Re: A few oddities

by Guest 21.08.11 9:54

Another oddity is the two Michael Wrights. Both used the same hire care. The first Michael Wright around 8th May 07, who was in PDL on a golfing holiday, then Michael Wright a relation of Kates was put on the contract when the McCanns hired the same car 25 days after Madeleine went missing!! The PJ seemed to think they were different people.

[snipped]

13 Volume XIII Pages 3897 to 3900
13_VOLUME_XIIIa_Page_3897

13_VOLUME_XIIIa_Page_3898

13_VOLUME_XIIIa_Page_3899

13_VOLUME_XIIIa_Page_3900

Witness Statement

John Brown

Date: 2007.10.05

I am the above named person and I write this statement in relation to a week I went to Portugal to play golf. I flew from Luton Airport, London to Faro, Portugal Airport on May 8th 2007. I went with my wife B*** B***, Michael WRIGHT a friend and his wife S*** W****, N***** R******, his wife J***** R******. It was a golfing holiday over four different courses. We all stayed with a friend out in the country. It was a villa belonging to D**** B*****. I have known him for 15 years. It is his privately owned villa. I booked my flights separately through EASy Jet. It is the first time I have stayed there with him

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

2 Michael Wrights - another coincidence. Statements from people who rented the car previously and after the McCanns on above link.

by Guest 21.08.11 10:20

pauline wrote:
the Millenium wasn't near in the context of three small children and no buggy.
Yet Kate had no problems with walking 3 childen allegedly without a buggy much further down to the beach and back !!

Kate said they used the Millenium for dinner the first night and it wasn't convenient for that reason, hence they wanted to have dinner subsequently at the nearer tapas bar.
No it was not actually. The reason they needed to eat at the tapas restaurant, was because of 'checking on the children' remember? The bit about not wanting to eat at the millenium, distance and buggies was just an excuse for the receptionist.

Why they would have breakfast at the Millenium every day I cant understand. So I believe Kate in this instance.
Are you trying to say that 1 persons testimony has more weight than 5 independent members of staff who have no reason to lie ? and all this rubbish about people getting them confused is total utter crap. They were the ONLY family out there with 3 children under the age of 5. Two with white blonde hair, 1 with blonde/brown hair and they would have stood out like a bleacher beacon.

I Cant understand why Kate would lie about this.
Oh I can and so can many others. But still, it is very touching that you believe in a woman who you have never met before, who refused to answer all 48 questions put to her, with a "no comment". That's not the sort of person who I would believe.

Nor can I understand why the staff would provide inaccurate information.
They all signed sworn statements. All saying the same thing. I would say that makes their testimonies have far greater weight and accuracy than that of someone who was made a prime suspect in the death/disappearance of her own daughter.

The breakfast would have been the same in either place presumably, so the logical thing is to go to the nearer venue.
Breakfast was only served in the Millennium restaurant. If you didn't fancy that, it was breakfast in your apartment. Which Kate claimed they did. But where is the proof? Where is all the breakfast cereal boxes in their kitchen? there was non, no evidence of breakfasts being eaten in 5a anyway.

by Guest 21.08.11 10:21

candyfloss wrote:

2 Michael Wrights - another coincidence. Statements from people who rented the car previously and after the McCanns on above link.

What are the chances, Candyfloss, well spotted

Michael (Anne-Marie's husband) flew in on 5th according to Kate.

by Guest 21.08.11 10:45

Does anyone know where on this map the Millennium Restaurant is?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Guest 21.08.11 10:52

Just to clarify - the McCanns did say publicly in this video, that the walk was too far because they had no buggies - they did also say that they wanted to be near cos of watching the children, so both Stella and pauline are correct - here at 1.42 (re Millenium to far to walk) into the video....

[youtube][/youtube]

by Guest 21.08.11 11:06

candyfloss wrote:Just to clarify - the McCanns did say publicly in this video, that the walk was too far because they had no buggies...

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

I suppose these aren't the buggies they didn't have.

by Guest 21.08.11 11:09

Molly wrote:Does anyone know where on this map the Millennium Restaurant is?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

It's in the top right hand corner, where it says Mirage. That is what it is now called after the revamp.

