"Psychic News" to Close

Perhaps I should also have said that unless someone can force the SNU to answer those three important questions:
1. when exactly was the decision made to close PN down;
2. why the SNU decided to take this action, and;
3. who is really responsible for this decision

we will never know the truth about what has gone on, and have little power to do anything effective about it.

Still I like you do encourage people to write to the SNU to complain - and to do so loudly and often.

Perhaps also every SNU member that gives a damn should write and insist on being given a copy of the financial report that was relied upon to arrive at the decision to close PN, and also demand the name of the liquidator appointed, when they were first engaged and under what terms, and why, if they were allegedly appointed on 12th July, the Psychic Press continued to operate, and still operated even today, despite the members at the AGM being informed that it was in the hands of a liquidator, despite the fact that Companies House were not informed within 7 days as required by law.

I am (was) a regular reader of Psychic News, not a subscriber myself but with friends whose subs still have months to run. We're none of us lawyers, but are shaken at the possibilities of fraud that the legally-astute previous postings have laid bare. We're not members of SNU; our loyalties are to other "strands" within the Spiritualist movement (and one of the deprived subscribers among us isn't even a Spiritualist). How dares the SNU, or influential persons within it, deprive us of our weekly source of the goings-on within the world-wide Spiritualist movement? How dare they try to cheat us of money that some of us have paid months in advance? Complain we will; so must others in our peripheral position. We must be thousands strong!

Elizabeth Pretty's letter from New Zealand (The Spiritualist Alliance, Auckland) in the final issue of PN is a striking demonstration of the nature of the loyalty PN inspired around the planet: she gave a page-by-page breakdown of the news and features which interested her - from so many different writers and countries, and on so many subjects. I hope PN's "executioners" within SNU have noticed that letter, and the pages of tributes which followed the last editorial.

Amnesty International has long made good use of the pressure of large numbers of (very carefully and politely-worded) letters of protest to governments perpetrating acts of injustice on their own citizens. SNU by comparison is merely the biggest fish in the world-wide small pond of Spiritualism. If enough anglers deploy enough hooks, finally the crafty old pike will be caught; enough letter-writers protesting long and hard will finally embarrass the SNU into realising its own loss of honour, and will shame it into action to examine the methods and motives of PN's "executioners".

Thank you for your comments Eilis and well said they are!

I too am most concerned that the SNU executive have acted so improperly and wonder whether their actions may involve fraud or deception in taking people's subscriptions (mine included) after they had made the decision to liquidate PN.

Like you, I am not a member of the SNU, and now I never will be because of this act of treason. There were many who subscribed to PN who were not a part of the SNU, and perhaps were not Spiritualists but who nevertheless, subscribed and found value in its publication. They, along with SNU members deserve an explanation for the closing of PN.

Yes, we must all complain. Complain about the closure of PN. Complain about the loss of our subscriptions. Complain about the total lack of ethical behaviour exhibited by the SNU executive in their handling of this matter. I believe that we should also demand (politely of course) that an explanation is given by the SNU executive of how this came about, who was responsible and what their motive actually was, for I am convinced there was a motive that ultimately had nothing to do with the financial situation of PN.

I agree with you entirely with the sentiment when you say "enough letter-writers protesting long and hard will finally embarrass the SNU into realising its own loss of honour, and will shame it into action to examine the methods and motives of PN's 'executioners.'"

All who valued PN, all who paid money to subscribe, all who contributed to PN, and all the staff who worked so hard to keep the paper going, deserve the truth. Will they get it? I doubt they will unless the SNU is forced to account for its actions.

I have just ahd a few thought on the technicalities and legalities of what is happening on a new thread.
http://spiritualismlink.forumotion.com/psychic-news-under-threat-of-closure-f37/psychic-news-snu-spiritualist-national-union-and-liquidator-t883.htm#4101

I also note this blog by Chris Romer, which Lis has commented upon
http://jerome23.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/psychic-news-closes-down-after-78-years-but-why/

Chris has also posted on the Paranormal Review site

I actually picked it up off the JREF forum where he reposted it . Strangely the comments are quite subdued apart from the expected "They did not see it coming" ones

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=181338

On occasion I direct enquirers to PN Bookshop but does anyone know its current status? Still able to trade or stopped because PN has closed?

Hi Mac,

PN is owned by Psychic Press which also runs the PN Bookshop. Neither, PN, the Bookshop or Psychic Press are operative.

thanks, Lis It's what I feared...

mac wrote:On occasion I direct enquirers to PN Bookshop but does anyone know its current status? Still able to trade or stopped because PN has closed?

You can still buy books from PN Bookshop, Mac.

If it is in stock they will supply it either by post or to personal callers.

Z

Now I'm confused although I guess this situation will eventually resolve - and the actuality is that so few enquirers are interested in bread-and-butter spiritual issues anyway that it's unlikely I'll encounter many of them over the next few weeks or months!

I must say Mac, I am now also confused. I have tried to purchase from PN Bookshop and regardless of what is clicked on to purchase it does not let you buy - just sends you back around the sequence of order, address details to shipping to order details, etc. This happened for every book I tried and I tried a lot.

This has been the case for the last two weeks and includes trying again just 2 minutes ago.

I ask Zerdini just how purchases can still be made. No doubt he can clarify this for us since he is so certain it is possible.

Hmm Z I believe this is unwise advice, we have a business about to go into liquidation and you are suggesting people pay money to it? The day the liquidator is appointed any money on hand will be taken by the liquidator and no books sent.

.

At long last they have deactivated their email site for purchasing although you can get to the check out. About time too as all payments received for services which the Directors knew would not be supplied create a serious matter.

