As always I started with the best intentions of regularly updating this blog. It's never happened because paid work has always taken priority. Sorry about that.
What I've decided to do for the time being is let you in on the copy I send every week to ThinkSpain Today, the only English-language paper for the whole country. What you'll find here may differ quite dramatically from what appears in the paper. That's because it's the job of the sub-editors at ThinkSpain to create a tabloid paper...
These articles were submitted on 24 September 2007.
This summer will be the last that Ibiza’s clubbers can dance through the night and the following day. From 2008 all the island’s discos will have to be closed for the morning. All the politicians have to agree is which hours the clubs will stay locked.
Island Council president Xico Tarrés said that the current system of “after-hours” parties was attracting the wrong type of tourist, the sort who would come for two days without needing to sleep in a hotel because of the pills they’d taken.
He said that the mayors of all Ibiza’s municipalities had been informed of the closure plans and were in agreement. The legal department of the Island Council is now working with Balearic Autonomous Community to draw up a framework for the new laws.
The legislation will mark the end of an era for Ibiza’s clubbers. For years discos have operated until the morning when after-hours clubs such as Space and DC10 opened their doors.
There has been a clampdown on the nightclubs in recent years which have been forced to shut at 6am on schooldays with the aim of reducing the number of accidents involving party-goers and children.
Then, at the beginning of this summer, the clubs Amnesia, DC10 and Bora-Bora were heavily fined and closed by the police as the result of drug dealing taking place in previous years. There is continuing speculation that one or more of these clubs will not re-open in 2008.
Ibiza hit by tomato plague
An outbreak of “tomato leaf-miner” moths which started on a farm in Es Canar has now spread to the whole of Ibiza threatening future crops of vegetables and fruit according to island council scientists.
Originating from South America the moth, which doesn’t just affect tomatoes, is highly resistant to insecticides. Instead government experts are using a combination of techniques including burning the affected plants and using traps baited with artificial scents that are sexually attractive to the moths.
This year’s crops have not been directly affected and farmers hope the winter will kill off any remaining caterpillars, moths and their eggs.
Ibiza bishop in gay sex row
The Bishop of Ibiza and Ibiza town council are embroiled in an increasingly heated row over a picture depicting the late Pope John Paul II in an explicit homosexual act.
The collage by Dutch artist Ivo Hendriks forms part of an exhibition in a former church now used an art gallery. In the latest move the bishop has withdrawn from an agreement dating back to 1998 and demanded the return of the keys to the building.
The local council which part-funded the exhibition said it supported freedom of expression and would not become involved in acts of censorship.
Goodbye Eivissa
There will be no return to using the name “Eivissa” to promote Ibiza to the world according to the local tourist chief.
There had been suggestions that the new council elected in May could return to using “Eivissa” which was supported by the previous Progressive Pact government. But the Balearic Government tourist chief Francesc Buils said it would cost millions of euros to make the international public aware that Ibiza was Eivissa.
He said Ibiza was a well-known brand in the same way as Coca-Cola which has been globally successful for many years without ever changing even its logo.
Ibiza shops hit by tourist spending fall
Despite a rise in the numbers of tourists visiting Ibiza, shops in the island’s resorts are reporting a poor season with income falling by as much as a third in some places compared with last summer.
The worst affected areas, according to the local retail federation, are those which rely wholly on holidaymakers for their trade. In Ibiza Town some traders said that they had so few customers that they were closing at midnight rather than 3am as they have in the past.
In contrast, the shops that cater more to locals and are open year-round have generally maintained their income.
Police blame drugs and alcohol mix for Ibiza tourist death
A 60-year-old tourist has died after, it is believed, he first swallowed a bottle of the drug known as GHB or “liquid ecstasy” then went drinking in the Ibiza resort of Platja d´en Bossa.
The man collapsed in Murphy´s Bar around 9pm. The ambulance crew was unable to revive him and he died before arriving at the hospital.
The cause of death will not be confirmed until a post-mortem and toxicology tests have been carried out. In recent years a number of tourists have died or been admitted to hospital after mixing GHB with alcohol.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Authorities clamp down on new Ibiza buildings
The decision to freeze building work on coastal sites in the Balearic islands of Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza could cost some developers millions of euros.
The Balearic islands’ council is currently working on legislation that should be enacted within a few days which is intended to prevent development in remaining natural areas of beauty and interest. It’s planned that protected zones will be extended, the minimum area required for permission to build a house will be increased to 200,000 square metres.
The socialist-led coalition government also intend to abolish the so-called “Cretu Law” which was introduced by the previous Partido Popular legislation to normalise developments such as the huge mountain-top villa owned by the Enigma star.
Although the clampdown on unfettered building was welcomed by many island residents, others were concerned about the impact on the local economy and their own income.
One Ibiza developer spoke to ThinkSpain Today on condition of anonymity. “I’ve brought millions of euros to Ibiza, not just from villa sales but for the construction workers I’ve employed. People like me have helped the island become rich.
“All the profits I’ve made I’ve poured back into the island. I’ve just paid almost three million for a beautiful plot which is big enough for three spectacular villas. The people who buy them will put their money into the island’s businesses as well. If I can’t build all three houses the figures won’t add up. People like me will quit the island and the economy will suffer,” he said.
Demolition time at Elle Macpherson's old Ibiza villa
The owner of the villa where Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson used to spend her wild summers in Ibiza is threatened with a 50,000 euro fine and demolition costs for illegally altering a jetty so that nobody else could use it.
The public prosecutor claims the owner of the spectacular seafront villa built a wall up to two-metres high around a yacht landing stage designed for public use. Now the prosecutor’s asking for a 300-euro-a-day fine covering six months of alleged illegal occupation of the jetty.
(Note Elle Macpherson used to spend all her summers in Ibiza until about three years ago when she apparently lost it completely and headed off into rehab. She also sued the Sun successfully not long ago)
Ibiza-born natives outnumbered
Most people who live in Ibiza were not born on the island according to the latest official figures from the Economic and Social Council. In 2006 55.8 per cent of the population came from outside, mostly from mainland Spain. Over 90,000 of the island’s population of almost 114,000 are of Spanish nationality. Most of the rest are European or North Africa.
The figures represent a 2.5 per cent increase over 2006 which authorities say was caused by a combination of immigration and a booming birth-rate which far outweighs the number of deaths.
