UK UK - Claudia Lawrence, 35, Chef, York University, 18 March 2009 #8

[MajorLang]

Hi, I’ve spent the last week reading all the sections of this thread and learning more about the CL case. York has been my home for the last 25 years and I was working at the University of York (UoY) when CL disappeared. Only recently, however, I have developed a real interest in the case, not least because The Acomb (now Clockhouse) is 10 mins walk from my house and it is still unclear what role (if any) this part of town has played in CL’s disappearance. Whilst the focus has rightly been on Heworth and the NH, I can’t help thinking that some answers could be found in this other ‘complex’ York suburb. I’ve been asking round a few questions, pounding the streets (literally), viewing the area on Street View in years gone by and doing some research online, particularly on those who run the pub. It’s getting a little late now, but I’d be happy to share my findings, however small, in the next few days. The amount and quality of work that people on this thread have done is incredible. I don’t think I can add anymore to the cctv analysis, for example, and I agree with Major and others that people who were close to CL are responsible. But somehow I cannot get out out of my head that after CL was abducted (and probably killed) that night, she might have been taken to this part of town, at least initially.

Perhaps to Acomb police station?

 

[keep-it-real]

Hi, I’ve spent the last week reading all the sections of this thread and learning more about the CL case. York has been my home for the last 25 years and I was working at the University of York (UoY) when CL disappeared. Only recently, however, I have developed a real interest in the case, not least because The Acomb (now Clockhouse) is 10 mins walk from my house and it is still unclear what role (if any) this part of town has played in CL’s disappearance. Whilst the focus has rightly been on Heworth and the NH, I can’t help thinking that some answers could be found in this other ‘complex’ York suburb. I’ve been asking round a few questions, pounding the streets (literally), viewing the area on Street View in years gone by and doing some research online, particularly on those who run the pub. It’s getting a little late now, but I’d be happy to share my findings, however small, in the next few days. The amount and quality of work that people on this thread have done is incredible. I don’t think I can add anymore to the cctv analysis, for example, and I agree with Major and others that people who were close to CL are responsible. But somehow I cannot get out out of my head that after CL was abducted (and probably killed) that night, she might have been taken to this part of town, at least initially.

Great to have you on board AcbMurders...

 

[AcbMurders]

Perhaps to Acomb police station?

If only! Re: A_comb police station is tiny and not that close to the A_comb pub (at least 15 mins walk) but literally next door to the Carlton Tavern. The A_comb pub had always had a terrible reputation but PH improved it Fortunes change at landmark pub. What I don’t understand is where he found half a million pound to buy it in the first place and then financed a major refurb worth another fortune in 2015, when they also changed the name.

 

[Yozzer]

Worth checking this out. A couple of investigators have obviously spent a lot of time working on the possible Halliwell link but it is the black and white photo of the white Astra van that interests me. Once the blue glare is removed, you are left with what looks like a man wearing a white shirt standing facing a doorway, possibly with arms folded. Take a look.
North Yorks Enquirer | Did Halliwell Murder Claudia Lawrence?

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Worth checking this out. A couple of investigators have obviously spent a lot of time working on the possible Halliwell link but it is the black and white photo of the white Astra van that interests me. Once the blue glare is removed, you are left with what looks like a man wearing a white shirt standing facing a doorway, possibly with arms folded. Take a look.
North Yorks Enquirer | Did Halliwell Murder Claudia Lawrence?

