Varsity Express
Just took a peek at the revision history and compared various versions.... wikipedia seems to want to avoid the libel possibility in living persons biographies. The discussion is interesting too - seems you reap what you sow - his PR company is alleged to have created the original wikipedia entry!
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I wonder if Cryton4 has been blocked from editing the Wikipedia article? I concur that there is probably no PR firm involved. For one thing, no self-respecting firm would touch this with a barge pole nowadays. The fact that Cryton4 continued to edit the article after a PR firm would have parted ways for fear of being associated with the venture or of never being paid makes me think there was never a PR firm involved.
Can anyone site reliable evidence that Varsity Air Services ever had a PR firm. I suspect Alpha One may have had a PR agent, as I doubt that venture would have gained so much coverage, but perhaps MH could have achieved that many "touchy-feely" pieces on his own.
Can anyone site reliable evidence that Varsity Air Services ever had a PR firm. I suspect Alpha One may have had a PR agent, as I doubt that venture would have gained so much coverage, but perhaps MH could have achieved that many "touchy-feely" pieces on his own.
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Clarifying Wikipedia standards....a little off topic
Wikipedia is a public encyclopedia, however it does have rules to protect people from hearsay and what not when it comes to biographies of living people. This is, of course, meant to protect them against legal action, should the information added be untrue. For that reason, everything written on Wikipedia, particularly when it comes to biographies, has to have sufficient sources to remain on the site.
I've personally done some editing on MH's biography on Wikipedia and know that any comments about his past that do not have some sort of publication to verify them are removed. I personally wish there was more published proof that he is the worm he appears to be...if anyone has any - please let me know! Otherwise, yes - the page is edited to keep it as factually accurate as possible. Anyway, this is a bit off topic. Just wanted to clarify that while MH has definitely tried to edit his Wikipedia page to his advantage, a lot of honest people who are well read on what's going on are monitoring it to ensure that true facts can be shared. Many of the lies that his "PR company" put on there initially have been edited out at this point.
Cheers!
I've personally done some editing on MH's biography on Wikipedia and know that any comments about his past that do not have some sort of publication to verify them are removed. I personally wish there was more published proof that he is the worm he appears to be...if anyone has any - please let me know! Otherwise, yes - the page is edited to keep it as factually accurate as possible. Anyway, this is a bit off topic. Just wanted to clarify that while MH has definitely tried to edit his Wikipedia page to his advantage, a lot of honest people who are well read on what's going on are monitoring it to ensure that true facts can be shared. Many of the lies that his "PR company" put on there initially have been edited out at this point.
Cheers!
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Emerald Media - Welcome to Emerald Media - The Public Relations Company for airline, aerospace & the travel industries was VE's PR company for a short while. I would imagine the money ran out quickly and they were probably out of the picture soon after spreading some press releases around. Especially after it had been relieved that Will Gilligan wasn't a real person and they'd used his quotes in the press releases. That doesn't look good.....I hope they ran the other way as soon as they figured it out.
I wonder if Cryton4 has been blocked from editing the Wikipedia article?
A wikiadmin put some advice on Cryton4's talk page on 20 February suggesting that the user be more cautious over a possible conflict of interest but nothing else has been added to the user's talk page since then. Then again, this kind of step is usually one of the first things that a wikiadmin would do to nudge a new user unfamiliar in the ways of wikipedia in the right direction.
It would appear that no formal blocking action has been taken, and the person behind Cryton4 remains free like any other user to edit wikipedia articles as they see fit
Scourge of Bad Airline Management!
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LinksAir, greedy beggars. How dare they think they should actually not only be paid, but turn a profit? Disgusting... 
Can this lady hear herself??
TA
Can this lady hear herself??
TA
Emerald Media probably did their thing for Varsity as a service provided by Oxford Airport to a 'start up operation'. Oxford Airport are a retained client of Emerald.
