The Personal Sos Messages The Bbc Used To Send

[naomi24]

I've never heard of this. Has anyone else?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35815747

[frugalfred]

Yes, I remember this service from the BBC. They went along the lines of "This is a message for Fred Bloggs, thought to be touring in the North Wales area. Will he please get in contact with Hammersmith Hospital, where his mother is seriously ill."

[naomi24]

Amazing! Great service!

[ferlew]

I remember these too, though Ican't recall when they stopped.
Was a fairly regular thing to hear them, long before telephones were widely owned.

[sunny-dave]

Yes - I remember hearing these - there was a rumour that some of the messages were actually encoded ciphers for espionage purposes ...

[naomi24]

ferlew, According to the article :

//It is not known when the messages ended, but it was at some point during the 90s, although BBC World Service continued the practice into the 21st Century. Mobile phones made them redundant,//

[naomi24]

sunny-dave, they could have been.

[ferlew]

I am surprised it was as late as that Naomi.

[naomi24]

I suppose, as the article says, until mobile phones came along, it was a useful service. Before television became the norm in every home I imagine everyone listened to the radio. I think it's superb. I'm really impressed!

[DTCwordfan]

naomi is showing that she is only 21, but then there are a lot of women out there who look a lot older than that......

[woofgang]

Yes I can remember hearing them (the formal ones) as a child and then as a young adult. Ken Bruce used to also do occasional messages of the “John Smith heading for Heathrow travelling to America, you wife has just found your passport on the kitchen table” That’s an actual one that I remember except I can’t remember the name.

[Mamyalynne]

I had heard of them but didn't know they continued as lonn as that.

[Jackdaw33]

Remember them well. They were broadcast after the news bulletins on the Home Service (now Radio 4).

[mikey4444]

I can recall these messages a few years ago....not exactly when, but it wasn't many years ago. Sounds like a good idea to me. Although to catch enough people these days, you would have to interrupt one of those "sofa" programs on the telly, or maybe the J Kyle show.

[jourdain2]

I remember them well. After the news. 'Mr & Mrs whoever , touring in Scotland, please get in touch with'...... then the police station and contact number and an addendum 'concerning....'.

[ladybirder]

Do you watch much tele when you're driving Mikey;-)?