Are the proportions Astra Van - person possible, if the person is standing behind the Van? Do you know, what I mean? The person looks a bit too tall in relation to the height of the car. When still all blue, I thought the same.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Hi, I’ve spent the last week reading all the sections of this thread and learning more about the CL case. York has been my home for the last 25 years and I was working at the University of York (UoY) when CL disappeared. Only recently, however, I have developed a real interest in the case, not least because The Acomb (now Clockhouse) is 10 mins walk from my house and it is still unclear what role (if any) this part of town has played in CL’s disappearance. Whilst the focus has rightly been on Heworth and the NH, I can’t help thinking that some answers could be found in this other ‘complex’ York suburb. I’ve been asking round a few questions, pounding the streets (literally), viewing the area on Street View in years gone by and doing some research online, particularly on those who run the pub. It’s getting a little late now, but I’d be happy to share my findings, however small, in the next few days. The amount and quality of work that people on this thread have done is incredible. I don’t think I can add anymore to the cctv analysis, for example, and I agree with Major and others that people who were close to CL are responsible. But somehow I cannot get out out of my head that after CL was abducted (and probably killed) that night, she might have been taken to this part of town, at least initially.

In any case I've not forgotten, that it was said, CL had often stayed in the Acomb-area during weeks before her disappearing. When I saw pics of some men at the time, PH intuitionally seemed to be the most interesting person to me - just the prey scheme and exceptionally handsome (in contrary to other men from "the club"), but burdened with children and financial responsibilities. MOO

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I've checked the occupiers before and none appeared relevant. PR now owns 15 Heworth Place and at the time of Ckaudias disappearance he had moved out of his family home that was further afield. SR I believe may have lived in one of the more modern houses at the end of Heworth Place. PR may have lived in Heworth Place at this time as a TransCore Van was often parked in Heworth Place

I remember, that PR's home was searched and I saw a picture. It was the right half of a building and had nothing pretty to it, unlike what I would have imagined to be the home/front garden of a builder. For me it is not findable now. When I searched with Google time ago, I couldn't find the same house again, not with certainty. I believe, it was said back then, that JK already lived with him in the same home.

 

[MajorLang]

If only! Re: A_comb police station is tiny and not that close to the A_comb pub (at least 15 mins walk) but literally next door to the Carlton Tavern. The A_comb pub had always had a terrible reputation but PH improved it Fortunes change at landmark pub. What I don’t understand is where he found half a million pound to buy it in the first place and then financed a major refurb worth another fortune in 2015, when they also changed the name.

@AcbMurders Good to have a local on board. I'm sure that it's not only me that is intrigued by your deliberate spelling of Acomb as A_comb? (3 times presented in this way)
Perhaps you could elaborate?
Regarding money to improve the pub and rebrand it to Clockhouse.
Perhaps this was drug money as to attract the "right" clientele that would be a more condusive ambiance to purchase a pack of "chalky".
The third point I would like to make about Acomb (correct spelling) The police station was evacuated a short while before Claudia disappearance due to an alarm going off.
Whilst the station was vacated, who was checking out what the "Local" police had in their files and did some surveillance evidence or notes go astray.
Did someone discover what Claudias Part was?

 

[cortina]

slightly further back, major raised a point I've been thinking about in a slightly different way....whether alley man wanted to be on camera.
if were talking about locals, wouldn't they have known where the cameras were.

ie, its possible he planted himself there in the knowledge he would be a big distraction ....perhaps didn't live anywhere around there, so couldn't easily. be identified.

if the alley was used as a regular drugs run, or even an occasional one, wouldn't there be more cctv or how often was it wiped.

was there any kind of protection or amnesty given to local drug users if they had information about the local drugs scene.

wasn't a comb ....my computer refuses to write it as a joined up word....relevant in terms of cs alleged policeman boyfriend

 

[Popejohn3]

@AcbMurders Good to have a local on board. I'm sure that it's not only me that is intrigued by your deliberate spelling of Acomb as A_comb? (3 times presented in this way)
Perhaps you could elaborate?
Regarding money to improve the pub and rebrand it to Clockhouse.
Perhaps this was drug money as to attract the "right" clientele that would be a more condusive ambiance to purchase a pack of "chalky".
The third point I would like to make about Acomb (correct spelling) The police station was evacuated a short while before Claudia disappearance due to an alarm going off.
Whilst the station was vacated, who was checking out what the "Local" police had in their files and did some surveillance evidence or notes go astray.
Did someone discover what Claudias Part was?

The plot thickens even further !!

