Richard D. Hall: Another appeal for information - Gerry McCann is happy (video) and the blue chair

Gerry McCann is happy


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A follower of Richard D Hall has drawn attention to this 5-second TV clip, taken days after Madeleine was reported missing, of Gerry McCann laughing his socks off about something.

In the video, a blue plastic chair can be seen which matches EXACTLY the blue chair in the Make-Up Photo (although these can be bought anywhere of course).

Could you please look at the clip and help Richard identify where Gerry McCann was being filmed while laughing and joking. Thank you

Sorry, I don't see a blue plastic chair.



I see a blue something that has a shadow.

Looks like the fold of some material draped on a chair. A top or a towel.

Richard needs to stop stretching.

In the "Gerry laughing" video above, the blue object, IMO, is not likely to be a chair. Firstly, the available space between the outer wall and the patio doors is very narrow and would be an unlikely location to place a chair. Secondly, the height of the object (almost level with the top of Gerry's chest is not suggestive of a chair-back. To me it appears to be a body-board (this blue is an extremely common colour for such) which is propped against the outer wall. I would be wary of jumping to conclusions about where the makeup photo was taken. Other than the suggestion that the background wall colour is more popular around the Med there is nothing else to go on. As to when it was taken, it is difficult to judge her age and she has long hair (as she does in the Snow White and soccer shirt pictures also). The latter were taken in advance of that holiday.

Here's a blue one with a rounded top.

Can anyone tell me the origin of the short video clip that shows Gerry McCann laughing? It's widely acknowledged to have been shot a few days after Madeleine's disappearance - where does that information come from?

A genuine question.

Also I should be interested to learn quite how knowing the location of the 'make-up' photograph, will assist with determining the fate of Madeleine McCann. Personally, I don't believe the origin of the 'make-up' photograph will ever be revealed, it might even be just good old uncle Jon Corner messing about with images for his peculiar May 2010 video - like you do!

I think Stevo found the video clip, or he snipped it from another video, cos I recall he had it as his avatar a while back.

It appears to be from a news piece in Portugal, the bar says 'one year later' at the end of the clip. Given that all the versions out there have the same subtitles I assume this is the original clip. I am scouring the AP archives as they'd have a concrete date, but not come across it yet.



'E, depois, os pais vinham buscar as cinco horas.

Como ela entrava la, fazia adeus, cumprimentava era muito simpatica. Estava sempre a rir-se.'

Google translation: 'And then the parents came for five o'clock.

As she came in, she said goodbye, she was very nice. He was always laughing.'

@Phoebe wrote: I would be wary of jumping to conclusions about where the makeup photo was taken. Other than the suggestion that the background wall colour is more popular around the Med there is nothing else to go on. As to when it was taken, it is difficult to judge her age and she has long hair (as she does in the Snow White and soccer shirt pictures also). The latter were taken in advance of that holiday.

@ Phoebe  

There is a lot else to go on.

1. Is the McCann' original story about the provenance of that photo true or not? If not, we are entitled to investigate where, when and under what circumstances it was taken.

2. The film was not relelased by the McCanns, it was released by Jon Corner. We do not know if they authorised its release. Indeed their immediate reaction was that they seemed surprised at it being published and may even have nt known that it was going to be. 

3. The yellow stucco background is a major reason for thinking that it was taken on that holiday in Portugal. 

4. On the subject of the 'hair' match between the two photos (Last Photo and Make Up Phoo) almost everyone accepts these features: identical length, identical colour, and identical style and the way her hair hangs on both photos

5. There is the uncanny coincidence that on both photos she is wearing a pink dress or smock, quite possibly the very same garment

6. In both photos, Madeleine is wearing a hair bead. I am only aware of one or two photos of Madeleine wearing a pink hair bead, so this is very strong evidence that they may have been taken on the very same day

7. Who applied all this make-up? - hair bead, necklace, eye shadow, lipstick, eye liner - and why have we not been told?

@ Verdi     You wrote:  "Also I should be interested to learn quite how knowing the location of the 'make-up' photograph, will assist with determining the fate of Madeleine McCann. Personally, I don't believe the origin of the 'make-up' photograph will ever be revealed, it might even be just good old uncle Jon Corner messing about with images for his peculiar May 2010 video - like you do!"

REPLY:  I am slightly surprised @ Verdi that you raise the subject of this highly disturbing photo being 'photoshopped'. Why on earth would Jon Corner or anyone else deliberately, for example, add what looks very much like one or another kind of thermometer? For that matter, why on earth would anyone take such an awful photo of Madeleine, with her eyes so catatonic-looking that some people have said she looks 'dead', and the young girl plastered in make-up clearly applied by an adult?. Why, why was Madeleine ever 'made up' like this? Why, why was that photo of her ever taken?? Who, who actually took it??? - No-one has ever said.

And finally, why, why, why was it ever published????

I had the opinion that the eye shadow may had been photoshopped, however, I have since changed my opinion. The disturbing look of this photo is a combination of the make-up and the expression, or lack of expression. She looks like she's in a situation she is not comfortable with.

