Reinhard wrote:

Instead of the '%3A' in the URL you could also just use a ':', that's easier to read and is what I do on Mainly Norfolk.

You're obviously way ahead of me. I didn't try to figure out the URL; I just did some pattern recognition. :-)

[ ... ]

I couldn't yet convince them to still accept requests for the old https://www.vwml.org/roudnumber/ way and redirect them to the new address. I believe the guy at the library didn't understand what I meant - he advised me to use the 'Quick search by Round number' at the bottom of the search page, but of course we want links from our websites to the VWML archive and not enter the Roud number manually in a search form.

FWIW, Steve Roud heard some of us talk about the inconveniences of the search form on the mailing lists he frequents. I don't know if he'll take it seriously -- like you, I hope he will, but I can't make it happen -- but he probably has more influence than we do!

But the whole thing remains in flux.