Why did the PJ interview 25 staff from the Millenium restaurant?

[Robittybob1]

The section from Jane's rogatory is a bit like that.  You'd wonder why there was this 20  places rule in the first place.  Was it to force people along to the less convenient Millennium restaurant.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE_TANNER_RIGATORY.htm

"Reply    “’You’ve got to because’.  I think Russell and I are probably more sort of laid back and just go with the flow a bit, but some of the people on the holiday were quite sort of ‘Oh we’ll ask, we’ll get this’, you know, a bit like booking the Tapas Restaurant every night, I don’t think it would ever have crossed Russell and my mind to try and get a block booking, but, erm, you know, I think they sort of”.

4078    “Once somebody has you feel obliged to go along with it?”
 Reply    “Well, I think, yeah, I mean, and we actually did have a conversation, it’s one of those ‘What ifs’ as well, I can remember on the morning of the, Thursday morning by the tennis, at the tennis, somebody in our tennis group had tried to book the Tapas and they couldn’t get in because it was already full.  And I can remember thinking at that point, and I just felt, you know, ‘Good’, because they were bloomin’ awkward by booking it out.  And they were sort of saying well it’s a bit ridiculous that they couldn’t have got in because they’d booked, they’d tried to book in, you know, they’d been there at nine o’clock to book in and they still couldn’t get in.  So, we did, at that point, I can remember having this conversation was ‘Oh shall we go somewhere different’, but it never happened, but.  And Kate was, I think Kate was there then, I can’t remember who else, but we did actually say ‘Oh shall we, shall we go somewhere different’.  And I think almost at that point we had considered it, but I think the problem was the kids were so tired after having such full days, I think it was more ‘Well it’s worked every other night’.  But I know definitely from my point of view I felt quite bad that we were taking this, you know, this block booking every night and it was affecting other people using it”.

4078    “What were the other options then for eating, was there a good option close by?”
 Reply    “No, it was just the Millennium, well in terms of ones that you wouldn’t have to pay extra for, it was the Millennium, which didn’t really start until, I think it was half seven or something, so, you know, by that stage it was, we could have, we could have gone there, so I think.  And our kids are probably more, I don’t know, (inaudible) our kids as they are growing up, but we tend to drag our kids with us more, you know, they have never really had a certain bedtime as such, I think”.

4078    “So they adapted more?”
 Reply    “They adapt, they’re more adaptable, yeah.  But I think, I normally would have pushed that, but I think because Ella had had the complete, the night before, because she was so tired, so completely lost the plot, we thought ‘She’s tired, lets just, you know, stick with it as it is really’”.

4078    “And the holiday was all inclusive?”
 Reply    “Yeah”.

4078    “Does the Tapas come under that bracket?”
 Reply    “Yeah, yeah, that’s, that’s did, yeah”.

4078    “Right”.

[Robittybob1]

Does anyone explain the rule fully?

[misty]

Does anyone explain the rule fully?

Mark Warner had 20 covers at the Tapas.
Thomas Cook presumably had X number of covers.
Jonathan Markson presumably had Y number of covers covers.

[Robittybob1]

"Translations for 'half board' British English: half board /hɑːf bɔːd/ NOUN. If you stay at a hotel and have half board, your breakfast and evening meal are included in the price of your stay at the hotel, but not your lunch. The price includes half board, "

@0 of the half board Mark Warner clients daily, but the booking sheets don't come to anything like 20 and how do they track how many per travel agency? How may half board, full board, no board?
  on the face of it that adds up to more than 20 but only MW clients are on the list.??

[Robittybob1]

Luisa Ana de Noronha de Azevedo Coutinho

Occupation: Receptionist

"She adds that this family (McCann), like all MW clients had half-board, that is breakfast and dinner. For dinner the guests could choose between two restaurants, the Tapas and the Millenium, the first being à la carte and the second a buffet service, clients make their choice not only because of the food but because of the proximity of the restaurant to their accommodation. She says that the guests told her that the Tapas was of better quality but that it was difficult to reserve there as a MW guest as the MW daily quota was of only 20.

In this concrete case the reasonable option was the Tapas as the distance was only 40 metres from the accommodation as opposed to 200 m from the Millenium."

"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.

The deponent made some comments about the request, saying that the Tapas received many requests and that MW only had a quota of 20 per day, but upon the insistence of the guest she managed to make the bookings requested."

[Robittybob1]

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/mark-warner-ocean-club-staff-statements-t9-s50.html

"Tiago Rochas Barreiros"
"The nine individuals, including the family of the missing child, were included in the half pension regime. They had the right to dinner (a menu that included starter, main course, desert and drinks as listed). All aperitifs, and after dinner drinks were paid separately using the credit card.

