Press Coverage: Madeleine, Kate and Gerry McCann
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann
THE PORTUGAL NEWS ONLINE: “Business as usual in Praia da Luz”
Tourism is booming at the Ocean Club…
Robin Crosland has been in the Algarve for more than twenty six years. During that time, he has seen Praia da Luz grow exponentially.
He can remember way back when it was media as far as the eye could see…
The Ocean Club, of which he was architect and co-founder, has played a major role in the development of the once quintessential fishermen’s village and remains in the heart of Luz in more ways than one.
Can the name not be changed?
“I came here to help my partners, John Garveigh and David Symington, set up The Ocean Club. I was an architect, not an hotelier, and there was nothing here but fields, orchids, orange groves, olive tress - and a snake and a bull.”
Snakes and bull. That’s the Madeleine McCann story for you…
“The first unit we sold, a two-bedroom apartment with sea view, was put on the market for £11,000. That same apartment today is worth around €280,000”, 20 times its original value.”
Of course, some flats come with a premium. A bit of local history can affect prices…
The Ocean Club resort gained notoriety when it was thrust into the limelight on May 3rd last year, following the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The British toddler’s face was broadcast into homes around the world, as was Praia da Luz, and the Ocean Club became a household name caught amidst an unprecedented media frenzy in Portugal.
It was a multi-media brochure, advertising the delights of living in Paedo, sorry, Portugal…
Over the past 16 months reports have sporadically emerged stating that, as a consequence of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, Ocean Club guest figures have plummeted, that people considered Praia da Luz to be an unsafe spot for families and resulted in the temporary tarnishing of the Algarve’s idyllic image.
Well, there are many other places to holiday. Although some hacks prefer Praia to any other resort..
Robin is quick to rubbish all of these reports, as have other leading authorities and tourism officials, denying that having the resort’s name associated with one of the biggest child-related mysteries of modern times had a damaging effect.
Now the media has left town, there are lots of rooms…
“But no one wants that type of publicity, at all”, Robin admits, stating “there were some immediate cancellations, until around October last year, but then things levelled out again”.
So let’s not talk about Madeleine McCann, nor dwell on the missing child. But in case you are tempted to make link between the Ocean Club and the missing toddler, Mr Crossland has prepared a statement:
“It was of course a terrible tragedy and all our hearts went out to the family, the whole village as well as our staff were deeply upset and the out-pouring of grief was enormous…
“We still had another 600 guests to look after who had paid to stay with us and who had nothing to do with this event and wanted to enjoy their holiday”.
600. Have they all been questiosned, or profiled by the media?
He says that, whilst figures were not as good as in 2006, when the Algarve experienced a mini-boom in tourism, this year “The Ocean Club continued to attract families with children of all ages with the exception of April and early May when there were fewer families with pre-school children. But by June, these had also returned to normal and by July and August things were more or less back to normal occupancy figures”.
Anything changed much?
Criticised at the time for its lack of CCTV cameras, as were many resorts last year following the debate for new safety measures, Robin retorts: “Most of the resort is spread throughout the village, the units are accessed via public roads and paths and in Portugal it is illegal to have security video cameras in public places. On private property we don’t need them as we have manned receptions”.
And:
In the meantime, The Ocean Club is planning to make “considerable investments” during this winter, which include upgrading restaurant areas.
Turn the beer goggles the other way up. Pass the binoculars…
Madeleine McCann is missing - still missing…
Online PR: Madeleine McCann Used To Sell Holiday Flats
Madeleine McCann: Buy The Flat And The Villa For The Maddie Experience
Madeleine McCann: Live Like The McCanns As Their Praia Da Luz Apartment Goes On Sale
Posted: 7th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (177) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- yampster on Strictly Come Dancing’s Alesha Dixon Sparks I’m A Celebrity Race Row
- Lonnirose on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- Jess on Strictly Come Dancing’s Alesha Dixon Sparks I’m A Celebrity Race Row
- Wyvern on Bolivian Police And Maddie McCann Introduce The Worst Photo-Fits Ever
- yampster on X Factor: Jedward Go GAY, Win I’m A Celebrity And Hate Susan Boyle
October 7th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
What statements, the ones that were discounted by the police, now what about these 24 photos that will blow all sorts of stories apart.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
watcher, yes, sorry, think i might’ve mixed you up with someone else who said they did not know how to copy and paste urls. maybe it was that poor priest. re photos i don’t know of any other than the ones we have seen, the mccannfiles has a collection of them, and they all look normal to me.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Why dont they speak up?
What do they fear?
October 7th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Truth fears no question
October 7th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Sam - I appreciate you are being helpful. Thank you. What I was asking for is a link to these photos of Madeleine which are being described as being professionally taken, with her wearing make up and in odd positions. I don’t believe they exist. I am ready to be proved wrong.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Rasputin Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
It had been claimed that the two Dr’s statements were non-existent.
