“Tie sales are booming as men smarten themselves up to improve their image in the workplace and avoid the sack”, according to Moss Bros, the clothing retailer.

Certainly one man was paying attention to this piece of non news this week. Gerry McCann arrived in Faro last night in a funereal black suit and tie – gone are the days when his normal attire was running shorts and sweaty t-shirt as he searched for his ‘lost’  daughter, whilst out on his daily run in Praia da Luz.

He was met at Faro by ‘British Officials’ – presumed to be Consular officials, presumed to be based in Lisbon. Since Lisbon was his final destination, this immediately begs the question of why he didn’t fly directly to Lisbon. Why did those consular officials have to travel to Faro to meet his flight, what was their purpose? Gerry McCann, outside of his own imagination, is neither visiting royalty nor a political leader. We can presume that there was more to their presence than simple good manners. 

Why was he traveling to Faro at all? He claims this was for a meeting with his lawyers. Since he is on record as having been unconvinced of the necessity of traveling to Faro to attend a reconstruction of the crime scene from which his daughter went missing, it seems strange that he wishes to attend a meeting with his lawyers – they have telephones, faxes, conference lines in Portugal these days, the fund is sufficiently well endowed to compensate the lawyers for traveling to England. 

What is the purpose of this meeting? During an exclusive interview with ITN (Sky presumably having blotted their copybook in some way) he vouchsafed the information that he wanted to put the past behind him and persuade the Portuguese authorities to continue the search for Madeleine, on the basis of information he has discovered in the PJ files. If he had attended the reconstruction some months ago, he would have had no need to persuade the authorities to continue the search – it was as a direct result of his ‘inability’ to attend, allegedly because the so called ‘Tapas 7′ could not attend, that the case was archived. Now that the case has been archived, only ‘new’ evidence can re-open it. Any information in the PJ files, by definition, is not new evidence. He further said that he wanted the current firm of ‘private investigators’, and I confess that I have temporarily lost track of exactly which firm of retired detectives, debt collectors, drug dealers, and strong arm men is currently refurbishing their offices on the strength of a monthly stipend form the widows and orphans fund known as the ‘Find Madeleine fund, to co-operate with the PJ in the investigations – there is no current investigation, there is only an archived investigation pending new evidence. If Mr McCann does not know this, incontrovertibly his lawyer, Senor Alves does – he was once the Head of the Portuguese Bar. 

Why is Senor Alves still retained? – he is a criminal lawyer.

Could the answer lie in the request made on behalf of the Madeleine Foundation by Tony Bennett to Dr Alberto Costa, of the Ministério da Justiça in Lisbon to hold an inquest into the disappearance or death of Madeleine McCann? Such an inquest would inevitably be a ‘difficult’ time for the McCann’s. How could they not attend? How could they not appear as witnesses and answer questions? Probably the very same questions they refused to answer many months ago to the PJ. 

If Dr McCann, now recast in suit and tie as every inch the Consultant Doctor, can persuade the PJ to re-open the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance, despite the fact that it was closed as a direct result of his, and his friends, refusal to attend the reconstruction, if Dr McCann can persuade the PJ to re-open the case despite not having any new evidence, then he might just avert an inquest. 

If he can’t, and Senor Alves would be the first to advise him that he can’t, then making it look as though it is the Portuguese authorities who are refusing to co-operate, is just yet another salvo in the on-going media battle for hearts, minds, and donations to the fund.

Charlie April 23, 2009 at 19:27

Your English is better than mine. But please stop saying ‘begs the
question’ when that is clearly not what you mean.

Ch January 22, 2009 at 15:26

Coco, tell me more … tell me more …
I’m afraid I’m not in the loop
anymore. What did I miss?

Coco January 22, 2009 at 12:00

The wrong number dialled to KM’s phone is an errrrr ……… puzzle …….

I wasn’t that puzzled at the time – until I realised that it’s a number
that has errrrr …….. well ……. yer know ……… it’s errrr …… known and tha’
…….

Ch January 22, 2009 at 11:37

Yes, the 3 classics.
The “early texts” are still the most interesting
ones …

Tony
Bennett January 22, 2009 at 09:52

ON THE SUBJECT OF GETTING DONATIONS INTO THE FUND

Saul January 18, 2009 at 00:39

Eddie and Keela are currently in their baskets dreaming about rabbits.
I
myself am well thanks.

