather a morbid option but you can often search obits ... 

    searching for a name gets reasonable results in Facebook, Myspace (it still exists...) 192.com etc. can yield results... 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    axisus said:
    I would love to know if he is still alive
    I have a similar lost contact experience from my college days.

    In my case, I heard that one of my former house sharers had been involved in a motorcycle accident. The only contact information I had was his parents' home telephone number. I could not bring myself to call them.

    The one other person who might have been able to enlighten me was another of the former house sharing bunch. He and I were no longer on speaking terms after his then girlfriend took a shine to me. 

    No obituaries appeared in the local press. Eventually, I stopped worrying about it ... to the extent that, today, I cannot recall the guy's full name, only his nickname.
    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ewalewal Frets: 2558
    I have occasionally thought about looking up a long lost 'friend' who moved to London. However she could well have a different surname nowadays. 'nuff said... probably very wise not to go there...
    The Scrambler-EE Walk soundcloud experience
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    His name is a bit unusual - it only occurs once on facebook (and that isn't him). 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • CHRISB50CHRISB50 Frets: 4287
    Pretend he's a scammer on here. Let the sleuths find him for you.

    I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin

    But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to

    5reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413

    Someone posted this link above:

    https://www.192.com/people/electoral-roll/

    You can use it to search the electoral roll.  It's worth a try, although it isn't complete.  Some people (including me) opt out of the electronic searchable version so we don't get as much junk sent to us, and for privacy reasons.  Even then an old record from 2002/3 comes up when I search for me.  Thankfully that isn't at my current address.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonic said:
    Depends on the name.

    John Smith might be tricky.
    Flobbity Blipbop would be somewhat easier.
    @octatonic , is that Flobbity Blipbop of the Buckinghamshire Blipbops, or Flobbity Blipbop of the Devonshire Blipbops?
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • thermionicthermionic Frets: 9498
    edited December 2018
    With this kind of thing you need three pieces of information, not just the name. If you have say the town/city and a job/profession you'd have a good chance. I found the drummer in my first band this way. Lost contact in the 80s, but someone told me what his profession was and the part of the country he'd moved to. Found his business's facebook page - despite his surname being Jones!
    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • VeganicVeganic Frets: 673
    Some tips here:


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    edited December 2018
    After several attempts at different times I have tracked down people who were integral in my growing up and shared many great and significant memories with. However is a massive shock when you find them only to hear that they don't want to meet, don't remember any of these life changing moments and don't really like talking about the past anyway!

    Fuck you all then.
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
    2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • There's a gap in the market for a website that reunites old friends.... 
    7reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.