Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, Jun 1997 #5

[Itsapuzzle]

This is BW's evidence from the inquest. Will add DS's evidence later in the week.

 

[SaintGertrude]

This is BW's evidence from the inquest. Will add DS's evidence later in the week.

Thank you It's a puzzle. It is good to have a write up of what was said at the inquest and makes things a lot clearer.

 

[KiwiNZ]

Thank you Itsapuzzel - great work.

I don't know if this sister is really naïve or what, but how is her though process rational ? who needs to move their money to a untraceable account just to have peace and quiet on a holiday ?

She also believed Marion was purposely taking money from her account.
“I just thought she was putting it in another bank account that wasn't traceable, which would make sense if you wanted peace and quiet. I didn't get hysterical about money being taken out of the bank account.”

 

[poppypopcorn]

I think I remember from the podcast that someone in the UK had made enquiries about the Orient Express, as with so many things, there are no longer records. It's a fairly popular thing to do, you can even (in non-Covid times) book an afternoon tea on the Orient Express. So you board in London, the train drives around for a few hours as you eat your scones and drink your tea. Then it drops you back where you started.

No idea if those sorts of trips existed in the 90s but they probably did. So Marion's "going on the Orient Express" could be anything from a few hours over an afternoon, to the full trip.

 

[SaintGertrude]

This person is interesting as his son went to TSS. I have been unable to find any link with Marion as it seems that he went to the school a year after she resigned.
Former police detective and son face court charged with money laundering, fraud

I think I remember from the podcast that someone in the UK had made enquiries about the Orient Express, as with so many things, there are no longer records. It's a fairly popular thing to do, you can even (in non-Covid times) book an afternoon tea on the Orient Express. So you board in London, the train drives around for a few hours as you eat your scones and drink your tea. Then it drops you back where you started.

No idea if those sorts of trips existed in the 90s but they probably did. So Marion's "going on the Orient Express" could be anything from a few hours over an afternoon, to the full trip.

 

[SaintGertrude]

July 2000
Kent & Sussex Gardens
Day Excursions from London
What's included:
Brunch with Bucks Fizz on outward journey, guided coach tour including admission to Great Dixter and another garden in season. Two course lunch with champagne and wine on return.

Depart London: 09:00
Arrive London: 18:00

Price: £180 per person

2000:
Apr 14; May 19; Jun 16; Jul 28; Sep 8; Oct 17

All timings are approximate and subject to change.

 

[SaintGertrude]

 

[SaintGertrude]

Deleted

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Thank you It's a puzzle. It is good to have a write up of what was said at the inquest and makes things a lot clearer.

No worries, having it as a pdf you can just download it and save it, read it later if you want it as a reference.
PS: Whoops, spotted a typo in it .... "how" "now" brown cow

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Just uploading the podcast inquest evidence of DS if anyone's interested to have a read.
I really liked hearing from Marion's sisters, they seem like really nice people who cared very much for Marion and truly miss her.
I would have liked to hear all of their evidence, but ah well, we've got these little snippets.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

I think I remember from the podcast that someone in the UK had made enquiries about the Orient Express, as with so many things, there are no longer records. It's a fairly popular thing to do, you can even (in non-Covid times) book an afternoon tea on the Orient Express. So you board in London, the train drives around for a few hours as you eat your scones and drink your tea. Then it drops you back where you started.

No idea if those sorts of trips existed in the 90s but they probably did. So Marion's "going on the Orient Express" could be anything from a few hours over an afternoon, to the full trip.

Marion said she was rebooking the Orient Express trip due to the floods in Germany so I surmise from
that she was going on an extended journey across mainland Europe. Also the fact she repeatedly told everyone this was one of the reasons for her coming over to the UK. Would a couple of hours be enough?

But would a lady like Marion travel on her own on the Orient Express? From what we know about her it just doesn’t seem likely to me. Was she intending celebrating something?

I know investigations have been made previously but you would think they would keep a previous customer mailing list.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I think she would. She mentioned "being brave" and hiring a rental car. I think she saw the trip as an adventure.

I've never thought of travelling on a train by myself on long trips as something scary and I doubt that Marion would have either.
I'm sure she'd think of travelling on the Orient Express by herself as quite a safe thing to do. I know I would.

But would a lady like Marion travel on her own on the Orient Express? From what we know about her it just doesn’t seem likely to me.

 

[SaintGertrude]

This has to be the worst write up about Marion by far. So many inconsistencies. Flora Bella Limakel and Sally Raydon
Lady Vanishes: The strange disappearance of an Australian school teacher - Illinois News Today

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Sounds like something written by a computer. I have heard it happens.

This has to be the worst write up about Marion by far. So many inconsistencies. Flora Bella Limakel and Sally Raydon
Lady Vanishes: The strange disappearance of an Australian school teacher - Illinois News Today

 

[Itsapuzzle]

This is slightly clearer, but still pretty indecipherable - sorry, can't find the post now where someone requested a clearer copy and some clues on what it said. It's really interesting that Marion has put "HD" for "home duties" as her "Usual occupation" in answer to question 10. That's strange, isn't it, as she left Australia. On the return card she wrote "home duties". On the old passenger cards from years ago she put "teacher" as the occupation. I think the tick in the Resident Departing Temporarily says (2) Main reason for going abroad, tick, holidays.
In the Resident Departing Permanently, it looks like (3) If you were born in Australia - can't read, but something like how many years months have you lived here and it looks like 22 or 32 (?) years, can't quite make it out.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

This is slightly clearer, but still pretty indecipherable - sorry, can't find the post now where someone requested a clearer copy and some clues on what it said. It's really interesting that Marion has put "HD" for "home duties" as her "Usual occupation" in answer to question 10. That's strange, isn't it, as she left Australia. On the return card she wrote "home duties". On the old passenger cards from years ago she put "teacher" as the occupation. I think the tick in the Resident Departing Temporarily says (2) Main reason for going abroad, tick, holidays.
In the Resident Departing Permanently, it looks like (3) If you were born in Australia - can't read, but something like how many years months have you lived here and it looks like 22 or 32 (?) years, can't quite make it out.
View attachment 307175

The spelling of Luxembourg is poor whoever wrote it.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

The spelling of Luxembourg is poor whoever wrote it.

Yes Lord Peter Flimsy ... all I can think of is maybe the person she presented the card to asked her where specifically in Europe she was intending to live and she's told them Luxembourg, and the person at the desk has written it in? I find this card more fascinating than the returning card because it has her future intentions there, the moment she left Australia. Luxembourg.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Yes Lord Peter Flimsy ... all I can think of is maybe the person she presented the card to asked her where specifically in Europe she was intending to live and she's told them Luxembourg, and the person at the desk has written it in? I find this card more fascinating than the returning card because it has her future intentions there, the moment she left Australia. Luxembourg.

It looks like her intentions were to travel around Europe and possibly Luxembourg as her main destination.

 

[Laughing]

The spelling of Luxembourg is poor whoever wrote it.

I would expect that a person hired & paid to handle international departure forms could spell the names of other countries....

But, that really doesn't bring us any closer to Marion Barter!

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[JLZ]

I would expect that a person hired & paid to handle international departure forms could spell the names of other countries....

But, that really doesn't bring us any closer to Marion Barter!

jmho ymmv lrr

In German it's spelt Luxemburg.

Edit: also in Dutch.