 

[Popejohn3]

Hi, I’ve spent the last week reading all the sections of this thread and learning more about the whatCL case. York has been my home for the last 25 years and I was working at the University of York (UoY) when CL disappeared. Only recently, however, I have developed a real interest in the case, not least because The Acomb (now Clockhouse) is 10 mins walk from my house and it is still unclear what role (if any) this part of town has played in CL’s disappearance. Whilst the focus has rightly been on Heworth and the NH, I can’t help thinking that some answers could be found in this other ‘complex’ York suburb. I’ve been asking round a few questions, pounding the streets (literally), viewing the area on Street View in years gone by and doing some research online, particularly on those who run the pub. It’s getting a little late now, but I’d be happy to share my findings, however small, in the next few days. The amount and quality of work that people on this thread have done is incredible. I don’t think I can add anymore to the cctv analysis, for example, and I agree with Major and others that people who were close to CL are responsible. But somehow I cannot get out out of my head that after CL was abducted (and probably killed) that night, she might have been taken to this part of town, at least initially.

What makes you think Claudia was taken to the Acomb area after the 18 th March?
Is it because her phone was there weeks before ? And because the police searched the pub ? Or do you suspect something else ?

 

[cortina]

cs relationship with a policeman has long been considered a possible motive....if the druggies of the 2 pubs combined, they'd have a lot of options at their disposal, as well as vehicles etc

 

[Popejohn3]

cs relationship with a policeman has long been considered a possible motive....if the druggies of the 2 pubs combined, they'd have a lot of options at their disposal, as well as vehicles etc

I think there has never been a policeMan boyfriend! The police don’t seem they want to shed any light on the subject because perhaps it was a policeWoman all the time ?
Pope comes to mind, old friends ?!

 

[Popejohn3]

slightly further back, major raised a point I've been thinking about in a slightly different way....whether alley man wanted to be on camera.
if were talking about locals, wouldn't they have known where the cameras were.

ie, its possible he planted himself there in the knowledge he would be a big distraction ....perhaps didn't live anywhere around there, so couldn't easily. be identified.

if the alley was used as a regular drugs run, or even an occasional one, wouldn't there be more cctv or how often was it wiped.

was there any kind of protection or amnesty given to local drug users if they had information about the local drugs scene.

wasn't a comb ....my computer refuses to write it as a joined up word....relevant in terms of cs alleged policeman boyfriend

My question would be : Have the police ever ( and why not ?) given amnesty to all except the possible murder of CL ?

 

[Popejohn3]

slightly further back, major raised a point I've been thinking about in a slightly different way....whether alley man wanted to be on camera.
if were talking about locals, wouldn't they have known where the cameras were.

ie, its possible he planted himself there in the knowledge he would be a big distraction ....perhaps didn't live anywhere around there, so couldn't easily. be identified.

if the alley was used as a regular drugs run, or even an occasional one, wouldn't there be more cctv or how often was it wiped.

was there any kind of protection or amnesty given to local drug users if they had information about the local drugs scene.

wasn't a comb ....my computer refuses to write it as a joined up word....relevant in terms of cs alleged policeman boyfriend

The Allyman is most probably NOT local as Driscol suggests...he would have been identified by now !

 

[Popejohn3]

@AcbMurders Good to have a local on board. I'm sure that it's not only me that is intrigued by your deliberate spelling of Acomb as A_comb? (3 times presented in this way)
Perhaps you could elaborate?
Regarding money to improve the pub and rebrand it to Clockhouse.
Perhaps this was drug money as to attract the "right" clientele that would be a more condusive ambiance to purchase a pack of "chalky".
The third point I would like to make about Acomb (correct spelling) The police station was evacuated a short while before Claudia disappearance due to an alarm going off.
Whilst the station was vacated, who was checking out what the "Local" police had in their files and did some surveillance evidence or notes go astray.
Did someone discover what Claudias Part was?

I’m not embarrassed okay I’ll ask lol :what is meant by “.... to purchase a pack of “chalky “ ?