Unstung heroes of Ibiza's beaches
Ibiza’s tourists may have had to contend with an oil spill, closed clubs and occasional downpours, but they were spared a threatened invasion of jellyfish. The Red Cross said life guards in the San Antonio treated less than 1500 stung swimmers, a third less than they dealt with the year before.
Other municipalities didn’t report specific figures but said their experiences were in Line with San Antonio. Experts had warned of a plague of jellyfish because rising temperatures in the Mediterranean around Ibiza meant they would no longer need to head for warmer seas to breed.
Sounds of Ibiza
Figures collected during the peak holiday months in Ibiza Town showed that over a third of noise hotspots passed the 65 decibel limit laid down by the World Health Organisation. But it wasn’t Ibiza’s famous nightlife that was to blame for the racket.
It was general traffic that caused most of the misery, followed closely by public service vehicles such as buses, taxis and bin lorries. Clubs, bars and restaurants were a long way behind in third place.
Ibiza's unlikely new five-star gallery
Ibiza’s latest five-star attraction, the Granhotel overlooking the port, is to be one of only five hotels in the world which is catalogued like an art gallery. The spectacular building which combines a casino, upmarket restaurants, a spa and 157 suites will, the owners claim, be “alive with the contemporary work of emergent artists”. So far 16 artists from across Spain, Europe and the US have been offered the opportunity to display their work.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Why Ibiza's a crap holiday island
If you want an island holiday head for the freezing Faroes way off the coast of Denmark, or the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic or Scotland’s isolated Shetland Isles. Whatever you do avoid Ibiza, that was the message from a survey of experts by the prestigious National Geographic Traveler.
The magazine looked at 111 holiday islands around the world and asked 522 sustainable tourism experts to score them all. Ibiza received 37 points putting it equal bottom with St Thomas in the Virgin Islands, a former beauty spot which is now overwhelmed by millions of cruise ship tourists.
“Ibiza is not Spanish anymore. Or Balearic. It is a colony of Europe and, at times, seems more a colony of British ravers. Half the island is still 'natural.' The other half has been lost completely to the party circuit,” said one anonymous expert.
Another added: “Ibiza cannot get rid of the vicious circle it went through a few years ago. Booze, partying, and drugs are a big part of an increasingly sleazy scene.”
But they weren’t all totally negative: “Some might argue that Ibiza has been despoiled, but a closer inspection reveals much that is still appealing: centuries-old defense towers and churches; walks from beach to beach on largely unspoiled stretches with rocky outcrops; and beautiful views of Es Vedra rock off the southwest coast.”
There was also a ray of hope from the magazine’s editor Jonathan B Tourtellot who said that in resorts blessed with sun and sea development can soon get out of hands. “No surprise, then, that cloudy, beach-poor islands score well,” he said. Given the weather this autumn there’s still hope for Ibiza.
Suspended sentence for hopeless arsonist
A 21-year-old has been spared jail after a botched arson attempt in August 2006. He had bought petrol with the intention of setting fire to the car of his mother’s ex-boyfriend.
The boyfriend’s car was a Fiat Panda but the bungling burner got it mixed up with a Fiat Uno belonging to somebody else. Having set fire to the wrong car the flames spread to four other cars near the old cemetery on the outskirts of San Antonio. The heat from the blazing vehicles then set fire to 3,500 square metres of scrubland creating a spectacular show for many San Antonio tourists.
The culprit was caught after he handed himself into the police station with burnt feet. And the reason the local police were looking for him? An officer had earlier seen him buying the petrol. Asked what it was for the youth truthfully replied it was to set fire to a car. The cop thought he was joking.
Deaf whales
Whales and dolphins are being deafened by noise pollution in the seas around Ibiza. But it’s not the incessant beat of the island’s world-famous discos that’s causing the problems. It’s the increasing number of passenger ships, yachts and fishing boats that is threatening the fragile marine ecosystem.
Scientists warn that the noise around the Balearics, Canaries and in the Straits of Gibraltar could have a disastrous effect on the whale and dolphin population. The deafened mammals lose the ability to use their sonar systems and die when they are hit by boats.
Tax hike for absent home owners
Council chiefs in Ibiza’s biggest tourist resort are planning to slap a hefty tax penalty on owners of empty homes. It’s an attempt to increase the supply of properties available to let and drive down prices. Current rents are beyond the reach of many ordinary families.
“We have discovered in the municipality it is very difficult to places for less than 450 to 550 euros a month which puts a heavy load on many people, especially families of lower middle incomes,” said local housing chief Joan Pantaleoni. Where the council finds evidence through utility bills and so on that a place has been empty for a year the IBI tax may be increased by several hundred euros a year. Pantaleoni added that this was very much an experiment.
Taking the Micky in court
More than three years after the road rage incident which allegedly left Spanish TV actor and singer Micky Molina 44 permanently scarred, the British man Robert P will finally appear in court in February. The case was due to be heard in June.
The public prosecutor blames Robert P for attacking Molina with a sharp implement after a crash in the Ibiza resort of San Antonio. A sentence of three-and-a-half years is being requested although it’s possible that Molina’s lawyers will press for increase to five years for a charge of attempted murder.
Golf course row
Ibiza council chiefs have rejected another planned golf course which the developer Andria Investments claimed would be a 100 million euro investment in the island and would bring quality tourists year-round.
The course and a five-star hotel would have been built on the outskirts of San Antonio on the west of the island. A few weeks ago another planned golf development on the east at Playa d’en Bossa was rejected. The backer of that course is a leading member of the Partido Popular and the current council actions are seen by some as revenge following the PP’s loss of power in the May elections.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Hotspots using Trustive from Ibiza to Edinburgh via Barcelona
Hotspots using Trustive from Ibiza to Edinburgh via Barcelona
One of the mixed blessings of writing about technology is that I get to try the latest products including at the moment an “all you can eat” wi-fi hotspot service from Trustive. Getting to play with this stuff sounds fun, but it drives my wife nuts and it’s not always too much fun for me either.
As I write this I’m on my way back to Ibiza from Edinburgh, a trip which in this case involves a four-hour stopover in Barcelona. My plan was to do some work courtesy of the Trustive wi-fi hotspot freebie from “Trustive”. The service allows you to log into thousands of hotspots worldwide. Well that’s the theory.
