UK UK - Andrew Gosden, 14, Doncaster, South Yorks, 14 Sep 2007 #2

[ChatteringBirds]

@AtticusPip Sorry if I ask repetitive questions. I just follow too many cases to keep track of who said what. Including me
Interesting, so you believe he intended to stay away for awhile. I lean away from this because he left 100 pounds at home, didn't bring a backpack of clothing, didn't bring a charger for his PSP, didn't leave a note, and it would make sense not to buy a return ticket if he wasn't sure which train he wanted to return with, but it's an interesting idea.
Also as a parent, I agree it's a terrifying situation.

@Oakie In my opinion, LE did interview many people (his friends, teachers, etc) and no one has come forward to say they saw him talking to an older person. I think his parents reviewed their home phone records very carefully, and he didn't have a working cell phone. I'm not sure how else the possibility could be explored, but I do agree the idea of "starting a new life together" might appeal to a bored or unhappy teenager.

We know he walked home from school on 2 occasions not long before he went missing. Whether it was just to walk and ponder, just to avoid the bus, or to plan going to London in some way is the question. No one has ever come forward to say they saw him walking, or doing anything else, on those days, as far as has ever been released though

 

[Kitkat28]

Has anyone explored the possibility that someone from the Doncaster area had asked Andrew to meet him in London? It seems the police must have looked at this scenario, but I have yet to read this explicitly stated anywhere. Perhaps he was "groomed" by some adult near his home, who said something like, "meet me in London, and we'll start a new life together"....

Yes, about 1 million times! After all this time, every scenario has been explored. I think we tend to forget that these types of websites don’t exist in a bubble; Andrew’s family, and indeed the police, have not just given up looking for him and left amateurs to come up with theories.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Yes, about 1 million times! After all this time, every scenario has been explored. I think we tend to forget that these types of websites don’t exist in a bubble; Andrew’s family, and indeed the police, have not just given up looking for him and left amateurs to come up with theories.

I interpret Oakie's question as asking how much and what did LE do to explore the possibility?

In my opinion his parents weren't happy with the pace of the investigation, and I personally don't blame them for being unhappy with how his case was handled back in 2007.

 

[Kitkat28]

Very few missing teenager cases are handled properly though unfortunately, unless they are middle to upper class white girls.

The automatic reaction is that they’ve ‘run away’ so by the time the police decide to actually investigate properly valuable time has been wasted and evidence lost, as with CCTV in Andrew’s case.

 

[AtticusPip]

@AtticusPip Sorry if I ask repetitive questions. I just follow too many cases to keep track of who said what. Including me
Interesting, so you believe he intended to stay away for awhile. I lean away from this because he left 100 pounds at home, didn't bring a backpack of clothing, didn't bring a charger for his PSP, didn't leave a note, and it would make sense not to buy a return ticket if he wasn't sure which train he wanted to return with, but it's an interesting idea.
Also as a parent, I agree it's a terrifying situation.

@Oakie In my opinion, LE did interview many people (his friends, teachers, etc) and no one has come forward to say they saw him talking to an older person. I think his parents reviewed their home phone records very carefully, and he didn't have a working cell phone. I'm not sure how else the possibility could be explored, but I do agree the idea of "starting a new life together" might appeal to a bored or unhappy teenager.

We know he walked home from school on 2 occasions not long before he went missing. Whether it was just to walk and ponder, just to avoid the bus, or to plan going to London in some way is the question. No one has ever come forward to say they saw him walking, or doing anything else, on those days, as far as has ever been released though

TBH - I dipped into this particular case a few months ago - I apologise if I came across rude - I just surmise that I think he knew where he was going that particular day. Your absolutely right - so many different contrasting variables.

Did he use trains often, if not, would he have ever considered a return ticket. You can be educationally bright - but have no life experience. I know they looked at the music gigs that played in and around London that night. He must have known at some point he was going to get caught - if it was just for a day/night - that his actions would catch up with him so (and there's no evidence) why delete/lose any digital footprint or correspondence with a third party about a meet up?

EDIT: He went home twice before - was this to intercept a letter/postcard etc??

Equally mystifies me and terrifies me senseless that a bright young person can just disappear. How did he survive once the money ran out - would he be able to use hostels, taking his age and appearance, without somebody reporting him to social services. I could really be consumed by this case - I should try and undertake a deep dive.

