Bad Feelings

[karl]

I’d like to stop all the bad feeling that has been building up recently and I don’t want other members to stay away from the site of their favourite singer all because of something that was said.

When I first joined Matt's site, the welcome was very wam but I felt it did not last long as every time I tried to start a thread I was constantly told we did that last week, last month - whatever! As a new member I didn’t know that, nor did I wish to to trawl through 40 pages of things to look for it. I told the people concerned and it appears they didn't like it so they complained to Michele. I would much rather they had come directly to me and it could have been sorted out. I thought that was why the private messaging service was available so that a member could be contacted privately. I have never gone out of my way to intentionally hurt anyone but if anyone felt slighted a quick email could have resolved the situation. I appreciate that some might not like what I’ve said but that worked both ways. It never occured to me to complain to Michele.

When you get right down to it, these things pale against the importance of the trouble and strife going on in the world, whether 9/11 or the awful murder this week in France. I consider those and the like extremely important. A Forum is for healthy debate. We are all here because we have a mutual admiration for the talent of Matt Monro but many of us also like other artists and that's great. I like hearing about Lena & Harry’s artists and titles, many I have never heard of and I'd love to see their record collection, it must fill the house?

Life is too short to bear grudges. I tried to be a friend to certain members and I am happy that I could help but I didn’t mean for others to take exception to certain things I said. One case in point is a remark made to Lindy but it was genuinely meant as a joke and I thought she had taken it in kind. I was genuinely shocked to find that she then shunned me without explanation. We had exchanged details and in fact I had CD’s waiting to mail to her so all I wanted was to know what I’d done and how I could rectify matters. Another case in point was that Robert accused me of twisting his words – that was not my intention, I merely asked in response to his earlier statement if he also meant Easter and Christmas. I really didn’t expect him to take umbrage.

Anyway could we please get back to the business of supporting Michele and her father’s website. We may not all be bosom buddies as they say but it costs nothing to be friendly. There is a line from a Trent/Hatch song and I quote “Mr & Mrs Be Nice To Each Other”, so Matt Monro fans Be Nice To Each Other. I really want to clear the air and start afresh.

[ROBERT M.]

Post Deleted.

[karl]

.

[Don Cooper]

Handbags at dawn, boys?

[Administrator]

Robert, you sent me a complaint email about Karl and I dealt with it. I am not giving him his marching orders as he has apologised to me and left an email above your post trying to start afresh. Everyone deserves a warning, if I remember correctly you yourself got one a couple of years ago after members complained to me about your postings.

I would point out that I asked you to send me one of these private messages and you couldn't. It is not for me to chase people asking them personal questions, if someone else wants to make a complaint they have the option. I have also given members the opportunity of switching off their private messaging service. Not one person has come forward.

This is an open Forum and it is for people to voice their opinion, at times we are not going to agree with another person's viewpoint and I am the first to acknowledge that tempers can overheat in one's quest to get their passionate message across, that is human nature. What I won't tolerate are personal snipes, swearing or shouting. It isn't necessary.

I told Karl that the Vince Hill thread had upset me and that those sorts of comments should have been directed to a Vince Hill Fan Club Site and he duly apologised for it was not his intention to upset me. BUT I cannot make the whole world love Matt Monro. I know for instance that Jack Jones was Marion's first love and like most, people have more than one favourite artist. I opened the door to other comments when I added the extras to the end of the Forum, that is the area for talking about other artists, Tv programmes, things we listen to and the like. If one only talked about dad the Forum would be far less busy.

I would ask everyone to let Karl have another chance, you do have the option of not replying to his posts if you don't want to get into a debate with him. I don't want to lose anyone on the site and I also don't want people to stay away. I would simply ask that if anyone has a problem with any member or private message that arrives at your door that you let either myself or Richard know, then the situation can be diffused immediately rather than letting tempers over boil.

Hoping everyone is having a great weekend and enjoying the weather.
All good wishes.

[ROBERT M.]

Michele, we had a disagreement regarding the "auction" a couple of years ago, not about my postings on here.

OK, I will give Karl another chance and will delete my previous post.

[Administrator]

Thanks Robert, I appreciate everyone's tolerance. I can only reiterate that if a post is not to your liking then don't join in the conversation. I am hoping that members who may have left the area over the last few weeks come back to what was once a really happy site. I have run this for years because I am passionate about preserving the legacy dad left behind and wanted a place that everyone could come to chat and make new friends. I feel I have accomplished that and I would be bereft if events of the last few weeks destroy all I have worked towards.

