Found Deceased UK - Gaynor Lord was last seen in Norwich city centre on London Street heading towards Norwich Cathedral, 2:35 pm, 8 December 2023

[annpats]

Thanks for the timeline. IMO, it would be a little strange for an impromtu yoga session when she's AWOL from her workplace and not suitably dressed for it. If something made you leave work without telling anyone, would yoga be on your mind?

Exactly. That's why I don't think the lady doing yoga in the park was her. Mistaken identity?

Doing yoga in a park in the UK on a cold dark December day is a bit strange anyway, whoever it was doing it.

 

[formerpolicestaff]

Exactly. That's why I don't think the lady doing yoga in the park was her.

But how busy is the park? Would there be many people matching Gaynor's description in the park? Her belongings were found in the park so I'd suggest the sighting is likely to be correct but it wasn't yoga, it could have been meditating or praying or something to that effect, especially considering she'd just been to a cathedral which tells me she's possibly religious.

 

[annpats]

* Leaving work 1hr 15mins early - this draws attention from other staff and management, imo suicide unlikely

Well, if she was meeting someone, why couldn't it have waited?

What was so, so urgent that she just has to leave work that instantly and run out across the street, practically getting hit by a car.

Why didn't she leave work a bit earlier?

Why didn't she say to her manager or colleagues she was "sick" and going home?

 

[annpats]

But how busy is the park? Would there be many people matching Gaynor's description in the park? Her belongings were found in the park so I'd suggest the sighting is likely to be correct but it wasn't yoga, it could have been meditating or praying or something to that effect, especially considering she'd just been to a cathedral which tells me she's possibly religious.

I suppose it depends on what "yoga" looks like. It could be slightly different things to different people.
To me, it means balancing exercises, standing on one leg with your eyes shut, etc etc.

 

[PandaMarch]

I don't think anyone has said that a smile means it's not likely suicide, but rather what a few of us have identified is that most pics of her show her smiling, and she didn't go missing then - which brings into question the possibility of foul play. As you say, no one knows.

<modsnip>

That being said, I completely agree that the smile could be a facade, I mentioned that a few posts ago. But all accounts say this behaviour is totally out of character for Gaynor, which makes it all the more strange.

There have definitely been comments questioning the likelihood of a suicide due to her smiling/appearance when leaving work.
<modsnip>
The information released to the public says this is out of character for Gaynor. We have access to a fraction of the information. Additionally it is very common for signs of depression and other issues to be well hidden from people for a considerable amount of time, or indeed to be ignored or for diagnostic overshadowing to occur.

 

[RachelGellarsHair]

And did she tell her manager she was leaving? Did she tell them face to face, email, text or phone call? Or did she just leave? If she left she would have know that on her next shift she would have been pulled up for this. Which makes me think she didn't intend on coming back.

 

[formerpolicestaff]

Well, if she was meeting someone, why couldn't it have waited?

What was so, so urgent that she just has to leave work that instantly and run out across the street, practically getting hit by a car.

Why didn't she leave work a bit earlier?

Why didn't she say to her manager or colleagues she was "sick" and going home?

Because she couldn't wait. She needed to be at that cathedral, fast. Notice the CCTV shows the smile was gone after she left work, and the brisk walk began. I'll watch the footage again but at least to me, she seems to walk just a tiny bit slower after she has been to the cathedral.

 

[PandaMarch]

Exactly. That's why I don't think the lady doing yoga in the park was her. Mistaken identity?

Doing yoga in a park in the UK on a cold dark December day is a bit strange anyway, whoever it was doing it.

the witness account would have been carefully verified.

 

[JTT]

There have definitely been comments questioning the likelihood of a suicide due to her smiling/appearance when leaving work.
<modsnip>
The information released to the public says this is out of character for Gaynor. We have access to a fraction of the information. Additionally it is very common for signs of depression and other issues to be well hidden from people for a considerable amount of time, or indeed to be ignored or for diagnostic overshadowing to occur.

<modsnip: Quoted post was modsnipped> ... surely it is stating the obvious to observe that depression can be hidden and sometimes people who look untroubled can top themselves. So far there has been nothing in this case that actually points to suicidal intention, though. But yes, looking outwardly in a normal frame of mind is consistent with it. I don't think anyone disputes that. It's also consistent with the absence of it.

 

[JTT]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>
I don't know Norwich cathedral but I know another one in England that gets a lot of visitors and its nave and side chapels and choir and altar etc. aren't covered by CCTV. There's some CCTV covering the reception desk and that's about it.

 

[formerpolicestaff]

I don't know Norwich cathedral but I know another one in England that gets a lot of visitors and its nave and side chapels and choir and altar etc. aren't covered by CCTV. There's some CCTV covering the reception desk and that's about it.

That's my worry. I did recently go past a cathedral myself that claimed to have CCTV but after looking at it, at least on the outside, there were no cameras, which makes me think that could be the case here.

 

[formerpolicestaff]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>The car thing was quite eerie. She was so focused on getting to where she needed to be, that she crossed on a green light (green for the cars), jumped back as a car approached, then almost got hit by another car. That's not even the eerie bit - it was when she didn't look back. That freaked me out a little bit. She continued moving forward in a real hurry.