That generally, it was always the same people that dined in the Tapas and who were registered for dinner. A list of all the people who dined at the Tapas from the arrival of the missing child’s family to 2007.05.04 has been handed over to the investigation."

I'm wondering why all the guests were MW clients.

[Robittybob1]

were the meals at the two restaurants identical as Vitor Manuel dos Santos says?

"He adds that this family booked from 28th April to 5th May on a half board basis, in other words, breakfast and dinner. For dinner the guests could choose between two options, the Tapas and the Millenium and although the meals are identical, the clients choose the restaurant according to its proximity to their accommodation."
In latter reviews the meals aren't described as being identical.

[Robittybob1]

This post in another forum expresses the views in some reviews I read online about the Mark Warner holiday to Luz
https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t4619-all-together-at-the-ocean-club

It has the sentiments I think could have been the among the other MW guests who are being forced to go to the Millennium.

"Imagine with an open mind we've all gone on a MW all-inclusive holiday to the OC.

We've all paid the same price.

On arrival we are told all the meals are half board and are at the Mill. The dinners are a self service buffet the usual variety of limp starters, a variety of hot/cold main courses (all warm). Red/white plonk and a selection of hot and cold desserts (all warm).

We are not greatly impressed but then we are told by the management there are 20 places available if we are eagerly prepared to queue every morning we can have a proper restaurant dinner with waiter service. There is a selection of fresh individually prepared starters, a selection of main courses, fillet steak etc, (cooked just how you like it) a selection of wines and wonderful desserts, followed by coffee and liqueurs.

So next morning bright and early we are eagerly queuing when a rumour sweeps the line. Only 10 places are available each night this week
Why, why, we cry.......,? we are told there is a VIP group who have grabbed the best dinners all week
Why, why, we cry....... ?

Oh, they are too lazy to walk to the Mill. Too tight to pay, £10 an hour for a MW baby sitter and are so into each other, they cannot bear to be apart to babysit their own kids on a rota basis, so you plebs don't matter.

Injustice, anger, disgruntlement sweep the queue, this is not fair, we have all paid the same and are entitled to the good grub, on an equality share basis.

We are British fair play after all!

We march on the management but MW are clever operators, as a commercial company dealing with the public, they don't want angry irate customers claiming favouritism and unfairness every morning. We are informed everyone is treated the same. Why would they pick 20 from 200 to upset the rest of the guests?
We are told they are happy if you eat at the Tapas, or anywhere else, if either you pay or somebody else pays out, not MW. So we are all to be treated by MW the same they tell us it is the only way they can do their costings.

As a result there are no angry crowds around the management desk every morning and no queues at the Tapas. We walk away in groups thinking its odd people have spent 100's of pounds for meals at the Mill and are now paying to eat somewhere else.

Some people thinks perhaps they don't care as the holiday is free to them." End quote.

OK it is imaginary but it could certainly happen for you sense the anger even in Jez' statement. Date: 05/11/07.

"Jeremy and Bridget had visited the Tapas bar on several occasions during which they noticed the group had reserved a table for every night of their holiday. This appeared to be contrary to the set down procedure of not booking a table any further than three days ahead. The group appeared boisterous but good natured with Gerry being the central figure. His gregarious character making him appear to be the central figure in the group and almost holding court. However they did notice that David Payne was equally gregarious and almost playing along with, if not up to, Gerry.

Jeremy and Bridget became aware that although the McCanns had taken up the use of the creche facility during the day, they had not done so for the evening hours and had left the children in the apartment but were checking on them regularly and that other members of the group appeared to be doing the same.
They expressed surprise over this as the McCanns apartment was set in a location that appeared vulnerable. They were aware that the apartment was a corner building and with easy access from the road. The apartments were not very secure and entry could easily be gained."

[G-Unit]

On Thursday 3rd there were two bookings which seem to have been authorised by Steve; Bullen and Cox. According to Berry (Cox's partner) and Balu they took out a meal for 4 instead but there's no record of the Balu meals, just the Cox's two meals.

On Friday 4th there's a booking for Berry for 4 people with 'Take away' written against it. Did they get mixed up between Thursday and Friday?

[Robittybob1]

On Thursday 3rd there were two bookings which seem to have been authorised by Steve; Bullen and Cox. According to Berry (Cox's partner) and Balu they took out a meal for 4 instead but there's no record of the Balu meals, just the Cox's two meals.

On Friday 4th there's a booking for Berry for 4 people with 'Take away' written against it. Did they get mixed up between Thursday and Friday?

I wouldn't have clue.  But I hope not as otherwise what they say they were doing on the Thursday night isn't right.