[Michele Monro]

After a string of emails from Linda, she has chosen not to visit the site anymore, she has also returned my reply to her last email so I am printing it here. Because I did not agree with her opinion she took to sending me a very unpleasant message which I do not take kindly to. I am not here for personal digs, I am here to run a site for my beloved father Matt Monro, maybe some people have lost sight of that:

Linda,

The people I showed run the site with me. You did not say it was for my eyes only and I was trying to gain an unbiased opinion of the matters that had gone on. Some of your emails were several months old and unfortunately you did not come to me at the time with a complaint. If you had I would have dealt with it.

It would seem you are spoiling for a fight and I’m afraid I don’t want to be drawn into one. The bottom line is that Karl is a fan of Matt Monro as is evidenced by his collection of music releases including the brand new one two weeks ago and hundreds of postings on the site. The fact that he is not solely a Matt Monro fan is not something that can be held against him, as already mentioned most people on the Forum, like and listen to other artists including myself.

I gather from your correspondence that Karl does not email you anymore so that problem seems to have been dealt with. It would seem that Robert and you have got together and decided that Karl should leave and I will make it clear that no one else has voiced that opinion to me. In fact Eman emailed me privately today saying that matters were water under the bridge and he was quite happy that Karl use the Forum now that grievances have been aired and an apologise obtained. Karl has been issued a warning and if he steps out of line again he will be dealt with. Other people, who still use the site today have had complaints made about them in the past but matters were dealt with. Everyone deserves a second chance and I have given Karl this olive branch as I am not prepared to throw him out based on one incident. I say one because that was what was brought to my attention in the last few days.

This is my website and Forum Lindy, it was launched and is run out of the love I have for my father and Richard and I are passionate about preserving the legacy he left for us all to enjoy. It is usually visited by like-minded people and I don’t think you have any idea of just how much work goes into the running each month, let alone the costs. When there was an upset some years ago I lost my temper and switched the site off for a few days. When it was no longer available I had near on a thousand messages from people within 48 hours desperate for it to return. It is not just the people on the Forum that visit the site, it enjoys nearly 5,000 hits a month but some feel that they have nothing worthwhile to say while some are painfully shy. To others the site is a lifeline, a place for friendship and solace in times of need. It is a place where one doesn’t have to be lonely and I have brought hundreds of people together as evidenced by Fans Reunited and the fact that many see each other outside of the site. I am very proud of my achievement as would my father be and I will always remember his words of wisdom – not everyone can be as tolerant as you, accept others that do not walk in your shoes and be charitable and kind to others for it costs nothing. If you heed these words you will never be alone.
I am sorry you feel you have to leave the site, I am sure you will be missed by other members

[ROBERT M.]

Such a shame that Lindy a "MASSIVE" fan of Matts has left the forum

Michele, Lindy and I never once contacted each other through PM or email, we only spoke via the forum. I contacted you off my own back after reading posts from Eman and Lindy over the past couple of weeks. (Lindy's posts were in the "Vince Hill" thread that Richard deleted). The subject matter being a full blown up row with Karl........................sorry to see you go Lindy

[Michele Monro]

Robert,

I apologise for assuming that you had been in touch with Linda, it is the impression I got from everything that has been said.

I also have to point out that Linda furnished her email address to Karl, they were not sent by private message. I investigated all the comments made and saw Linda's emails from Karl and I have to say I find nothing wrong with them. They are merely from a fan who appreciates lots of types of music and he doesn’t disparage dad in any way. There are lots of people on the site who have a love for a selection of artists. Marion actually was a massive fan of Jack Jones before she discovered MM and I myself listen to a lot of people. You cannot expect everyone to only love Matt Monro to the exception of all other people. The only thing I said to Karl is that if he thinks for instance that Vince Hill is a better singer than dad then that remark should be aimed at a Vince Hill Fan Club website or Forum, not on a dedicated MM one where those sorts of things might inflame some of the members.

A Forum is a place for people from all round the world to come together to discuss topics in our case primarily MM BUT I left the door open when I added other headers at the bottom of the Forum subject list giving people the chance to speak about ‘Your other Favourite Artists’, The Lounge, Entertainment World, and What Are You Listening To?

I have been in touch with both Eman and Marion and they are both happy with my decisions over the last few days so at least now we can get on with the discussions at hand.

I do hope no one else feels the need to leave, it is after all, everyone's imput that make our site one of the best out there.

[karl]

And also to set the record straight Lindy and I never had any row at all, it seems she did the same to Michele as she did to me and just stopped replying.

As previously said all I wanted to know was had I done anything to upset her, if she can't take the time to say then so be it!