My Cardiff pension.

Frankly, I think he would be pleased that he's been missed and that most of us knew who the thread was taking off. It was a bit of gentle Micky taking that's all.

J08 It was you I believe who referred to him in a thread header in terms something like a "daft old bat." You complaining about ridicule etc brings "Pots and Kettles" to mind with regard to many of your comments on other issues.

The original threads did not mention any names. That was left to imagination and supposition.

Some of us are more thick-skinned than others and all I know is that I would be distraught if anyone did this to me. What some see as "teasing" I would regard as mockery or even bullying. How can anyone know how another is going to receive it especially in their absence? Tell me to lighten up if you like but all I know is that I had a horrible gut feeling of sadness when I read this thread.

This is a forum - the minute you join it and start posting, you open yourself up to a whole range of comments, some of which are mocking, unkind and thoughtless. We have, as adults, to decide if we can hack that - I avoid posting on certain personal topics as I won't run the risk of some comments I might get . If you think someone has gone too far, then report it - although I know some members regard this as telling tales. Posts would become extremely anodyne if we worried all the time about the thiness of people's skins - within reason of course. A spoof on a distinctive style is hardly bullying in any meaningful sense of the word.

I beg to differ. Bullying can be very subtle.

A brilliant parody Galen - I found it uwithout malice- quite gentle and I do not think You-know-who would have taken umbrage. Unkinder comments have been made . Sometimes I thought he knew exactly what our opinions were re, for instance ,Bums nTums and I discerned no umbrage or offence. A welcome laugh!!

"without" duh!

Oh come on, a spoof on what was by any standards a very odd and distinctive style of posting on a very limited range of subjects. Bullying?

I happen to like and miss Frank...just saying.

Well soops, each to her own......

soop (sorry)

I wasn't taking the piss. I loved that style of writing; it was so soothing. I miss it.

In the spirit of "always go to the source if at all possible" I have PMed the subject of this discussion to ask how he feels about it. As the PM went on its way OK, he must still be there. It will be interesting to hear what he (or his biographer, if he is not writing his own posts) has to say.

My prediction is that he either is not bothered by it, as adverse comment always seemed to run off him like the proverbial water off a ducks back, or that he is not reading either the forums or his posts from Gransnet, so will know nothing about it and not answer.

If he had been banned surely the PM would not have gone? Perhaps he is on holiday or been suspended for a short while?

I'm just wondering, Elegran, whether it's possible for a banned (if indeed that is the case) member to reply to a PM? It seems that they can be sent, but I'm not sure if a reply would be allowed.

Ana get yourself banned and I'll PM you and you can try to reply!

bluebell

I would be deeply honoured and flattered if anybody bothered to copy my style or content!

If someone's membership has been ended, trying to send them a pm triggers a notice to say that they are not a member, and it does not get sent. They cannot post, obviously, if they are not a member.

So if a pm goes through, their membership still stands. No idea about temporary suspensions.

If member X has not been banned and/or removed, it does make it a bit of a farce to be fighting over it in the forum.

Personally I hope the person concerned is amused by such displays of wit and humour and delighted to be mocked by the good ladies of Gransnet. Not something I would ever be a part of, in real life or on here. I was truly shocked to see it but then again, I was never part of the Bums and Tums discussions. They I thought were light hearted, this I didn't, I thought it was cruel.

Attacking j08 as a way of justifying it is childish in the extreme. A true playground with a huddle in the corner giggling at their cleverness in hurting someone.

I resent that implication, Sel. I joined in with the spoof as did not feel that it was 'mocking' Frank in any way. Those of us who enjoyed his threads and actually engaged with him on the forum were aware that he didn't always take himself too seriously, and I very much doubt that he would be offended or hurt by the content of this thread.

Ana I do hope you're right. I know you were always kind and polite to Frank and maybe 'know' him better than I do.

Thank you Sel - I hope I'm right, too...

Goodness me Sel - what's it like being so absolutely perfect?

Oh, for goodness sake - everybody knows that Galen has not got a vindictive bone in her body. No more talk about people giggling in corners please. It is that kind of insinuation that has poisoned the atmosphere of Granset.