There is a better map, which I will add a link onto here in a moment.

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

by Guest 21.08.11 11:12

Admin wrote:
candyfloss wrote:Just to clarify - the McCanns did say publicly in this video, that the walk was too far because they had no buggies...

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

I suppose these aren't the buggies they didn't have.

I always wondered why are those buggies all covered over, can't see in that picture, surely the twins weren't in there in that hot weather. Is that how they are hired out all covered over. The second picture looks like there is something under the covers.

by Guest 21.08.11 11:31

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

You can't see the twins feet in pic A because the McCann's didn't have a buggy.

by Guest 21.08.11 11:40

Admin wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

You can't see the twins feet in pic A because the McCann's didn't have a buggy.

It's obviously a very mean photoshop attack. Wait, is that a bottle of NZ wine I see....

by Guest 21.08.11 11:46

[quote="Stella"]

Molly wrote:Does anyone know where on this map the Millennium Restaurant is?

There is a better map, which I will add a link onto here in a moment.

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

Thanks, Stella

by lj 21.08.11 13:26

Stella wrote:
pauline wrote:
the Millenium wasn't near in the context of three small children and no buggy.
Yet Kate had no problems with walking 3 childen allegedly without a buggy much further down to the beach and back !!

Kate said they used the Millenium for dinner the first night and it wasn't convenient for that reason, hence they wanted to have dinner subsequently at the nearer tapas bar.
No it was not actually. The reason they needed to eat at the tapas restaurant, was because of 'checking on the children' remember? The bit about not wanting to eat at the millenium, distance and buggies was just an excuse for the receptionist.

Why they would have breakfast at the Millenium every day I cant understand. So I believe Kate in this instance.
Are you trying to say that 1 persons testimony has more weight than 5 independent members of staff who have no reason to lie ? and all this rubbish about people getting them confused is total utter crap. They were the ONLY family out there with 3 children under the age of 5. Two with white blonde hair, 1 with blonde/brown hair and they would have stood out like a bleacher beacon.

I Cant understand why Kate would lie about this.
Oh I can and so can many others. But still, it is very touching that you believe in a woman who you have never met before, who refused to answer all 48 questions put to her, with a "no comment". That's not the sort of person who I would believe.

Nor can I understand why the staff would provide inaccurate information.
They all signed sworn statements. All saying the same thing. I would say that makes their testimonies have far greater weight and accuracy than that of someone who was made a prime suspect in the death/disappearance of her own daughter.

The breakfast would have been the same in either place presumably, so the logical thing is to go to the nearer venue.
Breakfast was only served in the Millennium restaurant. If you didn't fancy that, it was breakfast in your apartment. Which Kate claimed they did. But where is the proof? Where is all the breakfast cereal boxes in their kitchen? there was non, no evidence of breakfasts being eaten in 5a anyway.

I see my answer to Pauline, that was in part like yours, Stella, has disappeared. Can anyone tell me why?

by Guest 21.08.11 13:32

lj wrote:
Stella wrote:
pauline wrote:
the Millenium wasn't near in the context of three small children and no buggy.
Yet Kate had no problems with walking 3 childen allegedly without a buggy much further down to the beach and back !!

Kate said they used the Millenium for dinner the first night and it wasn't convenient for that reason, hence they wanted to have dinner subsequently at the nearer tapas bar.
No it was not actually. The reason they needed to eat at the tapas restaurant, was because of 'checking on the children' remember? The bit about not wanting to eat at the millenium, distance and buggies was just an excuse for the receptionist.

Why they would have breakfast at the Millenium every day I cant understand. So I believe Kate in this instance.
Are you trying to say that 1 persons testimony has more weight than 5 independent members of staff who have no reason to lie ? and all this rubbish about people getting them confused is total utter crap. They were the ONLY family out there with 3 children under the age of 5. Two with white blonde hair, 1 with blonde/brown hair and they would have stood out like a bleacher beacon.

I Cant understand why Kate would lie about this.
Oh I can and so can many others. But still, it is very touching that you believe in a woman who you have never met before, who refused to answer all 48 questions put to her, with a "no comment". That's not the sort of person who I would believe.