Lis wrote:I must say Mac, I am now also confused. I have tried to purchase from PN Bookshop and regardless of what is clicked on to purchase it does not let you buy - just sends you back around the sequence of order, address details to shipping to order details, etc. This happened for every book I tried and I tried a lot.

This has been the case for the last two weeks and includes trying again just 2 minutes ago.

I ask Zerdini just how purchases can still be made. No doubt he can clarify this for us since he is so certain it is possible.

I spoke to a member of staff who assured me that books (if they are in stock) can still be purchased.

On their website it states: "TO PURCHASE BOOKS PLEASE CONTACT US ON 01279 817050".

Admin wrote:Hmm Z I believe this is unwise advice, we have a business about to go into liquidation and you are suggesting people pay money to it? The day the liquidator is appointed any money on hand will be taken by the liquidator and no books sent.

.

At long last they have deactivated their email site for purchasing although you can get to the check out. About time too as all payments received for services which the Directors knew would not be supplied create a serious matter.

The original question asked was:

“On occasion I direct enquirers to PN Bookshop but does anyone know its current status? Still able to trade or stopped because PN has closed?”

The answer given, by a member of staff to whom I spoke, was as stated in my post.

They will also supply books to personal callers at the office/bookshop.

Whether it is wise or unwise advice is not for me to say.

Z what a pedantic answer as we all know the correct answer, until this mess is sorted out do not do it. The poor staff there will have to do as instructed but once again I say the day any liquidator is appointed is the day anyone awaiting a book despatch loses their money.

I know not what you are attempting to prove or do by a post such as this.

Who knows what the future holds for PN or the bookshop. I know I just hope the buy out is succesful.

For the avoidance of doubt here is an extract from their terms and conditions:

Conditions of Web Site Use
Governing Law and Contract Formation

Admin edited out the post a repetition of the book shops web page
A pointless post in the context of the problems of Psychic News and one about terms which no liquidator has to adhere to

Please desist Z

Admin wrote:Z what a pedantic answer as we all know the correct answer, until this mess is sorted out do not do it. The poor staff there will have to do as instructed but once again I say the day any liquidator is appointed is the day anyone awaiting a book despatch loses their money.

I know not what you are attempting to prove or do by a post such as this.

Who knows what the future holds for PN or the bookshop. I know I just hope the buy out is succesful.

I was simply answering the question put to me.

I am not trying to prove anything.

Anyone who rings the bookshop will no doubt be given the same information.

Admin I will leave this post but it beggars belief that this is felt worthwhile and somehow has any relevance in the PN situation

If that's the way you feel, Jim, fair enough although I will add that I was simply answering the post from Lis.

Who knows what the future holds for PN or the bookshop. I know I just hope the buy out is succesful.

The JV Trust could easily afford to buy PN as at their last accounts (2009) they had £6,307,144 available.

They also lost at least £1,500,000 on their investments.

The trustees of the JV Trust are Eric Hatton and Hugh and Margaret Davis all well known Spiritualists.

Hmm Z but by decreeing that Psychic Press must be liquidated the SNU have placed no value on it unless they have something up their sleeves. Indeed they have done PN considerable damage by closing it. Its value has to reflect the cost of re establishing it and paying existing debts.

We all know someone is negotiating to purchase Psychic Press presumably taking over assets and liabilities it woulg be astonishing if the SNU did not sell. This is a win for all the creditors of Psychic Press and certainly its loyal staff (yes even the one you spoke to on the phone)

Just remember they have traded it whilst insolvent and if they do not sell in a liquidation the assets have to come onto the open market to raise the highest price to benefit all Creditors. Unless the SNU have other ideas.

It seems to me that the issue is not whether the trust has the funds to purchase PN (including its debts) but whether the NEC are actually willing to sell PN, that is, its assets (masthead, archives, subscription lists etc).

It is just possible that the NEC are not actually interested in selling the parts of Psychic News that have an actual value - its name and its archives - while willing to sell its debts - a pointless exercise for any potential purchaser.

I would hazard a guess that the NEC rather hope to keep the bits that are of use to them - so that they can start their own in-house newspaper called - yes indeed - called 'Psychic News'.

Therefore the question - what is the actual status of this company right now - in liquidation? about to be put into liquidation? or some other status?

It really does matter when the decision to close PN was actually made. It matters when the NEC (as the board of the parent company of Psychic Press) actually ratified the decision - and whether the correct procedures were followed throughout the process.

Either way, if the bookshop IS selling books (certainly not via the internet) the important question to ask is WHERE WILL THAT MONEY GO?

Duncan Gascoyne (ex-President) speaking at the AGM: “As the situation stands at present, the Company cannot continue, as it is no longer in a viable financial position to do so and we now have no choice but to take the appropriate action and liquidate it.”

David Bruton (new President): “ We have heard much this weekend about Psychic News and its future. Can I state here and now that I fully support the need for a mouthpiece for our movement, for too long we have hid our light, Psychic News is too important to lose, however we have to accept the need for change and evolve the format into one acceptable in this modern age, this is the challenge and I will pledge to you today that every effort will be made to secure success, this is one aspect of our history that is too important to lose.”

Duncan Gascoyne in his speech to Conference also said: ”The decision to liquidate was taken by the Board of Psychic Press (1995) Ltd and has subsequently been endorsed by the National Executive Committee. As SNU President I am announcing this today, as I feel that the Union churches and members should be informed first of all about the decisions made and the reasons why. I am sure that when the Psychic press Report is dealt with, ideas for the future of Psychic news will be expressed.”

Thank you for that information Zerdini, most helpful and enlightening.