Notwithstanding the Data Protection Act 1998 and the British concern for privacy, there are still a number of ways of trying to trace a living UK ODELL:

International online directories such as www.192.com and www.whowhere.com may help you find people or their email addresses.  Look for .uk at the end of the email address.  Also try searching any member/user lists on UK internet access provider (IAP) sites.

Alumni associations are growing rapidly and are a way of finding younger ODELLs. They are particularly useful for ODELLs who have since changed their name, e.g. following marriage. One could also presume that people who provide contact details on alumni boards are open to being contacted by others. Try http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/friendsreunited.asp?wci=namesearch

Use the search engines (e.g. www.google.com) to locate homepages.  And use a variety of the search engines, particularly all the UK-specific engines such as www.ukindex.co.uk and www.searchuk.co.uk

Although no longer comprehensive, the site www.bt.com/phonenetuk provides addresses and telephone numbers of Odells currently listed in the UK's main telephone directory.  Usefully it can be worked by keying in just the surname and the area.  If you have a map handy it will help you search systematically.  Fortunately the way the search engine works means you can capture Odells from quite a large area by just entering a single county.  And most Odells are still to be found in the East Midlands and South-East anyway.

If someone has ceased to be listed in the directories it may be possible to get their last known details from the BT Archives at 268 High Holborn, London - in person (by appointment only), by telephone (+44 020 7492 8792) or email.

Electoral registers hold names and addresses of those entitled to vote. A search of latest UK electoral registers is available on a limited basis free at www.192.com or for a fee here.  It is also possible to buy all the electoral registers on CDROM.

In the local library, trade/professional directories may also provide leads.  

In certain circumstances (compassionate grounds) the Salvation Army will trace a specific close living relative.  They ask for a donation of about $160 in total.

The World Book of Odells, published from time to time by Halberts Inc of Ohio (The last UK contact address I have is Unit 16, Brittannia Estate, Poyle Road, Colnbrook, Berkshire, SL3 0BH) has a reasonable listing of UK Odells but remember that it degrades in value each year (what with people moving and dying).

If you join county based email discussion groups, e.g. those at Rootsweb associated with genealogy, the leads you get may include details of living relatives.

Consider listing your search on a missing persons list - or set up a website and get it listed with the search engines.

After all the above you may want to consider the services of a private investigator

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