I knew Alsion Chambers (the boss of Emerald) during her Flight International / Commuter World days and when she first set up her own operation - I suspect she would suss MH and his shenanigans pretty quickly and the reaction would involve the non use of a canal borne vessel guidance and manoeuvering aid.
I knew Alsion Chambers (the boss of Emerald) during her Flight International / Commuter World days and when she first set up her own operation - I suspect she would suss MH and his shenanigans pretty quickly and the reaction would involve the non use of a canal borne vessel guidance and manoeuvering aid.
Last edited by Senior Paper Monitor; 19th Mar 2010 at 09:57.
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There is an interesting article on him from 4 years ago here
My favourite quotes:
My favourite quotes:
Richard [Branson] asked me along on his inaugural flight from Heathrow to Mumbai, and I flew my girlfriend in from Chicago to come along. Then she dumped me on the first night for a journalist.
"Until yesterday I thought I was normal. Then last night I thought: 'No girlfriend, haven't seen my friends in ages,' so for the first time it hit me that it has affected my social life quite a bit. Most of my friends are older. But it's all part of it, I suppose, and I am so excited about this airline that I can put that off for a bit."
I'm baby Branson and this is mini Virgin. We're not that different. We both started young.
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I just got my credit card statement. I made a booking with Varsity on 5th March, to fly on 11th - obviously that never happened. I was told by the call centre that I'd be refunded, and I was given an e-mail refund receipt. I've just got my statement, and discovered that not only did I not get a refund, but Varsity charged me twice! I know £98 is not the same as £15k, but it's money I can ill afford to lose and I'm angry that crook Halstead still has it.
My credit card company is now dealing with it. I tried contacting Thames Valley Police myself, but they said it was a civil matter and I should contact trading standards. I'll make sure it happens. I want this little tosser taken to the cleaners.
My credit card company is now dealing with it. I tried contacting Thames Valley Police myself, but they said it was a civil matter and I should contact trading standards. I'll make sure it happens. I want this little tosser taken to the cleaners.
Cap'n i think we've hit a brick wall...
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Yup - just a pre-recorded message from some creepy sounding guy!
I suspect that's Halstead. Anyone else with any sense would have fled a long way from this operation days, if not weeks, ago.
The message still hints vaguely at flights resuming at some point!
I suspect that's Halstead. Anyone else with any sense would have fled a long way from this operation days, if not weeks, ago.
The message still hints vaguely at flights resuming at some point!
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Brave effort from pprune to entice MH out of the rocks and crevises he is hiding under. Alas, gentle persuasion and embarassing intimidation is unlikely to succeed.
I would suggest best way forward is to gather all the evidence available from the forum and hand it over to the Thames Valley Police.
The Fraud Act 2006 which came into effect in January 2007 was designed for acts such as this.
I would suggest best way forward is to gather all the evidence available from the forum and hand it over to the Thames Valley Police.
The Fraud Act 2006 which came into effect in January 2007 was designed for acts such as this.
In the Independent today from Simon Calder:
"Two weeks ago, on this page, I wrote excitedly about the maiden Oxford-to-Edinburgh flight by a start-up airline named Varsity Express. The managing director, Martin Halstead, assured me that the venture had six months of financial backing. But the link folded within a week, stranding passengers in the Scottish capital. The airline's commercial director, Will Gilligan, turned out to be Mr Halstead's imaginary friend, as fictitious as the financial backing. Sorry."
"Two weeks ago, on this page, I wrote excitedly about the maiden Oxford-to-Edinburgh flight by a start-up airline named Varsity Express. The managing director, Martin Halstead, assured me that the venture had six months of financial backing. But the link folded within a week, stranding passengers in the Scottish capital. The airline's commercial director, Will Gilligan, turned out to be Mr Halstead's imaginary friend, as fictitious as the financial backing. Sorry."
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This may have been commented on before but why was VE involved in crew recruitment when this company was only a customer of the AOC holder?