Nor can I understand why the staff would provide inaccurate information.
They all signed sworn statements. All saying the same thing. I would say that makes their testimonies have far greater weight and accuracy than that of someone who was made a prime suspect in the death/disappearance of her own daughter.

The breakfast would have been the same in either place presumably, so the logical thing is to go to the nearer venue.
Breakfast was only served in the Millennium restaurant. If you didn't fancy that, it was breakfast in your apartment. Which Kate claimed they did. But where is the proof? Where is all the breakfast cereal boxes in their kitchen? there was non, no evidence of breakfasts being eaten in 5a anyway.

I see my answer to Pauline, that was in part like yours, Stella, has disappeared. Can anyone tell me why?

What do you mean lj, the post has gone?

by **tigger** 21.08.11 13:37

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

Wow! this is quite a long link, hope this works. It's from textusa. Really interesting post wondering why they went to the Millenium at all? Everything else was actually closer, but it seems they don't want us to look in that direction.
I tried to copy and paste the whole article, but it seems rather a lot. If this link doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to correct it. It's well worth a read!

by Guest 21.08.11 15:26

I was not planning to be on here this afternoon, but after my post this morning to Pauline, I felt the need to explain the reason for the tone of my reply to her.

When anyone tries to discredit the Portuguese workers, it makes my blood boil. These poor people get paid peanuts to work their butts off. They did not choose for this bombshell to be dropped on them. A lot of them later lost their jobs over this, but their statements were taken straight away and 'in good faith', before anyone had any reason to feel bad about anyone. Why would any of them provide "inaccurate information"? Inaccurate???, is that even possible for all of them to get this wrong? These people wait on tables every day and they take more notice of what's going on around them, than anyone gives them credit for. The Portuguese people adore children and welcome them in every restaurant. They look at their little faces every day and touch their heads to say hello. I absolutely believe these people when they say they saw them there.

On the subject of why they wanted to book into the tapas every night. If you read the statement of the receptionist, nowhere does it say the request was down to them having difficulty getting the children to the Millennium. What she says is;

"The man justified his request by saying that the group had many small children whom they would leave alone when they went to dine. She said that at intervals some two parents would go to the apartments to see if everything was OK".

At no time does this man mention anything about difficulty getting the children to the Millennium without a buggy. It is very significant that he never mentions this. It was only after the event on May 3rd, that they all tried to convince everyone that they always went there because the other one was too far away. No one is disputing the other one was further away. But before they even left they knew how big the complex was going to be, as Fiona said they all recieved a brochure on it. They wanted to go to the tapas because they were lazy and because it was a' la carte and they were all above themselves, expecting a 5* waiter service. They could not be bothered to take the children to dinner with them, like other guests did and after a few glasses of wine the women probably did not want to trek back in high their heels.

So I am sorry if the first post went over the top. I do not usually get angry, but I feel we all need to get behind the Portuguese people, not accuse them of incompetence.

Sorry for the rant. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by pauline 21.08.11 15:30

tigger wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wow! this is quite a long link, hope this works. It's from textusa. Really interesting post wondering why they went to the Millenium at all? Everything else was actually closer, but it seems they don't want us to look in that direction.
I tried to copy and paste the whole article, but it seems rather a lot. If this link doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to correct it. It's well worth a read!

I just read this very long article. She queries why they went to the Millenium the first night (tapas was closed) given that there were many and nearer alternatives. she also suggests they did not always go to the tapas bar for dinner on the nights it was open and mentions some alternatives.

But what she doesn't say is that the McCanns were on a holiday package with Mark Warner where dinner was included if you ate at the Millenium or at the Tapas Bar So why would you eat at other restaurants and pay for a dinner?