Trustive’s free Hotspotter software can find eight wi-fi networks from the café where I’m sitting at the moment. Unfortunately I can’t log into any of them, at least not without paying. The frustrating thing is that according to the advertisement showing on Hotspotter there is a service in Barcelona airport which I can use. Unfortunately I’ve no idea which one.
I can also look for hotspots offline using a directory on Hotspotter. If I do that it tells me there’s no service in the airport. I guess the directory must be right and the advertisement’s wrong, although both are provided by Trustive. But there’s an added frustration to this.
My plan when I was in Edinburgh was to use some of the numerous hotspots in the city to keep up with work, emails and Facebook. First problem: finding anywhere with a Trustive-linked hotspot open on a Sunday evening in Scotland’s capital city, at least anywhere conducive to working. Second problem: logging on.
I eventually found a branch of the trendy All Bar One pub chain in the business district which was both quiet and open. Logging on was rather more of a problem. Hotspotter could find the network, but I couldn’t get in, even though log-in was supposed to be automatic. Vista on my laptop could find the network and give me a log-on option. But although I’d entered the information into my Hotspotter software, I didn’t have the details available except in my Gmail account. I had to get online to retrieve them.
In the end I paid to get online to get the details. It was the only way to get my user name and password. They worked. But my success was short-lived. My log-on lasted no longer than ten minutes before I was thrown offline. Two hours in the pub was worth half an hour in an office, in terms of achievement. I even stayed sober.
The following day I made my next attempt. After half an hour I worked out that the problem was Vista and Hotpotter overlapping. Logging on and just using Vista worked fine. Trouble is the only way of finding if a network is available is using Hotspotter. And that leaves me sitting here disconnected in Barcelona. (And this was uploaded to my blog 24 hours later.)
One of the mixed blessings of writing about technology is that I get to try the latest products including at the moment an “all you can eat” wi-fi hotspot service from Trustive. Getting to play with this stuff sounds fun, but it drives my wife nuts and it’s not always too much fun for me either.
As I write this I’m on my way back to Ibiza from Edinburgh, a trip which in this case involves a four-hour stopover in Barcelona. My plan was to do some work courtesy of the Trustive wi-fi hotspot freebie from “Trustive”. The service allows you to log into thousands of hotspots worldwide. Well that’s the theory.
Trustive’s free Hotspotter software can find eight wi-fi networks from the café where I’m sitting at the moment. Unfortunately I can’t log into any of them, at least not without paying. The frustrating thing is that according to the advertisement showing on Hotspotter there is a service in Barcelona airport which I can use. Unfortunately I’ve no idea which one.
I can also look for hotspots offline using a directory on Hotspotter. If I do that it tells me there’s no service in the airport. I guess the directory must be right and the advertisement’s wrong, although both are provided by Trustive. But there’s an added frustration to this.
My plan when I was in Edinburgh was to use some of the numerous hotspots in the city to keep up with work, emails and Facebook. First problem: finding anywhere with a Trustive-linked hotspot open on a Sunday evening in Scotland’s capital city, at least anywhere conducive to working. Second problem: logging on.
I eventually found a branch of the trendy All Bar One pub chain in the business district which was both quiet and open. Logging on was rather more of a problem. Hotspotter could find the network, but I couldn’t get in, even though log-in was supposed to be automatic. Vista on my laptop could find the network and give me a log-on option. But although I’d entered the information into my Hotspotter software, I didn’t have the details available except in my Gmail account. I had to get online to retrieve them.
In the end I paid to get online to get the details. It was the only way to get my user name and password. They worked. But my success was short-lived. My log-on lasted no longer than ten minutes before I was thrown offline. Two hours in the pub was worth half an hour in an office, in terms of achievement. I even stayed sober.
The following day I made my next attempt. After half an hour I worked out that the problem was Vista and Hotpotter overlapping. Logging on and just using Vista worked fine. Trouble is the only way of finding if a network is available is using Hotspotter. And that leaves me sitting here disconnected in Barcelona. (And this was uploaded to my blog 24 hours later.)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Ibiza's DC10 is 'not a disco'
One of Ibiza’s best-known clubs has been fined 18,000 for having the wrong sort of licence. DC10, one of the clubs closed by the authorities at the beginning of the summer for lax attitudes to drug dealing, was hit by the fine when it was revealed the club only has a “café concierto” licence.
Councillor Paquita Ribas said: “This does not even permit dancing inside.” Another 13 bars, restaurants and clubs were fined varying amounts mostly for breaking noise regulations and leafleting without a licence.
Drugs admissions in Ibiza
Ibiza’s main hospital Can Misses said that admissions for drugs overdoses increased last year from 679 in 2005 to 824, a rise of over 20%. Cocaine emerged as the most common cause of emergency admissions, accounting for almost a third of the cases. Next were amphetamines and designer drugs – speed and ecstasy- which were behind a quarter of the overdoses.
Alcohol was reported as the principal cause of emergencies in almost a quarter of drug-related admissions; doctors only register booze problems for these statistics if other drugs are involved as well.
Red tuna sanctuary
The Ministry of Agriculture is considering setting up a sanctuary for red tuna off the coast of Formantera. The giant fish are in danger of becoming extinct as a result of the Japanese passion for sushi.
The best specimens can fetch thousands of euros in Tokyo’s fish market. Scientists say the threat comes not from the traditional fishermen who have caught tuna in the Mediterranean for thousands of years, but from high-tech guided by spotter planes.
Disco booze cruises under threat
A judge in Ibiza has refused to rule out criminal charges against the captain of a disco boat following the death of a young Irishman in July 2006. The case came to prominence because 24-year-old Basil Bourke was the nephew of the then Irish defence minister Willie O’Dea.
Bourke and a friend jumped off the “Captain Nemo” into the sea. His friend was rescued, exhausted, 90 minutes later. A post-mortem showed Bourke had ingested a significant quantity of drugs. Judge Santiago Pinsach referred the case to the public prosecutor saying this could result in manslaughter charges.
Making the captain responsible for the actions of holidaymakers could threaten the future of these cruises which often provide unlimited booze which youngsters combine with the consumption of illegal drugs.
Fake kidnap
A man who police say faked his kidnapping has been found in Ibiza. The Huesca National Police have been seeking him since the summer when another man contacted the police to show them messages on his mobile phone.