Ch January 18, 2009 at 00:13

The adventurous dogs [with untrained, yet extremely good noses] are asleep
meanwhile. So far for them being really adventurous. Any ordinary stray dogs
would stay away for at least 2 hours, forcing me to get my coat and boots and
flashlight and search for them in
the wood.
If you still have Eddie and Keela around, I would like one day to
introduce them to my fabulous 3. I think they might join forces with hounds
and terriers, covering all disciplines in a dog’s life.

How are you b.t.w., sir Saul?

Ch January 18, 2009 at 00:08

That was a long wait, Saul

Saul January 17, 2009 at 23:57

Far from The Madding Crowd, dogs also played a major part.

Ch January 17, 2009 at 22:58

Evening Montaillou, Anna, Coco, Saul, Ann, if you’re still out there. I’m
waiting for my sometimes adventurous dogs to come home again, so have some
time to to share ….

Ch January 17, 2009 at 22:56

Poor Coco, with a little bit of bad luck there’s only

Montaillou January 17, 2009 at 22:35

Coco, you could leave a note at the police station to say that when it is
handed in all the contents, well cash contents, should be donated to the
Maddening Scam Fund, what better purpose? But ask them to give you the photos
back so that you can use them for marketng purposes.

Ch January 17, 2009 at 15:26

Including the precious irreplaceable photos?

Saul January 17, 2009 at 01:39

Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be handed in.

Coco January 17, 2009 at 00:42

And I have just had my bloody purse nicked at the station – and I haven’t
got any change ….. Would you credit it????

Montaillou January 16, 2009 at 21:28

Donations to the fund, what donations? What contributions? What fund?Have I
missed the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause? What could be more
worthy than contributing to five star hotel accommodation and a circuitous
trip to Lisboa?

OK, let me get this straight, it’s the Find the Maddening Scam Fund, a very
worthy cause, pass me my ermm cheque book please.

Oh, err, I don’t recall, er Ii must have, erm I seem to have, well I don’t
oftwn use those cheque thingies these days, erm I don’t have much call, erm
maybe my OH .. oh no I suppoese not, well, er, maybe later then….

Ch January 15, 2009 at 16:44

I’ve been doing a quick reading here and there, after I surfaced from an
extremely busy period. Understood that this “donation is not substantiated,
nor does GM seem to know how much money they still hold

Ch January 15, 2009 at 15:58

on the phone …

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 15:47

Chateleine,

Did you know that The Evening Standard made a ‘substantial donation’ to the
fund yesterday in respect of potentially libelous statements printed last year
which they were unable to prove. Don’t read too much into that because the
paper changed ownership today and the new owners may not have agreed to the
purchase with litigation outstanding.

Ch January 15, 2009 at 15:38

Good to see u2!
Finally some news again.
Interesting theory. I like
it

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 15:37

Neither retired nor retiring, welcome back, good to see you!

Ch January 15, 2009 at 15:31

Ch

The Dirty
Rat January 15, 2009 at 13:16

Sarkozy

Saul January 15, 2009 at 01:23

Time to take the shoes and socks off. Still Puppets on a string. It will
all go Boom Bang a Bang

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:59

‘We thought they’d never end …. But then we got the Labour back again
…..

It wasn’t what we’d choose …. and I wish they would lose when the election
comes around again – la la la la la la – la la la la la la …. ‘

Saul January 15, 2009 at 00:51

Those were the days.

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:50

Bonsoir Madame! Sweet dreams ….. Zzzzzzzz

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:48

”No! You go! I did a full day with Panofuckinrama for you – you
bastard!”

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 00:47

Good night folks…….

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:46

Errrrr ….. With clothes! I say this because I believe that the Islamic
countries are about to become errrr….. even more Islamic …… and errrr ….
places like Turkey may not let us have air-bases where the Yanks desperately
need them …..

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:44

Does anybody remember Mireille Matthieu? This may be the wrong spelling ….
I was so young when she won – but it was one of the first singles I ever
bought ……

‘Would their dream leave the ground ….. Was the future so sound? – You and
I – We had a dream to fly – beautiful dreams la la la la …… ‘

She was like a French Mary Hopkins …… lovely!

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 00:42

With or without clothes.

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:41

Nobody votes for England anymore …… The Eurovision has become a political
porn ….. I think we should abandon it ……

Let’s face it – the UK is not popular!

Sarkozy’s wife should enter …… She would win!