I can understand that towards the end of the holiday you might be bored with the limited choice of restaurant for dinner, and you might go to a different one
and pay. the mcCanns seem very money minded. They won't pay for babysitters. Their children (allegedly) share toothbrushes. I do not think they would want to pay on the double for dinner and drinks when their package included dinner.

by lj 21.08.11 15:38

I agree Stella, as a matter of fact last night I wrote a post along those line, candyfloss, and I can find it nowhere now?? Even if I look at all my post in my profile. Mysterious.
Anyway the line of thought in my post was this:
Kate does not need a reason to lie, she is a pathological liar, who will lie just for the heck of it. Often it is however to make her look better. Here she is attemting to show it was for the sake of the children they did not go to the millenium.
The workers though have no reason to lie, especially not 6 of them.

by **tigger** 21.08.11 15:47

pauline wrote:
tigger wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wow! this is quite a long link, hope this works. It's from textusa. Really interesting post wondering why they went to the Millenium at all? Everything else was actually closer, but it seems they don't want us to look in that direction.
I tried to copy and paste the whole article, but it seems rather a lot. If this link doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to correct it. It's well worth a read!

quote
I can understand that towards the end of the holiday you might be bored with the limited choice of restaurant for dinner, and you might go to a different one
and pay. the mcCanns seem very money minded. They won't pay for babysitters. Their children (allegedly) share toothbrushes. I do not think they would want to pay on the double for dinner and drinks when their package included dinner.

But they would likely have gone to Chaplin's for drinks (happy hour) - anyway, this is nothing to do with dinner, but with misdirection. They didn't want us to know that they knew the area.
I think Mrs. Fenn's daughter or somebody from MW went to see them one night at Chaplin's because the children were crying.

IMO the decoy abductor - Gerry with one of the twins went down this way on the 3rd,( Smiths' sighting) probably came back via the beach. There was a sighting of a man with a child around that time by the pizza man. Which he reported to Michael Wright, who did not pass this on to the police.
I think the daughter of the pizza man told the police at a later date.
Gerry for one is likely to have known the area fairly well, he'd been on weekend golfing holidays.

Most likely, having booked, they were at the Tapas for dinner each evening, seems quite normal to go on to a bar for cheap drinks afterwards.
The not paying of babysitters and the family toothbrush are IMO also nothing to do with money, but with the abduction having to be arranged.
In any case, they had to pay for drinks at least, even if dinner was included.

by **tigger** 21.08.11 15:51

Molly wrote:Does anyone know where on this map the Millennium Restaurant is?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Near the blue pool at the top right, I believe. But I've just posted an article from textusa, which gives you much better maps.

by Daisy 21.08.11 16:10

pauline wrote:
tigger wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wow! this is quite a long link, hope this works. It's from textusa. Really interesting post wondering why they went to the Millenium at all? Everything else was actually closer, but it seems they don't want us to look in that direction.
I tried to copy and paste the whole article, but it seems rather a lot. If this link doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to correct it. It's well worth a read!

I just read this very long article. She queries why they went to the Millenium the first night (tapas was closed) given that there were many and nearer alternatives. she also suggests they did not always go to the tapas bar for dinner on the nights it was open and mentions some alternatives.

But what she doesn't say is that the McCanns were on a holiday package with Mark Warner where dinner was included if you ate at the Millenium or at the Tapas Bar So why would you eat at other restaurants and pay for a dinner?

I can understand that towards the end of the holiday you might be bored with the limited choice of restaurant for dinner, and you might go to a different one
and pay. the mcCanns seem very money minded. They won't pay for babysitters. Their children (allegedly) share toothbrushes. I do not think they would want to pay on the double for dinner and drinks when their package included dinner.

Breakfast (at the Millenium) was also included, but we're supposed to believe that the McCanns declined this and instead chose to alient themselves from the rest of their group to go self catering for breakfast. Ok, according to reviews, the Millenium restaurant was a 12 min walk, but the McCanns are fitness fanatics aren't they?

Like Stella, I don't believe that the five staff are all liars/mistaken either. The girl on reception remembered them having breakfast there on at least 3 occasions; she describes the family, she remembered Madeleine being shy, cuddling her father, why on earth would she make this up?

by **tigger** 21.08.11 17:20

Daisy wrote:

Like Stella, I don't believe that the five staff are all liars/mistaken either. The girl on reception remembered them having breakfast there on at least 3 occasions; she describes the family, she remembered Madeleine being shy, cuddling her father, why on earth would she make this up?

