Holiday family in Maddie flat

by jd 16.08.11 1:06

Published: 16th August 2011

THE holiday apartment where Madeleine McCann was kidnapped is being used by families for the first time since her abduction four years ago.
A couple and their young child were seen at the weekend in the ground-floor flat, which has been empty since Maddie disappeared aged three.

A British tourist at the Ocean Complex resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal, said: "I saw a young family staying in the apartment, enjoying their holiday.

"They didn't seem to have a care in the world, and if I hadn't known of the flat's history, I wouldn't have given it a second look." The apartment's British owner, retired Liverpool teacher Ruth McCann, 57, has been trying to sell it for £255,000 since Maddie's abduction.

Mrs McCann - no relation to Maddie's family - took the two-bedroom flat off the market last May after finding no one was interested because of its background. She was now believed to be letting it again to holidaymakers.

Maddie disappeared from her bedroom in May 2007 while her parents, Leicestershire doctors Gerry and Kate, were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3754139/Holiday-family-in-Madeleine-McCann-flat.html

Why has this now surfaced in the news? All quotes from a British tourist staying in another apartment, not from the family staying there themselves, of course!!! This story is total garbage but whats its relevance now?

by Guest 16.08.11 7:56

jd wrote:

Published: 16th August 2011

Mrs McCann - no relation to Maddie's family

No relation to Maddie's family, ie., Kate, Gerry, sean and Amelie. But what about Gerry's uncles on his Dad's side, has anyone looked at the wider family circle ?

by Guest 16.08.11 9:02

Perhaps Gerry will appear on "Who do you think you are?" to clarify who's in his extended family! For non U K members this is a programme where celebrities delve back into their family history; it's surprisingly interesting at times. This week it's the Harry Potter writer J K Rowling. Anyway, that's another story, if you'll pardon the weak joke.

The problem with identifying McCann relatives is that it's a very common name. Per Steel Magnolia, Ruth was the second wife of Michael McCann and by his first wife (name not stated) he had a daughter Donna, surname now Aldred. Goodness only knows how many Michael McCanns there are or were in the Liverpool area. A bit like looking for a needle in a haystack I think.

by Gillyspot 16.08.11 11:43

Marian wrote:The problem with identifying McCann relatives is that it's a very common name. Per Steel Magnolia, Ruth was the second wife of Michael McCann and by his first wife (name not stated) he had a daughter Donna, surname now Aldred. Goodness only knows how many Michael McCanns there are or were in the Liverpool area. A bit like looking for a needle in a haystack I think.

The funny thing is I had never heard the name McCann before Madeleine's disappearance and still have never met or spoken to anyone with that name (and I am in internal sales and speak to around 50 people a week). Since researching a possible connection though between Ruth and Gerry/Kate I have found hundreds in Liverpool and Glasgow.

by jd 16.08.11 12:41

One of the comments this morning "Fair enough - if she can find people to rent it, why not? It's not as if Maddie was murdered there - she just happened to be staying there when she disappeared, and that was four years ago in an incident that had nothing to do with the owner......." some people are so nieve bless them

by Clouseau 16.08.11 12:45

Ah yes.... the name Mccann is ranked at 472cnd in the UK....make your own mind up if it is common or not

by pennylane 16.08.11 12:54

It's not the apartment that's evil or sinister, it's the dodgy pair of ex occupants!

Personally I wouldn't mind renting it at all.

by Daisy 17.08.11 17:05

Marian wrote:
The problem with identifying McCann relatives is
that it's a very common name. Per Steel Magnolia, Ruth was the second
wife of Michael McCann and by his first wife (name not stated) he had a
daughter Donna, surname now Aldred. Goodness only knows how many Michael McCanns there are or were in the Liverpool area. A bit like looking for a needle in a haystack I think.

I don't think this Michael McCann lived in Liverpool long either, all the online orbituaries for him say: Formerly of Homer Park, Saltash, Plymouth.

On a side note. The Ocean Club seems to be popular with the 'macca's' or at least folk with Irish/Scottish names;
especially at the time the McCann's were there. Here's a list compiled
from the run sheets that Stella posted up in the Reseach forum.

McCann
McMillan
McCormick
McCrae
Mcgarry
McLennaghan
McNamara
McPhillips
McCandless
MacKenzie
McCabe
Mcdonald

Other Irish/scottish names:

O'Brien
O'Donnell
Campbell
Mangan
Hamil
Kelly
Nelson
Kerrigan