<modsnip>

I hope police find and release more about the cathedral inquiries.

 

[JTT]

That's my worry. I did recently go past a cathedral myself that claimed to have CCTV but after looking at it, at least on the outside, there were no cameras, which makes me think that could be the case here.

There may well be spots inside and outside the cathedral, especially inside, that are ideal for bad actors' purposes, e.g. for the handover of an earpiece, to be followed by instructions a bit later "go here, now go here, drop your [presumed smart] rings, go here, drop your phone, go here, stop by the tree, put your hands on the ground, look through your legs" [ready for further instructions given verbally by a passing walker, for added security]...

Somewhat Walter Mitty, some would say, but such a storyline is consistent with several reported features of the case.

 

[horace4831]

I'm wondering whether Gaynor may have had a pre-booked appointment with a priest at the cathedral that she didn't want to run late for. For what purpose, perhaps some spiritual advice, confession, someone independent to talk to? I'm assuming that it reasonably clear that there's nowhere else her route could lead to when she disappears from the view of cctv...
We don't currently know of her religious beliefs or if she was a worshipper there. If so, this may be the reason for her passing other places of worship on her journey there. And there may be an element of confidentiality coming into play if she spoke to a priest. Could whatever happened after this potential scenario could easily be affected by what occurred during it?
Many questions yet to have the answer to them established, including her whereabouts currently. JMO.
Praying she is found.

 

[JTT]

Clarification:

1. The police (Supt Wes Hornigold) have said they have been unable to establish the reason why GL left work early. (Source: Six clues Gaynor Lord left behind, as police search for missing Norwich mum, and children urge her to come home .)

2. Bullards have a concession at Jarrold (source: Award-Winning Luxury Norwich Gin & Spirits | Bullards Spirits ), so perhaps GL doesn't have a manager there to whom she'd have to give a reason for leaving early. According to info currently at the same page, the Bullards concession at Jarrold holds tastings from Thu-Sat at 11am to 3pm. (GL was last seen last Friday.)

 

[brodyxlove]

I live on the River Wensum and know it quite well as I own a canoe. There is a large sluice downstream at New Mills Yard near TK Maxx which is a very short distance from Wensum Park - under a mile. If she is in the water, it's a small area to check, it's not like she could be miles downstream by now - although I will say that the park is the widest part of the river, so there is just more to search in terms of square meterage.

 

[annpats]

I'm wondering whether Gaynor may have had a pre-booked appointment with a priest at the cathedral that she didn't want to run late for. For what purpose, perhaps some spiritual advice, confession, someone independent to talk to? I'm assuming that it reasonably clear that there's nowhere else her route could lead to when she disappears from the view of cctv...
We don't currently know of her religious beliefs or if she was a worshipper there. If so, this may be the reason for her passing other places of worship on her journey there. And there may be an element of confidentiality coming into play if she spoke to a priest. Could whatever happened after this potential scenario could easily be affected by what occurred during it?
Many questions yet to have the answer to them established, including her whereabouts currently. JMO.
Praying she is found.

Sure, it's possible. But why not tell work you have an appointment?

And why not return from that appointment? But go missing?

<modsnip - derailing info>

 

[annpats]

I live on the River Wensum and know it quite well as I own a canoe. There is a large sluice downstream at New Mills Yard near TK Maxx which is a very short distance from Wensum Park - under a mile. If she is in the water, it's a small area to check, it's not like she could be miles downstream by now - although I will say that the park is the widest part of the river, so there is just more to search in terms of square meterage.

Well, the specialist divers have already been in the water. Has the sluice been searched?

 

[Rush4087]

If she left work at 2:35 pm and was hurrying toward Norwich Cathedral, my guess is she was trying to make a 3:00 pm communion service.

From the Norwich Cathedral link below, it appears that a communion service is held on most days from 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm in one of the chapels.

Norwich Cathedral

A place of worship, a historic treasure, an iconic landmark

cathedral.org.uk

Jmo

 

[Tkjh]

Im guessing this suggests the main working hypothesis for the police is that she’s in the river - Lancashire police hardly came out positively in the Nicola case so I’m not sure this is the best advice to take and Unfortunately, the lead officer in NB’s case died this week from natural causes.

I thought he looked ill

I'm wondering whether Gaynor may have had a pre-booked appointment with a priest at the cathedral that she didn't want to run late for. For what purpose, perhaps some spiritual advice, confession, someone independent to talk to? I'm assuming that it reasonably clear that there's nowhere else her route could lead to when she disappears from the view of cctv...
We don't currently know of her religious beliefs or if she was a worshipper there. If so, this may be the reason for her passing other places of worship on her journey there. And there may be an element of confidentiality coming into play if she spoke to a priest. Could whatever happened after this potential scenario could easily be affected by what occurred during it?
Many questions yet to have the answer to them established, including her whereabouts currently. JMO.
Praying she is found.

I thought this .is it a Catholic Church?
.sorry I'm naive to Norwich