Well, you see, that's where I have a problem. Maddie is described as anything but shy. 'giving her tuppence worth' and 'a screamer' and 'that girl could throw a tantrum', etc. mostly quotes from family.
So what I'm thinking is the same stand-in they used off and on all week. Perhaps Ella who can easily pass for Maddie, who was afraid of water one day, when Maddie loved water, according to Kate.
Or simply, that they did have breakfast at the flat. Breakfast doesn't exactly break the bank, bit of juice, coffee and cereal.
Otherwise, I see no problem either with the witnesses mistaking other clients for the McCanns. If only one of them thinks it's the McCanns, the others would naturally concur. I would, in that position, busy waitressing, noisy children.
Either way, I don't think if this is a lie, it is particularly important. Unless it is simply that Kate wants to draw our attention to her motherly person, looking after the children, etc. Or she want to re enforce her earlier statement that the Millenium was so much bother and so far away and the NO Buggies statement. I really don't think this bit is important.
Either they used a stand-in at the Millenium and this is just belts and braces, saying they weren't there. Just in case someone has a photograph or some other proof that the girl everyone thought was Maddie, turns out to be someone else's child.
I do think the silence about Chaplin's is important. It's right next to the church. The very church they had to ask the policeman to point out to them.

by LG78 21.08.11 18:04

pauline wrote:
tigger wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wow! this is quite a long link, hope this works. It's from textusa. Really interesting post wondering why they went to the Millenium at all? Everything else was actually closer, but it seems they don't want us to look in that direction.
I tried to copy and paste the whole article, but it seems rather a lot. If this link doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to correct it. It's well worth a read!

I just read this very long article. She queries why they went to the Millenium the first night (tapas was closed) given that there were many and nearer alternatives. she also suggests they did not always go to the tapas bar for dinner on the nights it was open and mentions some alternatives.

But what she doesn't say is that the McCanns were on a holiday package with Mark Warner where dinner was included if you ate at the Millenium or at the Tapas Bar So why would you eat at other restaurants and pay for a dinner?

I can understand that towards the end of the holiday you might be bored with the limited choice of restaurant for dinner, and you might go to a different one
and pay. the mcCanns seem very money minded. They won't pay for babysitters. Their children (allegedly) share toothbrushes. I do not think they would want to pay on the double for dinner and drinks when their package included dinner.

Acually the Babysitter service was free. So it wasnt the money either that stoped them from secure their children...

by Gillyspot 21.08.11 18:14

LG78 wrote:
pauline wrote:
tigger wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wow! this is quite a long link, hope this works. It's from textusa. Really interesting post wondering why they went to the Millenium at all? Everything else was actually closer, but it seems they don't want us to look in that direction.
I tried to copy and paste the whole article, but it seems rather a lot. If this link doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to correct it. It's well worth a read!

I just read this very long article. She queries why they went to the Millenium the first night (tapas was closed) given that there were many and nearer alternatives. she also suggests they did not always go to the tapas bar for dinner on the nights it was open and mentions some alternatives.

But what she doesn't say is that the McCanns were on a holiday package with Mark Warner where dinner was included if you ate at the Millenium or at the Tapas Bar So why would you eat at other restaurants and pay for a dinner?

I can understand that towards the end of the holiday you might be bored with the limited choice of restaurant for dinner, and you might go to a different one
and pay. the mcCanns seem very money minded. They won't pay for babysitters. Their children (allegedly) share toothbrushes. I do not think they would want to pay on the double for dinner and drinks when their package included dinner.

Acually the Babysitter service was free. So it wasnt the money either that stoped them from secure their children...

They said didn't they, that they were unhappy with leaving their children with a stranger - which is barmy when they left them with strangers day after day throughout their holiday.

by Guest 21.08.11 18:16

Hello LG78, I'm fairly sure that there was a charge for the evening babysitting service. I can't recall offhand exactly how much it was but it wasn't a great deal and Kate is quoted as saying that the cost of the service did not deter her from using it.

by LG78 21.08.11 18:27

Marian wrote:Hello LG78, I'm fairly sure that there was a charge for the evening babysitting service. I can't recall offhand exactly how much it was but it wasn't a great deal and Kate is quoted as saying that the cost of the service did not deter her from using it.

