Paul_D

Double sorry for this: 1. This actually happened last year. 2. I should have checked it worked before posting it, not sure why it isn't. Try swiping the url below into your address bar instead. Anyhow, I'm sure that the Sikh's or probably any other ethnic group would not have wanted this to happen, but it's a fact of life around these parts nowadays. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sear...e_and_let_live/

Bradford 2009

I thought he only wrote hymns.....

There was a glaring clue in what I posted Ken. I knew it was a bad idea to get involved in a debate on here nowadays. I'll retire from this now and leave it to the 'regulars'. Cheers

Exactly. And how many people could be sentenced to serve a jail sentence EVERY DAY because they were compiling a text message when plod saw them? They guy was rightfully convicted of dangerous driving, he admitted it unlike most would, the sentence, though, is totally disproportionate. FWIW I also agree with Corydoras on the 10 years bit - the problem is that it cannot happen in law today. My own 'business use vehicle' is fitted with a hands free kit because my employers want to speak to me whilst driving. They (handsfree's - not my employers ) should be banned too - I know that I don't pay a lot of attention to the road whilst I'm speaking on the thing; It's a friggin' menace to other road users (I actually tend to wait for voice mail messages to come through nowadays).

The possible offence was that he wasn't texting at the time he happened upon a vehicle which was stationary, straddled across two lanes in a dark section of the motorway, having hit the central reservation because the driver was drunk. The Judge said that the texting Ahmed HAD been doing, but had ceased doing several miles up the motorway, in no way contributed to the fatal accident. I'm wondering what exactly has he been sent to jail for. It smacks (to me) of the Judge thinking that he should make an example of a sentence someone could expect if they WERE texting and became involved in an accident.

You're missing the point mate!

The first one, yes, definitely. Why the second though?

Sorry, but it's an absolute travesty of justice. The man was texting whilst driving - fair enough. He wasn't caught for that though and happened to (innocently) become embroiled in a drunken man's accident some way down the road. He hadn't been texting for however many miles prior to the accident......Book him for the offence he did commit, not the possible offence he didn't. Absolute ******!

Cheers Fred.

No, that's what I'd like to find out. As I say, I believe he was Scottish but married and died in England. It's very strange that I cannot find any sign of him. My grandfather was called Hugh Hay Dale. On Hugh's marriage certificate his father is listed as a witness and is called James M Dale. This is all that I have to go on and I can find no trace of either. On Scotlandspeople you get the option of doing a search using 'soundex' i.e. similar sounding names. This threw up a couple of Hugh Hay Dall's - one born in 1910 and one in 1911. I sent of for both birth certificates and neither gave James M as the father. Similarly, there was a Hugh Dale born in Oldham, England in 1911 but again i wasn't him.......as I say, it's frustrating lol.

Thanks for the replies folks. I think I might well contact your fellow Norrie if he comes recommended. As I say, I've come up against a brickwall. Basically, my Grandfather apparently was a bit of a Toerag and nobody would ever speak to me about him. He served a prison sentence in Leicester for whatever reason and it seems whoever he 'upset' took their revenge out on him. He is recorded as having died of head injuries in 1945. Sadly, most of my immediate family are now dead so I'll probably not find out what happened- including my father. I was always told though that he was Scottish. I have copies of his death and marriage certificates so I know he was born in 1911 - hence too young for WW1 but his fathers occupation is given as an Army pensioner on my grandfathers marriage cert. I've tried the WW1 pensions and medals records and there are possibles but do not tally with his middle initial. His serving in the Army might well be the reason why I can't find him in the 1901 census. I've tried the Scotlands People thing and also forums like TalkingScot - very helpful but they just couldn't nail him for definite. It's intriguing but very frustrating this researching your family history lark.....

Do they have access to information that the general public do not e.g. The 1911/1922 Scottish Census' etc? I ask because I've come up against a complete brickwall in trying to find my grandfathers birth details and I was wondering if it's time to pay for someone in the know to have a look for me.

Alan, please correct me if I'm wrong but I have a (very) vague recollection of you being a one time employee of Virgin. If so, were you sacked, made redundant or did you just leave by choice?

He is though, isn't he?