These demanded a ransom of 15,000 euros and included a picture message showing the “victim” with a plastic bag over his head. Police became suspicious when they discovered that the man owed Social Security 15,000 euros.
Cretu mansion to be demolished
What could be the final legal attempt to prevent the demolition of the Ibiza mountain-top mansion of multimillion-selling musician Michael Cretu has failed. Courts now say the massive house with its recording studio, cascading swimming pools and hanging gardens must be knocked down and the hill restored to its natural state by November 2008.
The secretive Cretu is the man behind the phenomenally successful Enigma project which has sold well over 100 million albums worldwide with no live performances. His early success, however, came in the 1980s working as a keyboards player with massive-selling pop artists such as Boney M and Milli Vanilli. He later collaborated with Mike Oldfield.
Despite living in Ibiza for many years the Rumanian-born musician has seldom been seen in any of the island’s clubs. He prefers instead to work in his private studio, often with his wife Europop diva Sandra Cretu.
For years he has fought legal battles with the government which accuses him of building his mansion on protected land. He has been supported frequently by the local council of Sant Antoni (San Antonio in Castilian) which originally granted planning permission.
Four years ago the council was told it will have to pay for the cost of the demolition which would run into millions of euros. Not long after that the Balearics Islands Council passed a law which would provide an amnesty for some illegally-built properties. As the Partido Popular controlled both the Sant Antoni and islands councils this was widely seen as politicians of similar political persuasion helping each other out.
But last week the judge threw out the latest appeal saying that the Cretu mansion could not be legalised under the act. The current mayor of Sant Antoni responded to the judgment saying: “Our war is over. We will do what the court says.”
As always throughout this saga there was no public comment from Cretu.
Councillor Paquita Ribas said: “This does not even permit dancing inside.” Another 13 bars, restaurants and clubs were fined varying amounts mostly for breaking noise regulations and leafleting without a licence.
Drugs admissions in Ibiza
Ibiza’s main hospital Can Misses said that admissions for drugs overdoses increased last year from 679 in 2005 to 824, a rise of over 20%. Cocaine emerged as the most common cause of emergency admissions, accounting for almost a third of the cases. Next were amphetamines and designer drugs – speed and ecstasy- which were behind a quarter of the overdoses.
Alcohol was reported as the principal cause of emergencies in almost a quarter of drug-related admissions; doctors only register booze problems for these statistics if other drugs are involved as well.
Red tuna sanctuary
The Ministry of Agriculture is considering setting up a sanctuary for red tuna off the coast of Formantera. The giant fish are in danger of becoming extinct as a result of the Japanese passion for sushi.
The best specimens can fetch thousands of euros in Tokyo’s fish market. Scientists say the threat comes not from the traditional fishermen who have caught tuna in the Mediterranean for thousands of years, but from high-tech guided by spotter planes.
Disco booze cruises under threat
A judge in Ibiza has refused to rule out criminal charges against the captain of a disco boat following the death of a young Irishman in July 2006. The case came to prominence because 24-year-old Basil Bourke was the nephew of the then Irish defence minister Willie O’Dea.
Bourke and a friend jumped off the “Captain Nemo” into the sea. His friend was rescued, exhausted, 90 minutes later. A post-mortem showed Bourke had ingested a significant quantity of drugs. Judge Santiago Pinsach referred the case to the public prosecutor saying this could result in manslaughter charges.
Making the captain responsible for the actions of holidaymakers could threaten the future of these cruises which often provide unlimited booze which youngsters combine with the consumption of illegal drugs.
Fake kidnap
A man who police say faked his kidnapping has been found in Ibiza. The Huesca National Police have been seeking him since the summer when another man contacted the police to show them messages on his mobile phone.
These demanded a ransom of 15,000 euros and included a picture message showing the “victim” with a plastic bag over his head. Police became suspicious when they discovered that the man owed Social Security 15,000 euros.
Cretu mansion to be demolished
What could be the final legal attempt to prevent the demolition of the Ibiza mountain-top mansion of multimillion-selling musician Michael Cretu has failed. Courts now say the massive house with its recording studio, cascading swimming pools and hanging gardens must be knocked down and the hill restored to its natural state by November 2008.
The secretive Cretu is the man behind the phenomenally successful Enigma project which has sold well over 100 million albums worldwide with no live performances. His early success, however, came in the 1980s working as a keyboards player with massive-selling pop artists such as Boney M and Milli Vanilli. He later collaborated with Mike Oldfield.
Despite living in Ibiza for many years the Rumanian-born musician has seldom been seen in any of the island’s clubs. He prefers instead to work in his private studio, often with his wife Europop diva Sandra Cretu.
For years he has fought legal battles with the government which accuses him of building his mansion on protected land. He has been supported frequently by the local council of Sant Antoni (San Antonio in Castilian) which originally granted planning permission.
Four years ago the council was told it will have to pay for the cost of the demolition which would run into millions of euros. Not long after that the Balearics Islands Council passed a law which would provide an amnesty for some illegally-built properties. As the Partido Popular controlled both the Sant Antoni and islands councils this was widely seen as politicians of similar political persuasion helping each other out.
But last week the judge threw out the latest appeal saying that the Cretu mansion could not be legalised under the act. The current mayor of Sant Antoni responded to the judgment saying: “Our war is over. We will do what the court says.”
As always throughout this saga there was no public comment from Cretu.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sometimes it's hard to feel sorry
The torrential rain last week brought misery to many on the island last week, including parts of the Matutes Group of companies. Anybody who knows the island at all well will be familiar with the name "Matutes" through Señor Abel, the former foreign minister in the Spanish government and his company that owns a large part of the business on the island including construction companies and the Fiesta Hotels group.
Abel Matutes was seen very much as the guiding hand behind the massive and controversial road-building project on the island. The fact that his daughter Stella was head of the council committee responsible for the construction didn't do much to allay the suspicions. There was, however, never any evidence that the Matutes family would benefit financially from the road-building project.
There are other construction activities where Matutes definitely has an interest. One of those was a golf course planned for Playa d'en Bossa. Again there's been opposition on the island. The argument for golf courses is that they'll attract more high-spending tourists to the island year-round. Those against are concerned by the huge amount of water and chemicals needed to keep the courses green. They also wonder if golfers are really the sort of tourists Ibiza needs especially as there are loads of other places for them to go.