Well Someone lies then, cause the nanny working their said this in her statement

. The question made, she affirms that guests can request ?Staff" services where children are watched between 19H30 and 23H30. Madeleine McCanns parents never requested this service even though it was free;

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

by Guest 21.08.11 18:41

lj wrote:I agree Stella, as a matter of fact last night I wrote a post along those line, candyfloss, and I can find it nowhere now?? Even if I look at all my post in my profile. Mysterious.
Anyway the line of thought in my post was this:
Kate does not need a reason to lie, she is a pathological liar, who will lie just for the heck of it. Often it is however to make her look better. Here she is attemting to show it was for the sake of the children they did not go to the millenium.
The workers though have no reason to lie, especially not 6 of them.

Hi lj,

Last night the forum went off line 3 times for a few mins - I had the same problem, I typed a post and sent it and it didn't appear, it must have been when the forum went off line. It was between 9 and 9.45 pm. Pages were loading slowly too before and after for a while. I immediately went to MM to see if they were still on, and they weren't, after a few mins a page came up saying forumtion doing routine maintenance, same as here. As I say it happened 3 times, for only a couple of mins at a time, so your post must have vanished then. I did ask Get 'em and she had noticed to.

by pauline 21.08.11 18:44

LG78 wrote:
Marian wrote:Hello LG78, I'm fairly sure that there was a charge for the evening babysitting service. I can't recall offhand exactly how much it was but it wasn't a great deal and Kate is quoted as saying that the cost of the service did not deter her from using it.

Well Someone lies then, cause the nanny working their said this in her statement

. The question made, she affirms that guests can request ?Staff" services where children are watched between 19H30 and 23H30. Madeleine McCanns parents never requested this service even though it was free;

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

I understand the situation was - evening creche service free ( 19.30 - 23.30)- but if you want one of the creche staff to come and be in your apartment (obviously much more convenient) then then you had to book and pay an hourly charge which would have been about £9-£10 ph then.

You can see on the current MW website that having an individual babysitter costs extra.

Kate made the comment in the book that she did not want strangers minding her children which is rubbish as the 'strangers' would have been the nannies from the creche where they spent most of their day.

by LG78 21.08.11 18:52

pauline wrote:
LG78 wrote:
Marian wrote:Hello LG78, I'm fairly sure that there was a charge for the evening babysitting service. I can't recall offhand exactly how much it was but it wasn't a great deal and Kate is quoted as saying that the cost of the service did not deter her from using it.

Well Someone lies then, cause the nanny working their said this in her statement

. The question made, she affirms that guests can request Staff" services where children are watched between 19H30 and 23H30. Madeleine McCanns parents never requested this service even though it was free;

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

I understand the situation was - evening creche service free ( 19.30 - 23.30)- but if you want one of the creche staff to come and be in your apartment (obviously much more convenient) then then you had to book and pay an hourly charge which would have been about £9-£10 ph then.

You can see on the current MW website that having an individual babysitter costs extra.

Kate made the comment in the book that she did not want strangers minding her children which is rubbish as the 'strangers' would have been the nannies from the creche where they spent most of their day.

But she say guests can request Staff" services where children are watched between 19H30 and 23H30. Madeleine McCanns parents never requested this service even though it was free;

So I would read it as they could had their children watch for free. In thei room or regulary in some way..This is said by the nanny working there. She points out the fact that it was free and still they didnt use it..

by Guest 21.08.11 19:05

I did read that it was £10 per hour for babysitting on another forum, this article from the editor of "This is Money" site, who stayed at the Ocean Club at almost the same time, does say it was...................