Yet…there they are…in the Files…..as real as life.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
watcher i misread your post then ? can’t remember who it was who said they didn’t know how to do links, thought it was you.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
“We are in the dark until it is made known what occurred.
Evidence of what occurred may be in the Files.
Best to wait and see what develops I think.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Maybe the fabled 24 photographs will develop!
October 7th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
i didn’t ask for any links watcher, you said you couldn’t provide them because you don’t know how to do them did you not ?
October 7th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
It’s OK I can copy and paste links. What links shall I copy and paste?
October 7th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
watcher if you type ‘how to copy and paste links’ into a search engine you will get a lot of hits which tell you how todo it.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
matt, yes, looks like we’ll just have to wait and see.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
watcher, i read that here but read more on another site, the above wasn’t clear to me then what was meant, thought it was still about the crimped hair photos, but on the other site i then read some people thought other photos of madeleine were revealing or salacious if that’s the word and i don’t think any of the photos look like they are taken by a professional photographer, so i don;t really know what jass was on about anyway.
links, do you know how to highlight text ? are you on a laptop or pc ?
October 7th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
sam Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
A mystery surrounding what happened re the statements made to the LP.
Not passed to the PJ for quite some months.
No information if the LP investigated, or why they delayed so long in
passing them over.
We are in the dark until it is made known what occurred.
Evidence of what occurred may be in the Files.
Best to wait and see what develops I think.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
And the answer is still the same. No, I haven’t and link please.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
sam Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
well i think it’s ridiculous. i was reading some other site last night and some people are now saying some of maddies pictures look posed, and some other people are saying kate is not dressing appropiately etc etc.
__________________________________________________________
SAM, that was THIS site. Jass said it.
1. jass Says:
October 6th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Watcher:
Are you honestly saying you haven’t seen the pictures of Madeleine taken by a professional photographer, in which she is made up with cosmetics and shown in odd positions?
Or is that sort of stuff normal in your home?
October 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Catalina
Not sure about this
Cant remember where it is mentionned that kate had the feeling something would happen during their hols
October 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
“Since YM was with Madeleine”s parents and their intimate friend,YM found David payne”s face very familiar and thought she possibly knew him from work for having dealt with some case she had in her hands within her job as an officer of the child protection services.
A bit later on,YM identified David payne as the mccanns intimate friend who was with them during her first interview with the mccanns.
It was david payne,the one who organised the trip and he was the one identified by S.G and K.G who had noticed an abnormal attitude in Mallorca.
Together with the british police force,we tried to investigate a possible charges against him.
The only thing that came to light was that he is their intimate friend and best friend of gerry as they know each other from their university years”.”
No comments….yet
Translation from the spanish edition “La Verdad De La Mentira”
October 7th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Jo,
I believe David Payne’s remark “We were waiting for something to happen but didn’t in our worst nightmare think it would be this” refers to Kate and Gerry being made arguidos. The rest of the statements quoted above probably refer to the same thing.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
matt, i do remember reading the pj did not follow up those leads, perhaps they thought them ridiculous too.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
sam Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
If we knew what investigation followed the making of the statements, and their
conclusions, we might be able to make up our minds regarding what is ridiculous
and what isn’t.
Problem is we don’t know either way, yet.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
jo, what row was that then ?
October 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
well i think it’s ridiculous. i was reading some other site last night and some people are now saying some of maddies pictures look posed, and some other people are saying kate is not dressing appropiately etc etc.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
thanks matt.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Matt. Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
sam Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
It is a fact that the statements exist
*****
As well as a big row betwen PJ & LP over some files…..locked away
I did mention it a while ago but was put in mod
October 7th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Dr. David Payne
David Payne 41, is a surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary, specialising in strokes. He helped run the Find Madeleine campaign. Speaking of Madeleine’s disappearance, he spoke for the first time to say: “We know they didn’t do it. One of our party saw Madeleine being abducted. We were waiting for something to happen but didn’t in our worst nightmare think it would be this.”
**********
What is “it” they did not do?WHO did “it”? ” something” has been done then ?
What is “it” you all were waiting to happen but in your worse nightmare never thought “it” would happen?
What is it YOU know payneinthearse and will NOT say?
October 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
sam Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
It is a fact that the statements exist.
What is not known is what investigative action was undertaken regarding them.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
bf, hi, are they on the site that should not be named ? as in it’s official and not a rumour now ? i don;t know what to make of it really, am very skepical. does anyone really think gordon brown et alia and soca etc are covering up doctors who may have lost a child due to pederast activities ? isn’t that really a bit ludicrous ?
October 7th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Sam
The payne statements and the mjorca2s statements are out, we are awaiting Y martin the social worker.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Matt
A handbag