Anyway, one of the problems with Ibiza's new motorways is they can't cope with rain. All of them have had sections closed during last week's storms. The airport road has had particular problems and its construction has turned the area round the proposed Playa D'en Bossa golf course into a quagmire. And this is pouring mud into the Fiesta hotels near Space. The land for the golf course and the Fiesta hotels are owned by the Grupo Matutes...
DC10 is not a disco
A list has just been published of the various bars and nightclubs that have been prosecuted for breaches of various regulations. At the top is DC10 which has collected 18,000 euros in fines mostly because it has a "cafe concierto" licence. This sort of licence is intended to allow bars to provide musical entertainment, not including dancing. Bit of problem for a disco.
Rumours have abounded this summer from "well-informed sources" that this was definitely the last summer for DC10. I just went to see if there was a DC10 website. There isn't. But I did find the Circo Loco MySpace page. It says:
The long-running saga involving the illegal construction of Michael Cretu's hill-top mansion finally seems to be coming to an end. The high court has ruled that an amnesty on illegally-built properties doesn't apply and it's going to be demolished.
I find that I now live in the most expensive area for property prices in the Balearics. That's the municipality of Sta Eulalia, followed by Calvia in Majorca and then Ibiza Town.
The government´s published a slightly confusing set of figures showing that emergency drug admissions to Can Misses, Ibiza's main hospital, increased by 41.3% in 2006. The figures are for people who've been admitted after taking drugs not prescribed by a medical professional. It's the breakdown I don't understand - cocaine (31.7%), followed of amphetamines and designer drugs (26.2%) and alcohol (23.3%). That doesn't add up to 100% and I'd be surprised if a large proportion of the cases didn't involve multiple consumption. Still 824 people is a lot, whatever the technical reason for their admission.
Abel Matutes was seen very much as the guiding hand behind the massive and controversial road-building project on the island. The fact that his daughter Stella was head of the council committee responsible for the construction didn't do much to allay the suspicions. There was, however, never any evidence that the Matutes family would benefit financially from the road-building project.
There are other construction activities where Matutes definitely has an interest. One of those was a golf course planned for Playa d'en Bossa. Again there's been opposition on the island. The argument for golf courses is that they'll attract more high-spending tourists to the island year-round. Those against are concerned by the huge amount of water and chemicals needed to keep the courses green. They also wonder if golfers are really the sort of tourists Ibiza needs especially as there are loads of other places for them to go.
Anyway, one of the problems with Ibiza's new motorways is they can't cope with rain. All of them have had sections closed during last week's storms. The airport road has had particular problems and its construction has turned the area round the proposed Playa D'en Bossa golf course into a quagmire. And this is pouring mud into the Fiesta hotels near Space. The land for the golf course and the Fiesta hotels are owned by the Grupo Matutes...
DC10 is not a disco
A list has just been published of the various bars and nightclubs that have been prosecuted for breaches of various regulations. At the top is DC10 which has collected 18,000 euros in fines mostly because it has a "cafe concierto" licence. This sort of licence is intended to allow bars to provide musical entertainment, not including dancing. Bit of problem for a disco.
Rumours have abounded this summer from "well-informed sources" that this was definitely the last summer for DC10. I just went to see if there was a DC10 website. There isn't. But I did find the Circo Loco MySpace page. It says:
Jan 1 2008 8:00A circoloco@dc10 Ny special event! @ Ibiza (baleares)Quick round-up of other Ibiza news
The long-running saga involving the illegal construction of Michael Cretu's hill-top mansion finally seems to be coming to an end. The high court has ruled that an amnesty on illegally-built properties doesn't apply and it's going to be demolished.
I find that I now live in the most expensive area for property prices in the Balearics. That's the municipality of Sta Eulalia, followed by Calvia in Majorca and then Ibiza Town.
The government´s published a slightly confusing set of figures showing that emergency drug admissions to Can Misses, Ibiza's main hospital, increased by 41.3% in 2006. The figures are for people who've been admitted after taking drugs not prescribed by a medical professional. It's the breakdown I don't understand - cocaine (31.7%), followed of amphetamines and designer drugs (26.2%) and alcohol (23.3%). That doesn't add up to 100% and I'd be surprised if a large proportion of the cases didn't involve multiple consumption. Still 824 people is a lot, whatever the technical reason for their admission.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Oh dear water calamity
Ibiza's not designed for anything but sunny weather. The roofs are flat. Nowhere's insulated and drainage is unheard of. But, actually, the island has as much rain as some parts of England, except it comes all at once.
So now the wonderful new motorways resemble rivers, the power's going out intermittently and half the people I know have flooded homes. Still, a bit of discomfort's good practice for winter and joys such as scraping the black mold off walls.
The good thing is that we're suffering now, but it's in the knowledge that within a few days it'll be warm and dry again. The rain will bring out the flowers. Yes, even in October.
Fair fares
One of the benefits of being resident on Ibiza, or on other Spanish islands, is you get a discount on flights and ferries of about 50% for travel within Spain. There's a continuing debate about how this should be applied. One proposal that flights from the islands should be a flat 27 euros has been bombed out. Now the politicians are trying to decide how to administer the scheme so it's fair for all.
Obviously a lot of people will think it's unfair that somebody should get to live on Ibiza and enjoy cheap travel. But the island is an expensive place to live and there are real problems attracting teachers, doctors and so on to run essential services. And, of course, there can't be any real competition as residents have to travel across water somehow, so it's boat, plane or stay put.
The thing is air fares in particular are very much tied to demand. Of course it's cheap at the moment when nobody wants to fly, but come the summer even with a heavy discount the price would be too much for some. And without the subsidised tickets the airlines and ferry companies would stop services throughout the winter. As it is there are very few flights direct to anywhere outside Spain and none to the UK from November to April.
So the idea seems to be to fix the price so there's a maximum and minimum. It's got to be sorted before January 1 so what odds on a solution being announced on December 31.
Meanwhile, when the rest of the world seems to be discussing how to limit flights to reduce global warming it's a bit much that we're talking about increasing the number of passengers.
Tax and too many men in Ibiza
Anyway I haven´t got time to cover much more of the news except to say that the latest survey from La Caixa bank shows the number of foreigners increasing faster than the indigenous population, and more of them are men. The other thing is our equivalent of the council tax is going up by about 7%. For an average family that'll be about 300 euros a year extra. Work that one out.
