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

[Robittybob1]

I disagree.

Not only that but to follow-up the apparent in house rule breaking that was going on.

[jassi]

Not only that but to follow-up the apparent in house rule breaking that was going on.

Not a police matter.

[Robittybob1]

Not a police matter.

IMO if you are trying to track down a root cause of an issue any evidence of people breaking in house rules is worth following up.  OK the police won't prosecute for breaking the house rules but they need to find out if there are more issues in the area.

[jassi]

IMO if you are trying to track down a root cause of an issue any evidence of people breaking in house rules is worth following up.  OK the police won't prosecute for breaking the house rules but they need to find out if there are more issues in the area.

IMO you are obsessed over a trivial inconsequential.

[Robittybob1]

IMO you are obsessed over a trivial inconsequential.

You have called it "inconsequential" without evidence.

[Robittybob1]

You have called it "inconsequential" without evidence.

Kate did not think the fact the the Tapas 9 had a block booking and were going to leave their kids alone being written in a book at the Tapas reception was inconsequential.
 
From “Madeleine” by Kate McCann:
 
"It wasn’t until a year later, when I was combing through the Portuguese police files, that I discovered that the note requesting our block booking was written in a staff message book, which sat on a desk at the pool reception for most of the day. This book was by definition accessible to all staff and, albeit unintentionally, probably to guests and visitors, too. To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently. "
thanks to G-unit http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6281.msg413103#msg413103

[Robittybob1]

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6281.msg413388#msg413388

"Here's an interesting snippet;

When asked he says that on a date he cannot remember, the group, just the adults because the children were dining with the nannies, had been too late in making their dinner reservation at the Tapas, and an exception was made, authorised by his boss Steve, as the Tapas only provides for 20 dinners for half board clients as was the case.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUIS_BARROS.htm

Steve was the Catering Manager, based at the Millenium but he oversaw all the on-site restaurants. He was absent from Portugal between Sunday 29th April and Wednesday 2nd May, so when was the exception requested and granted?
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/STEVEN_COVA.htm"

[Robittybob1]

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6281.msg413599#msg413599

"This topic is so important.  If the Tapas 9 were not given permission to make the block booking for the week, which seems to have gone against OC policy, Madeleine may not have gone missing.  The diary note is made by the receptionist, presumably to confirm this decision was approved by her manager (who was away but still contactable or did someone else approve of it?)
What is also clear it was not Mr McCann who insisted on making the block booking which seemed to contravene some prior arrangement between MW and the OC.
Did this apparent favouritism shown to the Tapas 9 upset other guests who would have liked to do the same?"

There is road rage, so is there such a thing a "restaurant rage"?

[Robittybob1]

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6281.msg413618#msg413618

"There are no copies of the booking sheets for 29th or 30th April in the public files. The booking sheet for 3rd May has a couple of handwritten notes "autorizo(da) Steve"  - Steve being the person who authorised the McCann group booking.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_608.jpg "

This could well be the reference we were looking for.  The notes are not alongside the Tapas 9 group.  I don't understand why those other entries would have to be approved.

[G-Unit]

Kate did not think the fact the the Tapas 9 had a block booking and were going to leave their kids alone being written in a book at the Tapas reception was inconsequential.
 
From “Madeleine” by Kate McCann:
 
"It wasn’t until a year later, when I was combing through the Portuguese police files, that I discovered that the note requesting our block booking was written in a staff message book, which sat on a desk at the pool reception for most of the day. This book was by definition accessible to all staff and, albeit unintentionally, probably to guests and visitors, too. To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently. "
thanks to G-unit http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6281.msg413103#msg413103

Like many of the happenings that week, the simple matter of booking a table becomes a complicated puzzle. Was it Russell and his daughter or Rachael who booked it? Was there really a note in the files?

When the table was reserved, nothing was mentioned about checking on the children and the only concern was in accommodating the entire group.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/TIAGO_BARREIROS.htm

She remembers that on Sunday 29th April one of the elements of the group arrived with the child Madeleine McCann, she does not know his name and can only say that he was male and tall and thin and that he approached her to request a booking for the whole group, for the whole week and always at 20.30.

When questioned, she confirms that the man was not the father of the girl but one of the members of the group whom was often seen in his company.

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

[Carana]

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6281.msg413618#msg413618

"There are no copies of the booking sheets for 29th or 30th April in the public files. The booking sheet for 3rd May has a couple of handwritten notes "autorizo(da) Steve"  - Steve being the person who authorised the McCann group booking.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_608.jpg "

This could well be the reference we were looking for.  The notes are not alongside the Tapas 9 group.  I don't understand why those other entries would have to be approved.

Bookings later in the day than expected?

[Robittybob1]

Gerry mentions something about Thursday evening. I wonder what went wrong with the block booking?

Gerry said: "I think the worst thing is we kind of almost thought about not going.  And er, and did.  We weren’t sure we were going to get into the tapas, remember, and…"
Madeleine, One Year On: Campaign For Change
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id453.htm

It only the Thursday night's booking form that has mention of approved by Steve.

[Carana]

Gerry mentions something about Thursday evening. I wonder what went wrong with the block booking?

Gerry said: "I think the worst thing is we kind of almost thought about not going.  And er, and did.  We weren’t sure we were going to get into the tapas, remember, and…"
Madeleine, One Year On: Campaign For Change
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id453.htm

It only the Thursday night's booking form that has mention of approved by Steve.

So someone from the T9 may have said that they weren't sure if they were going to maintain the block-booking that evening, but other people may have been waiting for confirmation, and Steve may have been consulted on 3 May, as to whether the other couples that he authorised could be accommodated if everyone decided to maintain their bookings.

[G-Unit]

So someone from the T9 may have said that they weren't sure if they were going to maintain the block-booking that evening, but other people may have been waiting for confirmation, and Steve may have been consulted on 3 May, as to whether the other couples that he authorised could be accommodated if everyone decided to maintain their bookings.

There did seem to be some resentment about the group hogging the places at the Tapas. The Wilkins mentioned it;

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

Jane Tanner didn't seem all that comfortable with the block booking;

 I don’t think it would ever have crossed Russell and my mind to try and get a block booking....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......they’d been there at nine o’clock to book in and they still couldn’t get in.....

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

[Robittybob1]

Personally I feel it wrong to call this insignificant for we don't hear from the file just  how many others the Tapas 9's request for a block booking was having.  Were there others who were not getting their expectations met in spite of what seems a clear breach of some rule between the two companies,  Ocean Club and Mark Warner?  I would have liked the PJ to explore that rule more so we could see if others might have been annoyed enough to interfere.

I saw it on the road the other day, 2 cars had a minor scrape, 1 is damaged and the other driver drives off in the other direction.  The damaged vehicle's driver yelling profanities at the "hit and run" driver.

Even though we are supposed to be civilised civilisation breaks down even in times of minor incidences.  Who knows what the block booking was doing to other guys trying to impress their mates.