>OK Slapfish, I have really tried to explain what I mean by
>clunking noises. Please remember that I am a 'foreigner'
>and try not to be unkind about any differences in my use of
>the English language!

I'm not making fun of your English and I understand exactly what you are saying.

>
>I don't know how else to describe the noises that one hears
>when the person at the other end of the line is trying to
>hang a phone up.

Clunking is fine. What I'm saying is there WAS no clunking. NONE.

>Thomas quite clearly describes that Patsy "apparently had
>trouble hanging up the phone" (ST paperback p14).

Yes, he says that, but then when asked further he said

Q. Can you hear any effort on the tape to try to hang the phone up, a banging or a tapping or anything of that nature?

A. The call obviously concludes with the line disconnecting but, no, not that I recall today without listening to the tape of the phone banging.

Banging, tapping, or ANYTHING of that nature. To that ST says NO.

If there were trouble hanging up the phone then the banging, tapping, clanging, clunking etc... would be audible to the unenhanced ear. No one has heard anything like that when listening to the tape.