So now the wonderful new motorways resemble rivers, the power's going out intermittently and half the people I know have flooded homes. Still, a bit of discomfort's good practice for winter and joys such as scraping the black mold off walls.
The good thing is that we're suffering now, but it's in the knowledge that within a few days it'll be warm and dry again. The rain will bring out the flowers. Yes, even in October.
Fair fares
One of the benefits of being resident on Ibiza, or on other Spanish islands, is you get a discount on flights and ferries of about 50% for travel within Spain. There's a continuing debate about how this should be applied. One proposal that flights from the islands should be a flat 27 euros has been bombed out. Now the politicians are trying to decide how to administer the scheme so it's fair for all.
Obviously a lot of people will think it's unfair that somebody should get to live on Ibiza and enjoy cheap travel. But the island is an expensive place to live and there are real problems attracting teachers, doctors and so on to run essential services. And, of course, there can't be any real competition as residents have to travel across water somehow, so it's boat, plane or stay put.
The thing is air fares in particular are very much tied to demand. Of course it's cheap at the moment when nobody wants to fly, but come the summer even with a heavy discount the price would be too much for some. And without the subsidised tickets the airlines and ferry companies would stop services throughout the winter. As it is there are very few flights direct to anywhere outside Spain and none to the UK from November to April.
So the idea seems to be to fix the price so there's a maximum and minimum. It's got to be sorted before January 1 so what odds on a solution being announced on December 31.
Meanwhile, when the rest of the world seems to be discussing how to limit flights to reduce global warming it's a bit much that we're talking about increasing the number of passengers.
Tax and too many men in Ibiza
Anyway I haven´t got time to cover much more of the news except to say that the latest survey from La Caixa bank shows the number of foreigners increasing faster than the indigenous population, and more of them are men. The other thing is our equivalent of the council tax is going up by about 7%. For an average family that'll be about 300 euros a year extra. Work that one out.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
No fare for temporary Ibiza taxi drivers
Discussions between the local government and Ibiza taxi drivers continue, as they have done for years. The problem is that there are not enough taxis at the peak of the season. The government wants to hand out another 150 licences, the taxi drivers are concerned about who will get them.
This is symptomatic of the the way the island's economy is hopelessly skewed around a few weeks of hyperactivity. People and businesses have to make enough over a few weeks to survive for the rest of the year. You can understand why the taxi drivers are concerned as it's a delicate balancing act between having enough to ensure punters aren't waiting too long and having too many so the drivers can't make a living.
At the moment the balance is clearly wrong which is why there are so many pirate taxis around from July to September. The drivers of these vehicles are not insured and may be unsafe. But, at 6am outside a club on the other side of the island from your hotel, who cares?
The other part of the problem is there doesn't seem to be an equivalent to a “mini cab” or other licensed private hire service in Spain. The limos that ferry superstar deejays, models and millionaires round the island are technically as illegal as the clapped-out pirate taxis outside Pacha. The theory is that Kate Moss and co should wait for a taxi or a bus like everybody else.
What do you do with a shipwreck?
Ibiza has another problem without an obvious right solution. The Don Pedro sank in July after hitting a small island just outside the Ibiza Town harbour. It didn't turn into the ecological disaster that it threatened. A couple of beaches were closed for a few days and the oil doesn't seem to have damaged any of the environmentally fragile areas close by.
Today it's been announced that a robot is being used to find if there are any traces of oil left on the ship. The next stage is to remove solid debris including a large consignment of used car batteries. Once that's finished a decision will have to made on what to do with the wreck.
If it's raised experts reckon that it'll break in two. Leaving it would provide an attraction for tourist divers – the council actually looked at the idea of deliberately sinking a ship for just this purpose. But nobody seems sure what the long-term risks are of leaving the wreck on the seabed.
For once the decision to set up a committee of interested parties to examine the situation does seem to be a sensible course of action rather than an excuse for putting off a difficult decision.
My next post will no doubt be looking at the Ibiza weather and the damage done by the storms.
This is symptomatic of the the way the island's economy is hopelessly skewed around a few weeks of hyperactivity. People and businesses have to make enough over a few weeks to survive for the rest of the year. You can understand why the taxi drivers are concerned as it's a delicate balancing act between having enough to ensure punters aren't waiting too long and having too many so the drivers can't make a living.
At the moment the balance is clearly wrong which is why there are so many pirate taxis around from July to September. The drivers of these vehicles are not insured and may be unsafe. But, at 6am outside a club on the other side of the island from your hotel, who cares?
The other part of the problem is there doesn't seem to be an equivalent to a “mini cab” or other licensed private hire service in Spain. The limos that ferry superstar deejays, models and millionaires round the island are technically as illegal as the clapped-out pirate taxis outside Pacha. The theory is that Kate Moss and co should wait for a taxi or a bus like everybody else.
What do you do with a shipwreck?
Ibiza has another problem without an obvious right solution. The Don Pedro sank in July after hitting a small island just outside the Ibiza Town harbour. It didn't turn into the ecological disaster that it threatened. A couple of beaches were closed for a few days and the oil doesn't seem to have damaged any of the environmentally fragile areas close by.
Today it's been announced that a robot is being used to find if there are any traces of oil left on the ship. The next stage is to remove solid debris including a large consignment of used car batteries. Once that's finished a decision will have to made on what to do with the wreck.
If it's raised experts reckon that it'll break in two. Leaving it would provide an attraction for tourist divers – the council actually looked at the idea of deliberately sinking a ship for just this purpose. But nobody seems sure what the long-term risks are of leaving the wreck on the seabed.
For once the decision to set up a committee of interested parties to examine the situation does seem to be a sensible course of action rather than an excuse for putting off a difficult decision.
My next post will no doubt be looking at the Ibiza weather and the damage done by the storms.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
How do you revise for a drugs test?
Sometimes I'll admit that it could be my lousy Spanish that's at fault, but there really does seem to be a course of evening classes entitled: “Drugs: Reality or fiction?” which includes practical work. If you want to see what I mean, check out this link:
Diario de Ibiza - Energy Control organiza el curso `Las drogas: ¿Realidad o ficción?´
More usefully the Balearic government is planning an office that will bring together all the information that immigrants require. Given that more than half of the population of Ibiza wasn't born on the island this should be valuable, if it's done properly.