I've asked my son who is 16 to have a look at the information to see if it suggests anything to him.

Once again - poorly worded opening sentence it wasn't meant to be - apologies ChatteringBird for any confusion.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

@AtticusPip Truly no need to apologize.

What do you mean by, "He went home twice before?"

 

[AtticusPip]

@AtticusPip Truly no need to apologize.

What do you mean by, "He went home twice before?"

You mentioned in a previous post - 'We know he walked home from school on 2 occasions not long before he went missing' I read this that he may have skipped school to return home to intercept a correspondence.

My lad has looked into the gaming systems/messaging services of the time - and he seems to think that police have ruled out all the known electronic methods on his devices.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

You mentioned in a previous post - 'We know he walked home from school on 2 occasions not long before he went missing' I read this that he may have skipped school to return home to intercept a correspondence.

As far as what's known, he didn't previously skip school. He normally took the bus home, but on 2 recent occasions walked home from school instead of taking the bus.
ETA: So actually took longer to get home those days.

I think this is relevant, but is it only relevant to his state-of-mind (either finding the bus unbearable or just wanting to walk and think, feeling very restless), or was he actually doing more than walking, such as stopping somewhere to buy something / plan or even talking to someone?
We may never know, but I think it must mean something.

 

[Deathsgrandaughter]

As far as what's known, he didn't previously skip school. He normally took the bus home, but on 2 recent occasions walked home from school instead of taking the bus.
ETA: So actually took longer to get home those days.

I think this is relevant, but is it only relevant to his state-of-mind (either finding the bus unbearable or just wanting to walk and think, feeling very restless), or was he actually doing more than walking, such as stopping somewhere to buy something / plan or even talking to someone?
We may never know, but I think it must mean something.

I think this too, and also wondered if the walking home was to see if people had missed him by then. To sse how long he would have on the day he actually left before the alarm was raised.

 

[AtticusPip]

OK - so its quite difficult to thoroughly rule anything in or out, I'm aware that the police investigated the music link - checking any potential gigs that Andrew may have attended. So I decided to have a look into any television links - in and around those dates - or a street/building that may have been of interest.

I noticed a tardis in one of the pictures of his poor Dad in his bedroom. There was a season of Dr Who being filmed and potentially there was also an episode that was London centric - however according to the available information the shots taken in London were for special effects purposes only - was there a call for crowd scenes?

I think its common knowledge that he was a fan of Reginald Perrin - the original stories, Perrin would use the Kingston to Waterloo journey to work - also exterior shots of Ealing E5 were used in quite a focused location of three streets. Had he always wanted to find the streets? Or follow in the footsteps of Perrin (in parts fictional) daily journey to work?

Also was there any chance that Andrew had a break in London to then move onto Dorset - where Perrin walked into the sea (obviously this is a huge reach)

I just wonder if he was aware of a filming event? - did he like Harry Potter? - if anybody has any suggestions I'm more than happy to take a deeper look.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Also was there any chance that Andrew had a break in London to then move onto Dorset - where Perrin walked into the sea (obviously this is a huge reach)

Which specific book (title) does that occur in please?

ETA: And I recall he did like Harry Potter. I can try to find the source where I remember that from...

 

[AtticusPip]

The TV series

Reggie's faked suicide, which formed part of the title sequence, occurred at West Bay, Dorset, with the East Cliff visible in the very opening shot

 

[Deathsgrandaughter]

Also was there any chance that Andrew had a break in London to then move onto Dorset - where Perrin walked into the sea (obviously this is a huge reach)
.

Snipped by me.
Do we even know that he spent any time in London? I know that is usually talked of as his destination, but it has been discussed earlier in the thread there is a possiblity he may have left Kings Cross and headed straight into St Pancras next door to catch a train elsewhere. So dificult to know with no CCTV.

 

[Oakie]

Snipped by me.
Do we even know that he spent any time in London? I know that is usually talked of as his destination, but it has been discussed earlier in the thread there is a possiblity he may have left Kings Cross and headed straight into St Pancras next door to catch a train elsewhere. So dificult to know with no CCTV.

Yes. It seems he wanted to leave no trail. Britain is awash with surveillance cameras. Given the publicity his case has received, I find it difficult to believe that he's still alive and well in Britain.

 

[dotr]

Which specific book (title) does that occur in please?