With regard to hair length, the hair bows on Madeleine's right shoulder, which leads me to believe that her hair is the length it is in the Pool Photo, it doesn't seem to have the weight of length it has in the E*r*ton football shirt photo.

A coincidence ? 5A bedroom window on left. Check the top floor apartment between the conifers on the right. The "thing" on the wall to the left of the patio doors..........

@ Tony Bennett  I'm afraid I don't see an "identical hair style". In the make up photo Madeleine has no fringe whereas she does in the playground photo and last photo. Nor do I see a hair bead at all in the "last" photo by the pool. I see some strands of Madeleine's hair have been fashioned into a short plait near the scalp and tied off with a white elastic band half way down. There are other photos of Madeleine sporting the exact same style.
  
In the make-up photo she appears to be wearing pink butterfly-grip slide much higher up. As to the clothes I do not believe she is wearing the pink strappy smock top in the make-up photo. The angle of curve suggests it is something round necked like a T shirt or jumper. As a three year old girl I'm sure she had quite a lot of pink clothing.

Is there any information where the Gorrods stayed?

@Tony Bennett wrote:REPLY:  I am slightly surprised @ Verdi that you raise the subject of this highly disturbing photo being 'photoshopped'. Why on earth would Jon Corner or anyone else deliberately, for example, add what looks very much like one or another kind of thermometer? For that matter, why on earth would anyone take such an awful photo of Madeleine, with her eyes so catatonic-looking that some people have said she looks 'dead', and the young girl plastered in make-up clearly applied by an adult?. Why, why was Madeleine ever 'made up' like this? Why, why was that photo of her ever taken?? Who, who actually took it??? - No-one has ever said.

And finally, why, why, why was it ever published????

Your questions are the very reason I don't think the origin of the 'make-up' photograph will ever be known.

The repeated questions are always where and when was the photograph taken - I have an addition to those questions..
WHY was the make-up photograph ever taken?

Jon Corner would appear to have been the appointed chef of photographs, I think he is the one with all the answers, particularly as he is the one who produced the 2010 appeal video which has become the centre of controversy - again WHY was that video ever released?  It serves no apparent purpose.  Perhaps the McCanns friend and confident Jim Gamble could throw some light on the mystery? 

I would like nothing more than to discover the answers to these questions but I genuinely don't believe it will ever be revealed.  Perhaps if all this information were the subject of a bona-fide police investigation, then there is a possibility that the truth might eventually be known - if the source of the various photographs was to be ascertained, photographic equipment seized and the data professionally analyzed, then and only then can one hope for answers.  In the interim I think one can only surmise.

ETA:  There is an added problem.  The Portuguese were, are and will always be the leading force investigating the case of Madeleine McCann.  What chance do they have of obtaining vital information from the McCanns, their friends or the UK establishment?  They were scuppered in their attempts during the summer of 2007, since then the McCanns have been privileged to the highest level of protection imaginable - I doubt the UK authorities will volte-face at this late stage of the game.

I think it is very important that members of the forum try to find out the setting of both the 'happy Gerry' video and of the 'make-up' photo. I do not understand why anyone would think it is not important. Firstly, if the make-up photo was indeed taken in Praia da Luz and it could be proved, then it would raise serious questions as to why the 'playing with make-up at home' story had been allowed to circulate and then go uncorrected for ten years.Wouldn't it?
It would also be of great interest to find out why the owner of the property did not come forward in order to set the record straight.

I think the playground, pool and make-up photos were taken in a close time frame ,looking at the length of Madeleine's fringe. I don't however think that the neckline on the make-up photo is that of the poolside smock top, which had narrow straps.
I also think the thermometer is a possiblity;some time ago I spent a long time looking at exterior lights and at extendable wall-mounted drying racks, and found nothing which looked as close as the thermometer does to the photographed object.


In the 'happy Gerry' video, I don't think it is a chair unless it has been stacked, as the wall is surely too high. A bodyboard is a possibility:who were the body-boarders in the group??? And who is the blonde-haired lady who stoops down as Gerry is laughing? The rubric below the video says it was taken 6 days after Madeleine disappeared. I tried to look on Gerry's blogs- Day 6 is down as the day the website is launched-the 9th May. The 9th May is also the day the photographer VASCO CELIO took these intriguing pictures

Re:the Gorrods, I believe they flew out on the same day as the Tapas group. I have read they were in apartment C5C but I haven't seen any verification of this. nor do I know where this is.

Finally , thank you for the images DougD, but can you enlarge them please?

@Tony Bennett wrote:

@Phoebe wrote: I would be wary of jumping to conclusions about where the makeup photo was taken. Other than the suggestion that the background wall colour is more popular around the Med there is nothing else to go on. As to when it was taken, it is difficult to judge her age and she has long hair (as she does in the Snow White and soccer shirt pictures also). The latter were taken in advance of that holiday.

@ Phoebe  

There is a lot else to go on.

1. Is the McCann' original story about the provenance of that photo true or not? If not, we are entitled to investigate where, when and under what circumstances it was taken.