I know it probably makes sense, but it somehow sounds typically Ibizan that the planned emergency practice at the airport has been cancelled because of bad weather. It would have been the first full-scale test of emergency procedures since 1998. Ah well, mañana...
This week is diving week, intended to promote underwater tourism in Ibiza and Formantera. The water's supposed to be particularly good for that here. (I must admit the longer I live here the less time I spend in the sea. Twice this summer I went in. Shame on me!)
It was sad to read that the first speaker was talking about species of shark becoming extinct in Ibiza's waters thanks to overfishing. Better news is that there's serious talk of a red tuna sanctuary off Formantera. Apparently it's the sushi craze that's threatening them.
Finally, I keep hearing about budget airline Jet2 launching a service from Blackpool to Ibiza. That'll surprise a large number of people in Britain who seem to think they're the same place.
Diario de Ibiza - Energy Control organiza el curso `Las drogas: ¿Realidad o ficción?´
More usefully the Balearic government is planning an office that will bring together all the information that immigrants require. Given that more than half of the population of Ibiza wasn't born on the island this should be valuable, if it's done properly.
I know it probably makes sense, but it somehow sounds typically Ibizan that the planned emergency practice at the airport has been cancelled because of bad weather. It would have been the first full-scale test of emergency procedures since 1998. Ah well, mañana...
This week is diving week, intended to promote underwater tourism in Ibiza and Formantera. The water's supposed to be particularly good for that here. (I must admit the longer I live here the less time I spend in the sea. Twice this summer I went in. Shame on me!)
It was sad to read that the first speaker was talking about species of shark becoming extinct in Ibiza's waters thanks to overfishing. Better news is that there's serious talk of a red tuna sanctuary off Formantera. Apparently it's the sushi craze that's threatening them.
Finally, I keep hearing about budget airline Jet2 launching a service from Blackpool to Ibiza. That'll surprise a large number of people in Britain who seem to think they're the same place.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Ibiza's new mountain
It's definitely Catherine Zeta-Jones advertising the new Elizabeth Arden perfume Mediterranean, but where is she? Could that be Ibiza Town in the background? But when did that mountain appear? Is that what happened to the rubble from the motorway tunnels?
One friend's suggested that it would be an ideal place to film the remake of "The Sound of Music."
Can anybody think of anything better?
Monday, October 08, 2007
Lads cash in on lurid Ibiza diary
A group of Essex students have come up with a novel way of paying for their 2008 Ibiza holiday. They're using a website to sell a no-holds-barred diary of their sex, drugs and alcohol-fuelled exploits on the island last summer (2006).
The six 22-year-old lads from Leigh-on-sea came up with the idea of keeping a diary after a seventh mate who couldn't make the trip asked them to jot down some of their exploits. “We didn’t take the suggestion seriously apart from one of us who actually bought a diary out there. We caught him making the odd scribble on the beach. After a lot of pointing and laughing we read the diary, liked what we read and before long were fighting for the diary to jot down our latest thoughts,” said “Danny”.
The diary includes descriptions of how one lad lost his shirt as he had sex in the sea with a blonde, another went with a prostitute and they all ogled the girls in the hotel room next door. “Things were going perfect, they were naked and we were perving complete with beers in hand, we had a beautiful view of some very lovely jubbleys and no one had even so much as bought them a drink!”
Unsurprisngly given the immoral and sometimes illicit nature of their exploits, the lads are all keeping their identities carefully hidden. “Nobody knows who we are. Some of us have girlfriends and all of us have parents,” joked Danny.
Copies of the diary can be downloaded price £1 from http://www.ibizadiary.com/.
Duff beer
It's a long way from The Simpsons' hometown of Springfield to Ibiza, but that's where Homer would have had to to go last week for a special glass of Duff, his favourite beer. Mexican entrepreneur Rodrigo Contreras chose Ibiza for the worldwide launch of the brew which he cheekily named after stuff served at cartoon bar Moe's.
Contrareras claims he came up with the idea after checking the registration of the name “Duff”. He says Simpsons creator Matt Groening only registered the name in the USA and Australia meaning he can use Duff as a beer brand in the rest of the world. “Doh!” as Homer would say.
Solar powered killer
A group of ecologists are asking a council to stop work on a project that's supposed to protect the environment. Councillors on the island of Formantera, next to Ibiza, want to build a solar energy farm to provide clean electricity for the population. But ecologists from the Grup d´Estudis de Naturalesa warn that construction in the cove chosen for the project will mean the disappearance of a type of flower only found on Formantera. The type of Delphinium is on the official list of plants in Spain which are danger of becoming extinct.
Dutch consul apologises to bishop
The former Dutch consul stepped into a row about art and pornography by apologising to the Bishop of Ibiza. Paul Wienen de Vries said in a letter that the exhibition which included a collage showing the late Pope John Paul II in a gay sex act was: “offensive and in bad taste”. The show of works by a number of Dutch artists was forced to close early after the bishop demanded the return of keys to the former church which was being used as a gallery.
Don Pedro captain faces prosecution
The captain and the officer who was at the wheel of the cargo ship Don Pedro which sank in July off Ibiza are to appear in court in November where they may face prosecution for crimes against the environment and criminal damage. The ship was off-course when it struck rocks threatening Ibiza with a financial and environmental catastrophe if the oil it was carrying leaked onto the beaches. Salvage specialists were able to remove the oil without too much spillage. The authorities are still deciding what to do with wreck which may break up if it's moved, but presents a long-term threat if it's left.
Ibiza to offer more for disabled people
Ibiza Town's tourist chief wants the city to attract more disabled holidaymakers. Francesc Buils says he wants the city to become famous as a destination for accessible tourism. The aim is to remove the architectural barriers which exist in the ancient walled city and to create more disabled parking. He says this is a central aim of plans to make Ibiza a cultural as well as a sun and sea destination.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Pacha Magazine
Apologies to anybody who has come to this blog after reading the rather flattering description in the latest issue of Pacha Magazine. Yes I know it hasn't been updated all summer, but that's because I've been working on a book: The Guardian Guide to Living and Working Abroad. You'll be able to buy a copy in March with any luck.
Monday, April 09, 2007
A bad dream
It sounded perfect. I was responding to an email sent to me by somebody who had found my name through the National Union of Journalists’ Freelance Directory. The guy wanted me to conduct a number of interviews with executives providing financial services for “high net worth individuals”.