 

[moonsafari]

Weds night were usually student nights when I was at uni so although it's a couple of miles from York Uni the pub was right by students living in that area so I assume they'd have put something on to attract more.

Pub quizs could happen any night although usually a Sunday where I live and given she belted out Elton John painfully on a regular basis I assume they did karaoke nights. @moonsafari would confirm anyway if she hasn't already previously.

I assume given she was comfortably inviting her dad to the NH on a regular basis she also invited some of her work colleagues there on occasions if they didn't live too far so that must be another angle the police looked at some stage.

No karaoke nights while I worked there. Wednesday was Quiz night iirc and Thursday was usually live music night. Back bar regularly played sporting events as and when and as previously discussed the Wednesday/Thursday Claudia disappeared the Nag's hosted Euro matches (possibly.)
WHY THEN is such a glaring question: Was it Ray's absence, either logistically or in terms of reason for an act/event which led to an accident that was subsequently covered up?
From memory George rarely slept in the rooms unless it was the weekend. Who if anyone stayed in the B&B rooms Wednesday night, and if they did so who stayed over in another room in terms of staff, if anyone? Who opened up the pub on Thursday morning and could that be another explanation as to WHY THEN? Dave the barman lived at the top of Heworth Road but he usually started work at 9am and iirc he was particular about his hours, although he did deal with early morning deliveries.

I saw Claudia's dad at the pub on multiple occasions, her mum less so. From memory it was in the afternoon and early evening. He wasn't there often but I used to work the latter half of the week so I can't say definitively.

I don't think she did invite work colleagues to the Nag's that often, it was her off duty local and I imagine she perhaps relayed more about her personal life in relation to the Nag's to people she knew were not in proximity to the locals there...

 

[AcbMurders]

In any case I've not forgotten, that it was said, CL had often stayed in the Acomb-area during weeks before her disappearing. When I saw pics of some men at the time, PH intuitionally seemed to be the most interesting person to me - just the prey scheme and exceptionally handsome (in contrary to other men from "the club"), but burdened with children and financial responsibilities. MOO

I agree that PH might have been handsome, albeit in a very roguish sort of way, in the 2000's (and had a distinctive, not-so-stylish fringe), but he definitely looked less so when he was arrested IMO. I've not seen photo of him since and I can't wait for the pubs to reopen so that I can 'drop in my local' for a drink... As for responsibilities, he and his wife have 5 children between them, plus a big pub to run and who knows what else

 

[keep-it-real]

No karaoke nights while I worked there. Wednesday was Quiz night iirc and Thursday was usually live music night. Back bar regularly played sporting events as and when and as previously discussed the Wednesday/Thursday Claudia disappeared the Nag's hosted Euro matches (possibly.)
WHY THEN is such a glaring question: Was it Ray's absence, either logistically or in terms of reason for an act/event which led to an accident that was subsequently covered up?
From memory George rarely slept in the rooms unless it was the weekend. Who if anyone stayed in the B&B rooms Wednesday night, and if they did so who stayed over in another room in terms of staff, if anyone? Who opened up the pub on Thursday morning and could that be another explanation as to WHY THEN? Dave the barman lived at the top of Heworth Road but he usually started work at 9am and iirc he was particular about his hours, although he did deal with early morning deliveries.

I saw Claudia's dad at the pub on multiple occasions, her mum less so. From memory it was in the afternoon and early evening. He wasn't there often but I used to work the latter half of the week so I can't say definitively.

I don't think she did invite work colleagues to the Nag's that often, it was her off duty local and I imagine she perhaps relayed more about her personal life in relation to the Nag's to people she knew were not in proximity to the locals there...

Moonsafari .... The Limes complex housed Uni students. Was the NH frequented by students regularly?

 

[Yozzer]

I don't think she did invite work colleagues to the Nag's that often, it was her off duty local and I imagine she perhaps relayed more about her personal life in relation to the Nag's to people she knew were not in proximity to the locals there...

This fits with her tendency to compartmentalise life and friends.