2. The film was not relelased by the McCanns, it was released by Jon Corner. We do not know if they authorised its release. Indeed their immediate reaction was that they seemed surprised at it being published and may even have nt known that it was going to be. 

3. The yellow stucco background is a major reason for thinking that it was taken on that holiday in Portugal. 

4. On the subject of the 'hair' match between the two photos (Last Photo and Make Up Phoo) almost everyone accepts these features: identical length, identical colour, and identical style and the way her hair hangs on both photos

5. There is the uncanny coincidence that on both photos she is wearing a pink dress or smock, quite possibly the very same garment

6. In both photos, Madeleine is wearing a hair bead. I am only aware of one or two photos of Madeleine wearing a pink hair bead, so this is very strong evidence that they may have been taken on the very same day

7. Who applied all this make-up? - hair bead, necklace, eye shadow, lipstick, eye liner - and why have we not been told?

@ Verdi     You wrote:  "Also I should be interested to learn quite how knowing the location of the 'make-up' photograph, will assist with determining the fate of Madeleine McCann. Personally, I don't believe the origin of the 'make-up' photograph will ever be revealed, it might even be just good old uncle Jon Corner messing about with images for his peculiar May 2010 video - like you do!"

REPLY:  I am slightly surprised @ Verdi that you raise the subject of this highly disturbing photo being 'photoshopped'. Why on earth would Jon Corner or anyone else deliberately, for example, add what looks very much like one or another kind of thermometer? For that matter, why on earth would anyone take such an awful photo of Madeleine, with her eyes so catatonic-looking that some people have said she looks 'dead', and the young girl plastered in make-up clearly applied by an adult?. Why, why was Madeleine ever 'made up' like this? Why, why was that photo of her ever taken?? Who, who actually took it??? - No-one has ever said.

And finally, why, why, why was it ever published????

If the image was photoshopped, why did Kate subsequently reference it? That would make no sense at all.

Yes, the Gorrods (Charlotte friend of JT, with hire car) were in C5C and we are told they arrived on the 28 April (Saturday) but, like a couple of other families, they only show up on the OC records 2 days later (Mon 30 April). They are shown as 'owner booked', which I assume means that they either booked direct with the owner or that they are owners themselves. We know there was some contact with the Gorrods as JT tells us that they (Tanner/O'B and family) were due to go over to a birthday celebration with them during the holiday.

http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_616.jpg

For all the bookings, just look under 'Tapas Bookings' in the translated PJ Files:

http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/TAPAS_BOOKING.htm


Do with have a definitive release date for the 'happy Gerry' clip. I know @April28th was trying to pin it down. I think it is dangerous territory to assume that the '5 day later' label is accurate without date. Out of interest only, GM was wearing the same polo shirt that he wore to go to the Fatima Shrine. There are a number of possibilities for the woman but it is obviously someone GM feels relaxed with.

Is there any chance at all that this was filmed/released in April 2009, when GM, JT and MO returned to make the documentary? I have a reason for asking.

"Who were the body boarders?" 
The Paynes like to body board (see Fiona's fb page).

Just thinking.. is there any chance at all that Corner published the photo to generate discussion? Surely he would have known it would cause a stir.. Could it be some kind of decoy? I just can't see any other reason why he would publish it. Perhaps we're supposed to link it with PDL which makes me wonder if it was really taken innocently in another location (her fringe is not the same length imo - in the make-up photo it's cliped to the side because it's'growing out'). Just a thought..

I think the answer to WHY the picture was taken may disturbingly be as simple as the people taking it, did not see anything wrong with it. Now you have to ask yourself what sort of people would take a picture of a child wearing adults make up, in a strange adult like pose, without smiling and looking miserable, and think that's ok. It was then put out there along with all the other Madeleine pictures to show her personality and to try and appeal to people.

@skyrocket wrote:Yes, the Gorrods (Charlotte friend of JT, with hire car) were in C5C and we are told they arrived on the 28 April (Saturday) but, like a couple of other families, they only show up on the OC records 2 days later (Mon 30 April). They are shown as 'owner booked', which I assume means that they either booked direct with the owner or that they are owners themselves. We know there was some contact with the Gorrods as JT tells us that they (Tanner/O'B and family) were due to go over to a birthday celebration with them during the holiday.

http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_616.jpg

For all the bookings, just look under 'Tapas Bookings' in the translated PJ Files:

http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/TAPAS_BOOKING.htm


Do with have a definitive release date for the 'happy Gerry' clip. I know @April28th was trying to pin it down. I think it is dangerous territory to assume that the '5 day later' label is accurate without date. Out of interest only, GM was wearing the same polo shirt that he wore to go to the Fatima Shrine. There are a number of possibilities for the woman but it is obviously someone GM feels relaxed with.

Is there any chance at all that this was filmed/released in April 2009, when GM, JT and MO returned to make the documentary? I have a reason for asking.

I believe the woman in that clip is KateMcCanns friend who supported her in the Church in PDL May 2007.