Re: When was the 'Tennis Balls' pic taken?

by whodunit 31.03.16 17:12

What does Nigel Foster have to say about the incident?

by j.rob 31.03.16 17:57

whodunit wrote:What does Nigel Foster have to say about the incident?

I would be intrigued to know. But of course his rogatory is not in the files along with many other people who I think must be 'key' witnesses.

by Grande Finale 03.04.16 1:59

HI DE HO said
If it IS water and there was no court cleaning or rain before 10am for the mini tennis then it is reasonable to suggest that Kate is lying about the photo being taken at mini tennis.

As GM said in a video "I took that photograph". "We were playing tennis and Madeleine was running around collecting as many balls as she could, playing ball girl."

I can't find the video now but the TELEGRAPH has the same story regarding the Crimewatch show.....

The footage features a three-year-old girl as Madeleine. She is shown collecting tennis balls for her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, as they played on a tennis court.

It recreates one of the last photographs taken before Madeleine vanished

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by **HiDeHo** 03.04.16 12:51

Grande Finale wrote:
HI DE HO said
If it IS water and there was no court cleaning or rain before 10am for the mini tennis then it is reasonable to suggest that Kate is lying about the photo being taken at mini tennis.

As GM said in a video "I took that photograph". "We were playing tennis and Madeleine was running around collecting as many balls as she could, playing ball girl."

I can't find the video now but the TELEGRAPH has the same story regarding the Crimewatch show.....

The footage features a three-year-old girl as Madeleine. She is shown collecting tennis balls for her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, as they played on a tennis court.

It recreates one of the last photographs taken before Madeleine vanished

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Thanks for that Grande Finale. I guess I am going to have to search for that comment smilie

There goes my Sunday lol

by NickE 03.04.16 21:44

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"The footage features a three-year-old girl as Madeleine.
She is shown collecting tennis balls for her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, as they played on a tennis court.
It recreates one of the last photographs taken before Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz"

If we assume that the BBC CrimeWatch tennis recon is correct:
(A TV show like this from BBC about this case should have been approved by TM and Mitchell in advance,wouldn´t it???)

From Kate´s book "Madeleine":
"During Gerry's tennis lesson, (May1st) Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session. Jane and I stayed to watch them. It chokes me remembering how my heart soared with pride in Madeleine that morning. She was so happy and obviously enjoying herself. Standing there listening intently to Cat's instructions, she looked so gorgeous in her little T-shirt and shorts, pink hat, ankle socks and new holiday sandals that I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls."

This doesn´t add up, does it?
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When did Kate & Gerry played tennis together?

April 28: No Tennis.?
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April 29:
Gerogina Jackson Tennis instructor:
"As for the parents, she relates that a first lesson of instruction was done in the morning of 29 April, it being that, on that day, they had no more lessons.

S Carpenter:
"On Sunday the 29th April C**** and I participated in a coffee morning of the MW tennis group where I met Gerry, Kate, J****, C****, R****, A***, G***, A***'s sister and A***, there were other tourists there whose names now escape me. In total there were approximately some sixteen people at this coffee morning and tennis was one of the activities that the man, or that both subscribed to during the week. I am summarising a bit, because.....

DCF: Okay, that's fine..

SC: I first played tennis with Kate and G***n, there was another lady whose name I can't remember and afterwards I played with Kate and G**** against Gerry and naturally after the game I spoke to Gerry and Kate as well as to the other people present."

Maddie was signed in 9:45 according to the records.

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April 30:
Jez Wilkins:
"On Monday 30th, April, 2007 I joined the tennis lessons provided by Mark Warner, the tour operator. There were five pairs. There were 3 females and a male, I found to be Jerry.

He was white of pale complexion, about 5'10'' to 6' 00'' with a soft Glasgwian accent. He has dark hair which was short. He was of athletic build.

As part of the lesson we were paired off together. We engaged on general conversation, mainly about tennis, and football. I got the impression that he was good company, gregarious and chatty. The tennis lessons longed about an hour. We were signed for four (4) lessons in total. I can't recall if I saw Jerry again that day".

Jez Wilkins does not say anything about any children or that Maddie was present at the time.
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May 1st:
From Kate´s book "Madeleine":
"During Gerry's tennis lesson, Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session. Jane and I stayed to watch them. It chokes me remembering how my heart soared with pride in Madeleine that morning. She was so happy and obviously enjoying herself. Standing there listening intently to Cat's instructions, she looked so gorgeous in her little T-shirt and shorts, pink hat, ankle socks and new holiday sandals that I ran back to our apartment for my camera to record the occasion. One of my photographs is known around the world now: a smiling Madeleine clutching armfuls of tennis balls."

Jez Wilkins: "On Tuesday, 1st May, 2007 we again had a tennis lesson together.
After the lessons, this time we had a game of doubles together with two friends of his! At this point I established that Jerry and his family had come along with a group of other families, four (4) in totals. The game longed about one hour and a quarter.

May 1st? It doesn´t look like Kate and Gerry played together this time and Wilkins said "family" but he doesn´t say he saw that Madeleine was present at the time.
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May 2nd

Jez Wilkins: (Rain in the morning).
"It was re-scheduled for 2:30 pm. I found this out at a later date and missed the lesson. I arrived about five (5) minutes before the end and realized this fact. I saw the usual people at the tennis lesson. I then went back to my apartment.

Maddie was signed in/out at the creche 9:30-12:30 and (14:45 Kate signed her in,wasn´t she? and if Kate signed her in 2:45,Kate was not a part of a tennis lesson at 2:30.
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May 3rd: Tennis instructor Dan Stuk: "Questioned about the class times of G&K McCann on last Thursday, 3 May, he related that the mother of MBM had a group class at 09-10h00 conducted by Georgina; the father had a group class at 10-11h00 conducted by him.