ETA: And I recall he did like Harry Potter. I can try to find the source where I remember that from...

It is mentioned at this link that AG was a fan of HP, but cannot access the full article.
2008
One year on, missing Andrew Gosden is still a blank space in family’s heart | The Times

 

[AtticusPip]

OK, Andrew disappears in the September of 2007 at this point five HP movies had been made and released and there are several buildings etc used for scenes within the earlier films.

Kings Cross Station - used in the majority of the films (I think that the permanent Platform 9 3/4 was in place at this point)

The London Zoo
Leadenhall Market
Lambeth Bridge
Borough Market
St Pancras
Australia House (Close to Oxford Street/Covent Gardens) where I'm led to believe that there may have been several unconfirmed sightings of Andrew)

Ultimately what I'm saying is that did Andrew decide to 'dip' to London take in a couple of the filming locations that he may not have seen before)

 

[Mrs Marple]

I'm not sure that the lack of planning is relevant. Not buying a return ticket, not taking the psp charger. We are thinking of what we would do. Andrew was a 14 year old boy, not street wise, probably not particularly independent. On his first trip by himself, it could be that he just didn't think of these things.

I think something has happened to him though. Who knows what paedophiles were operating in that area then.

 

[davidt]

I'm not sure that the lack of planning is relevant. Not buying a return ticket, not taking the psp charger. We are thinking of what we would do. Andrew was a 14 year old boy, not street wise, probably not particularly independent. On his first trip by himself, it could be that he just didn't think of these things.

I think something has happened to him though. Who knows what paedophiles were operating in that area then.

I think it’s potentially relevant as it may indicate whether ir not it was a planned trip or a spur of the moment decision.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

It was just Andrew's 28th birthday.

Rooting for a 'miracle' so his family will have answers.

Where Did Andrew Gosden Go? Missing In London Since 2007

 

[HCcoffee]

I'm not sure that the lack of planning is relevant. Not buying a return ticket, not taking the psp charger. We are thinking of what we would do. Andrew was a 14 year old boy, not street wise, probably not particularly independent. On his first trip by himself, it could be that he just didn't think of these things.

I'm inclined to agree, I feel like these are just red herrings. He could have simply forgot his PSP charger as he was rushing out and the lack of a return ticket isn't particularly strange either;

I posted this somewhere on Reddit but I'll repeat it here. In the UK (and I'm sure elsewhere) you have two types of return tickets; Anytime and "scheduled." As the names suggest, Anytime tickets can be used at any time until the end of the day (or perhaps even over several days, it's been a while...) to make your return journey whereas "scheduled" has a set time that you must board your return train at. The latter, scheduled, is obviously a lot cheaper than an Anytime ticket and I believe it was this type of ticket that was offered to Andrew for the small extra cost. Anytime tickets are expensive and, from what I can remember, aren't usually offered when buying a single ticket especially not for such a small amount. My point is, even if Andrew did intend to return that day it would make sense to turn down the offer because the scheduled return would have likely only given him maybe a couple of hours to do whatever he had planned. (He arrived in London at 11:20am IIRC, the scheduled ticket may have been set to around 2:00pm give or take a little)

Also a note on him apparently being "insistent" on a one-way ticket. I see it this way; it flagged up for the clerk that a return ticket would be just 75p extra (I've seen it ranging from 50p-£1 depending on the source so let's go slap-bang in the middle) so she offered this to Andrew. He probably said "No thanks" so she repeated the offer (e.g. "Are you sure? It's just 75p more") which he, again, declined. If I had a similar interaction and was then questioned by police, I would likely say the person was "insistent" too. It doesn't have to mean he was being in any way pushy or demanding, which might be what we think of when we see the word 'insistent' ! Just a thought.

Another thing that sort of bothers me is the intense focus on London. Just because he purchased a ticket for London doesn't mean he never went elsewhere soon after. For all we know he arrived at King's Cross only to leave, catch a bus and board another train at a different station to literally anywhere in the country. Hell, he may have even returned to King's Cross some hours later and caught a train. It's anyone's guess and unfortunately we don't know because CCTV wasn't pulled for such a long time after...

Man... I was travelling throughout London a lot around the time he disappeared so I find myself wondering if I ever passed him and just didn't know it. I never heard anything about his disappearance at the time, I would have kept an eye out if I had known!