Below you can read how Bill and other members helped created General Service Board of A.A at the 1957 convention of England and Wales. At the start of the convention Bill H was asked to speak on the General Service Board of A.A. for Great Britain and Ireland, how and why it was created. Read … More Bill H – How the General Service Board began.

Mike was a hero in his own story.Not the kind with capes or headlines—but the kind who faced himself, changed course, and kept walking.He’d come through serious life challenges—the kind that leave marks.But the man I knew was present, kind, spiritual, and generous.Twenty years of continuous sobriety, one day at a time.That’s twenty years of … More My friend Mike. Eulogy by V R.

Willie is my name, and I’m an alcoholic. I came into Alcoholics Anonymous through the grace of God and the prison system. I didn’t think I was an alcoholic, not in a million years. Even when my drinking spiralled out of control and eventually ended up…again, back in Cork prison for a lengthy sentence, it wasn’t nice, you get nothing in prison when detoxing from alcohol. I was in the recreational … More Willie’s story.

Since Maria took over, she too has made changed. She introduced computerisation, which has not only reduced volume of paper work but has also increased the efficiency of keeping up to date all the relevant information the volunteers need. Today’s office has some 400 volunteers to man 5 lines. The computer holds details of the … More 1988 – Maria takes over as office manager.

When Marie O became Office manager in 1974, she took over the Telephone Service that was, to say the least chaotic. No office manager had stayed for any length of time she took on the task of turning a well-meaning but amateurish telephone office into an efficient well-run service. As Marie recalls: Working with volunteers … More 1988- Marie O retires as office manager.

In 1983 the landlords of 7 Moreton Street wished to develop the site, and once more L.R.T.S. was looking for a new home. A basement flat was found in Tachbrook Street, a few hundred yards away from Moreton Street. This tie the move was not quite so traumatic and again volunteers did the cleaning, decorating … More 1983 and 1986 – Telephone office needed new premises.

Towards the end of the seventies both G.S.O. and the Telephone Service needed room to expand; the solution was for L.R.T.S.s to move out of Redcliffe Gardens. Dougald F, Duncan McG, and Van were given the task of finding a new home. Duncan McG had a non-A.A. friend who was responsible for the letting of … More 1970’s – Dugald shares story of locating new premises.

Marie O, shares her experience of telephone duty in those early days. I started going in as a volunteer around 1971, so I will try to cover the period of 71 to 74 as a volunteer. The office was to the left as you go in through the front door of Redcliffe Gardens, an A.A … More 1971 – Marie O – Volunteer and later office manager – also includes formation of five Intergroups.

In 1963 London Intergroup set up its own Telephone Service in Craven Terrace, Paddington. Members donated the necessary equipment and, as Vincent says ‘We were in business. The London Groups, together with those in Essex, accepted the responsibility for funding the project, but alas the problems with volunteers that had occurred at Redcliffe Gardens continued … More 1963 – London Intergroup set up its own Telephone service – told by Vincent S.

Eventually a central service office was formed as the forerunner of G.S.O. Offices were leased in Redcliffe Gardens, Kensington, on 1955 the telephone helpline was transferred from the fruit exchanged to Redcliffe Gardens. Central Service Office taking calls for help between the hours of 10am to 6pm. The telephone was not manned during the evening … More 1955 – Central Service Office was formed – told by Joe E.