Saul January 15, 2009 at 00:40

My My, at Waterloo………….

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 00:38

Retired…….

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:38

Ou est la Chatelaine lady?

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:36

Where is the Chatelaine lady again?

Saul January 15, 2009 at 00:35

Maybe he is delivering Andy Webbers song for Europe?

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:35

I can believe that!!! The French have that je ne sais quoi or something or
don’t they! ….. And they are bloody extortionists

Saul January 15, 2009 at 00:34

Go on, you go. No, you go. No you go, I double dare you. Right, where’s me
suit.

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:33

Thaul! T.S. Eliot and Andy Lloyd-Webber would disagree with you here
…….

And they all said ……. ‘Oh well there never was a cat so clever as Magical
Mister ……’

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:33

Thaul! T.S. Eliot and Andy Lloyd-Webber would disagree with you here
…….

And they all said ……. ‘Oh well there never was a cat so clever as Magical
Mister ……’

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 00:31

I retired early…….

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:29

Don’t start me off!!! When I look back …… I should have been a
call-girl!

…… When I think of the times I did it for nothing!
– I would have been a bloody multi-millionaire now!

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:27

Whenever the words ‘voluntary’ or ‘volunteering’ crops up regarding this
case …… It usually smacks of …… ‘After much discussion and umming and ahhing
……. we have decided that one of us needs to draw a short straw ….. again.’ And
this time it was GM.

It makes a change from being JT all the time anyway …..

Saul January 15, 2009 at 00:05

Stop cuddling those cats, work and cats don’t mix.

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 00:04

You call girls work so hard.

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:03

Excuse the atrociousness of my grammar guys ….. I am multi-tasking with a
cat playing with my foot and one in my lap, a red-hot phone due to too many
phone calls and a shed-load of work to do for tomorrow ……

coco January 15, 2009 at 00:01

I am actually wondering what the sales of white wine and cider vinegar
sales were in PDL that week ……. Bicarb and vintage cider vinegar ……..

Anna Raccoon
January 15, 2009 at 00:00

Coco,

You subscribe to the ‘this was a voluntary visit’ school of thought do you
then?

Saul January 14, 2009 at 23:59

Good cleaner. A whiter shade of beyond the pale.

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:59

Thillit Bang! Aaaaaagggghhhh!

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:58

Domethtoth! Aaaaaaaagggghhh …..

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:56

I was out of the loop today because I had an early start …… Methinks that
the Portuguese would not come here because of the cold weather …… and the fact
that they could not be arsed to waste their time ……. I reckon they just said,
‘If you want us – come and get us ……..’

In fact – I think it says an awful lot that the mountain had to go to
Mohammed on this occasion …….

Maybe the lawyers are looking into Amaral’s diligences with less scepticism
these days ……..

I must admit that GM has got some bottle to go out there …… Especially
given that he once thought that he and his wife were being stitched-up and
wrongly accused etc. ………

What was to say that the evil Portuguese would not have put a sack over his
head and dragged him to a waiting van and put hot needles in his eyes?

Phew! That guy is so brave that he should be awarded bravery thingies at
bravery thingy awards ceremonies …… Or has that already happened?

Saul January 14, 2009 at 23:56

Domestos, kills 99% of all known clues.

Anna Raccoon
January 14, 2009 at 23:50

You Brut!

Saul January 14, 2009 at 23:50

Sounds like a job for Fabreeze or Cilit Bang.

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:48

Splash it all over indeed ….. But remember …… it can be a bugger to get out
of your clothes …… and don’t splash it on your paint-work …… or get it on your
key-fob!

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:47

Bonios and pepper sauce to you too …… Keela’s fave meal!

Saul January 14, 2009 at 23:47

Splash it all over.

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:45

Keela could smell my freshly opened Cadaverine de Coco!

It’s not even a parfum …… it’s just a splash cologne …… but she can smell
it from miles away …..

Saul January 14, 2009 at 23:44

Bonio’s

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:43

Bonsoir!

Saul January 14, 2009 at 23:40

I wondered why Keela’s nose was twitching.

Anna Raccoon
January 14, 2009 at 23:39

Evening Madam!

coco January 14, 2009 at 23:33

Looks like they are feeling more than a wee bit threatened by the books
written by Amaral and Tony Bennet if you ask me …….. Not that I have any
interest in the case whatsoever …….

Saul January 14, 2009 at 19:27

The plot sickens.