Later, at 15-15h45, the couple had a private class, together, conducted by him - and finally, GM participated in the men's social tennis event at 18-19h00."
May 3rd? NO,"The couple had a private class at 15-15:45", Maddie was at creche at the time, wasn´t she?

by skyrocket 04.04.16 8:49

@j.rob and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I have concerns over the translation done on ROB's statement. I do not speak Portuguese and I can feel certain persons' breathing down my neck as I type BUT my Spanish is good and the languages are very similar. The following 2 sentences need checking by a native speaker (preferably also fluent in English), but I am certain in my own mind (having also checked) that:

'Estava a filmar a sua filha' translates into English as, 'He (I or she) was filming his daughter'. 'He' would seem to fit the context of what ROB says best, however, who 'he' is at this stage is unclear (ROB or Nigel).

'They were' should have been written as 'estavam'

The sentence below this which starts 'Nigel comentado' also needs looking at. For me it translates as 'Nigel commented that he almost felt uncomfortable photographing his own daughter'. 'Propria' meaning 'own'. The English translation given in the files gives quite a different slant on the meaning.

Certain persons - the above is just a heads up and an indication of the problems of translations/double translations. If anyone speaks Portuguese, please check and correct me if necessary.

Having said all that, IMO, the whole incident (factual or otherwise) has been brought up for a reason. I agree, Nigel Foster's statement would be interesting.

by dottyaussie 23.04.16 17:33

I was just thinking about the beads/elastic thingy in Madeleine's hair and was checking out the tennis ball photo when I came across this photo and got distracted. Were these photo's taken at the same tennis courts or another tennis court ie Rothley ??

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by Guest 23.04.16 17:39

Is this a playground?

by dottyaussie 23.04.16 17:43

I'm not sure ? Trying to find all the photo's of the playground/tennis court now.

by Guest 23.04.16 18:04

It is a playground. I located the photos on Pamalam (unable to c/p on tablet).

Back on topic.

by Claire25 23.04.16 19:43

Are people saying that the tennis balls pic was taken from up high by the playground? There is a wire fence along there, could it have been taken through the gap or over the top of the fence?

by Doug D 23.04.16 21:26

Claire25,

Go back to page 2 on this thread & you can see the tennis court set-up. From the playground level, the fence is little more than waist high.

by joyce1938 23.04.16 23:50

That picture, I think you will find, is of a younger Maddie. I would imagine some pics would be of a playground nearer to home, maybe. joyce1938.

by Patricia 07.02.17 19:24

Guest wrote:A strange photo, IMO. Looks as if the head has been photoshopped onto a different body. It could have been taken anywhere. Reminds me of fuzzyfelt I played with as a child.

I also think the head has been photoshopped onto another girl's body. Just cover the head over and you will 'see' that the head does not sit right on the neck. The same oddity happens with The Last Photo, with the dark blue shadow on the neck. No way could the Last Photograph girl have the sturdy barrel-like chest of the Tennis Court Photo. The body in the Last Photo is Amelie's, with Madeleine's grafted on (photoshopped.) Gerry is so obviously sitting between the two twins at the edge of the pool, otherwise, where is the girl, Amelie? Why did the police of either country not issue ALL the photos on that camera, or are there - extremely strangely - only these two of Madeleine (manufactured???) that time?

by **Tony Bennett** 07.02.17 20:31

Patricia wrote:
Guest wrote:A strange photo, IMO. Looks as if the head has been photoshopped onto a different body. It could have been taken anywhere. Reminds me of fuzzyfelt I played with as a child.
The same oddity happens with the Last Photo, with the dark blue shadow on the neck. No way could the Last Photograph girl have the sturdy barrel-like chest of the Tennis Court Photo. The body in the Last Photo is Amelie's, with Madeleine's grafted on (photoshopped.) Gerry is so obviously sitting between the two twins at the edge of the pool, otherwise, where is the girl, Amelie? Why did the police of either country not issue ALL the photos on that camera, or are there - extremely strangely - only these two of Madeleine (manufactured???) that time?

@ Patricia I appreciate you are new here, but all that you say about the Last Photo is entirely incorrect.

We have two long 'Last Photo' threads on here, and these are the unanimous conclusions of both two interntional experts and several other photo experts and long-time researchers on CMOMM:

1. The photo is a genuine photograph with absolutely no evidence of photoshopping whatseover

2. Proof of that includes the shadow lengths of the three people and everything else in the photo which are wholly consistent throughout.

Additionally, almost all members here recognise from the photographic evidence, and from carefully researched weather data that week, that the Last Photo was almost certainly taken on the Sunday, 29 April, and NOT on Thursday 3 May as the McCanns claimed.

If correct, that is a very significant finding indeed

by Guest 07.02.17 20:58

Patricia wrote:The body in the Last Photo is Amelie's, with Madeleine's grafted on (photoshopped.) Gerry is so obviously sitting between the two twins at the edge of the pool, otherwise, where is the girl, Amelie?

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Gerry McCann at the poolside with Amelie and Madeleine.

In addition to extensive coverage of this 'last photograph' there has also been extensive coverage of the 'tennis ball' photograph. The latest here..

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by **sharonl** 14.08.17 20:21

Does anyone know when the Hat in the tennis photo was in fashion? It has been suggested that the shorts are 1970s but I would think that if that were correct, the hat would be more of a giveaway.

Is it a 70s hat?

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