09 May 2007 1:32 PM

My experience of Maddie's resort in Praia de Luz, the Algarve

I need to break from the usual financial slant of posts on this blog. I'm sure you'll understand as I thing's it's important to give my views on this...
My family and I returned last week relaxed from a holiday at the sleepy end of Portugal’s Algarve. We were, however, stunned to wake on Friday morning, days after we returned, to hear news that a girl, three-year-old Madeleine McCann, had gone missing from the same complex, yards from where we stayed.
We picked the Ocean Club resort in Praia de Luz, a quiet village, because of its connections with Mark Warner Holidays. The company has a growing reputation among families for offering comprehensive childcare wrapped in packages with free sports activities, such as tennis and water sports. The balance of a family holiday with time to relax away from the kids is attractive to millions of Britons.
We had a great time, able to spend time together as a family while also having some time out. Sam, our two-year-old son, was well looked after while we lounged by the pool, or why I played tennis or sailed. My wife Andrea and I even made nightly jaunts to local restaurants, a rare treat for new parents.
Luz, as the locals call it, is a laid back resort with a mix of Portugese holidaymakers and locals and, in off-peak May, a smaller number of foreign tourists. A handful of restaurants and bars in the town have a balance of mainly British families and friendly locals. This is an area you would not associate with crime, let alone the abduction of a child.
The Ocean Club has several hubs. One is a 24-hour reception, the other two have swimming pools, restaurants and tennis courts. At their furthest point, these centres are 10 minutes walk apart. In between are Ocean Club apartments mixed with local homes.
The options for childcare were numerous, well organised and of a very high standard. A well-staffed nursery with a child-to-carer ratio that was often just two-to-one, took youngsters from 9.30 to 12.30 every day and from 2.30 to 5.30 in the afternoon.

These creche facilities were next to the poolside Tapas restaurant where Madeleine’s parents were eating when she disappeared.
Madeleine and the younger twins Amelie and Sean were sleeping at the McCanns’ apartment overlooking the swimming pool at the main hub of the resort. Around that pool was the Tapas bar which was in high demand every night. Most guests went to the buffet at the Ocean Club’s Millennium restaurant, a 10-minute walk away from the McCanns’ apartment. But eager guests would queue from 9am to book one of the limited number of tables at the Tapas bar, which served barbecued fish and meat dishes to order. Both restaurants were included in the price of the holiday.

The McCanns’ choice to leave their children at the flat and make regular checks is surprising given the alternatives. In their defence, they may have been expecting, as advertised in Mark Warner brochures, a ‘listening service’. Staff told us that the service had been discontinued because the apartments were too spread out. The resort, however, offered a baby-sitting service for 15 euros (£10) an hour, which was staffed by a member of the daytime nursery teams, or a ‘dining out club’. This involved parents dropping off children at the crèche where they would be supervised watching videos until they went to sleep. Parents would then return before 11.30 to scoop up their sleepy offspring.
I can imagine the McCanns’ dilemma. The ‘dining out club’ was more than a five-minute walk from where the McCanns stayed along cobbled streets or a winding pedestrian path through the apartments. It’s not far - it worked brilliantly for us on most nights - but it would have felt much further if you had to ferry thee children there and back (and hope they were still asleep after doing so). Plus parents were required to wait until children under two, which includes the McCanns’ twins, were asleep. We talked to parents who said this was enough to put them off the option.
The McCanns opted instead to eat 40-50m from their apartment, not much more than a pool’s width away. They hoped it would be just close enough to hear a crying baby but with bar music playing and restaurant hubbub, it wasn’t close enough to hear what happened to Madeleine that night.
I can't imagine what they're going through now. I, along with millions others, only hope they can find her soon and safe.

- Andrew Oxlade, Editor, This is Money

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

by Guest 21.08.11 20:00

I have to say that I agree with Stella. It was when I was midway through the first T7 rogatory that I knew for sure something very peculiar & sinister happened in PDL in 2007. For this reason I find that it's best to only rely on independent statements. The Portuguese have no reason to lie. If the McCann's lied about going to the Millennium there has to be a reason, what were they trying to hide exactly and why did the T7 also lie?

That was a very interesting and thought provoking piece, Tigger. I agree that Chaplin's is important but so is breakfast at the Millennium. I don't understand why the McCann's were never challenged about their statements in regard to either of these restaurants. It would have been relatively easy to prove at the time.