The process was simple, he explained, as we talked on Skype for the best part of an hour. I’d bounce questions back and forth for a while until we had the basis for a structured interview. Then, at a pre-arranged time, I’d talk to the financial adviser and the interview would be recorded by “Wealth Mic” (www.wealthmic.co.uk) and edited into a downloadable format.
I’ve been doing this sort of thing for near enough 30 years, so I should be pretty proficient. But, to be honest, I wasn’t listening to Jon Cooper that carefully. He’d told me I’d be paid £500 for each interview, provided that was acceptable. I’d have been happy with half of that for a day’s work, which is what this would probably be by the time all the questions had been agreed.
After the initial conversation I rushed to tell Barbara, my wife, about the stroke of luck. It was the ideal sort of work, all done over the phone, so it didn’t matter that I was actually in Ibiza. The money was on the high side, but financial services spend considerable sums on marketing so it wasn’t totally implausible.
The following day I started work. I read out the introduction to an interview that had been completed, but where Jon wasn’t too happy with the voice of the interviewer. He stressed this wasn’t an audition. He told me I already had the work and just had to agree which people I wanted to interview. My main concern at this point was doing too many and over-using my voice so I’d be dropped for over-exposure.
Jon and I had tentatively agreed to speak the following day. We were both busy so left it fairly vague. I could see from Skype he was spending quite a lot of time in front of his computer. Anyway, we didn’t make contact although I did listen to a couple of the interviews on Wealth Mic, well, the beginning of the interviews to be honest. They seemed okay, dull, but this is personal finance.
I started to look round wealthmic.co.uk to try and see where it was based. A trip to London seemed in order and I wanted to see where I’d have to get to. There wasn’t an address, just a phone number for an exchange I didn’t recognise.
So I went to www.whois.net and searched for Wealth Mic. It was for, some reason, registered in Barcelona. Oh well, I’m in Ibiza and there’s no reason why the web developer shouldn’t be in Barcelona. It made more sense when I looked at Jon Cooper’s profile on Skype which gave his languages as both Catalan and English, although I wasn’t aware of any accent.
His Skype profile also gave a website www.iwtv.tv as his home. Unfortunately the website seemed to be unobtainable. It happens. But I still wanted to know more.
Putting the full site name into Google produced nothing. However, “iwtv” brought loads of results. That was because I’d unwittingly stumbled on one of those anorak acronyms, in this case for “Interview With The Vampire”. But if I paired iwtv with Cooper there were loads of hits on Google.
From those it was clear that Jon Cooper’s last big project was the grandly-named “Internet World Television”. His master plan was to get sports experts to video themselves. The clips would be put up on a website and pay-per-view income would be split between the sportsperson and iwtv. Most of the material seemed to have come from anglers and martial arts enthusiasts.
I’ve heard far worse ideas than this for making money. It’s a shame, perhaps, for Jon Cooper that YouTube came along.
But I still didn’t know where Wealth Mic was based. I Googled its phone number. Nothing. So I Googled it with just the first seven digits, 0207 and the exchange. It was clear from the other businesses showing up on Google that this was not a physical exchange but the number allocated to Skype to represent central London. Jon Cooper could be anywhere.
Of course, there could be plenty of innocent explanations for all of this. It’s hard to start a business and you have to talk bigger than you are. The sample interviews on Wealth Mic sounded genuine even if the picture of the interviewer looked suspiciously like David Cameron.
So I emailed Jon Cooper:
A little later he replied:
I did email him again, apologising for anything I might have said to upset him. He didn’t reply. So I guess I’ll probably never know why his name changed from “Jon” to “John” or what “Carrot & Stick Media” is that he referred to in his initial email.
But I will keep an eye on what happens to Wealth Mic. I know I did the right thing, but there’s always this nagging feeling that maybe I turned down the opportunity to make quite a lot of money.
The process was simple, he explained, as we talked on Skype for the best part of an hour. I’d bounce questions back and forth for a while until we had the basis for a structured interview. Then, at a pre-arranged time, I’d talk to the financial adviser and the interview would be recorded by “Wealth Mic” (www.wealthmic.co.uk) and edited into a downloadable format.
I’ve been doing this sort of thing for near enough 30 years, so I should be pretty proficient. But, to be honest, I wasn’t listening to Jon Cooper that carefully. He’d told me I’d be paid £500 for each interview, provided that was acceptable. I’d have been happy with half of that for a day’s work, which is what this would probably be by the time all the questions had been agreed.
After the initial conversation I rushed to tell Barbara, my wife, about the stroke of luck. It was the ideal sort of work, all done over the phone, so it didn’t matter that I was actually in Ibiza. The money was on the high side, but financial services spend considerable sums on marketing so it wasn’t totally implausible.
The following day I started work. I read out the introduction to an interview that had been completed, but where Jon wasn’t too happy with the voice of the interviewer. He stressed this wasn’t an audition. He told me I already had the work and just had to agree which people I wanted to interview. My main concern at this point was doing too many and over-using my voice so I’d be dropped for over-exposure.
Jon and I had tentatively agreed to speak the following day. We were both busy so left it fairly vague. I could see from Skype he was spending quite a lot of time in front of his computer. Anyway, we didn’t make contact although I did listen to a couple of the interviews on Wealth Mic, well, the beginning of the interviews to be honest. They seemed okay, dull, but this is personal finance.
I started to look round wealthmic.co.uk to try and see where it was based. A trip to London seemed in order and I wanted to see where I’d have to get to. There wasn’t an address, just a phone number for an exchange I didn’t recognise.
So I went to www.whois.net and searched for Wealth Mic. It was for, some reason, registered in Barcelona. Oh well, I’m in Ibiza and there’s no reason why the web developer shouldn’t be in Barcelona. It made more sense when I looked at Jon Cooper’s profile on Skype which gave his languages as both Catalan and English, although I wasn’t aware of any accent.
His Skype profile also gave a website www.iwtv.tv as his home. Unfortunately the website seemed to be unobtainable. It happens. But I still wanted to know more.
Putting the full site name into Google produced nothing. However, “iwtv” brought loads of results. That was because I’d unwittingly stumbled on one of those anorak acronyms, in this case for “Interview With The Vampire”. But if I paired iwtv with Cooper there were loads of hits on Google.
From those it was clear that Jon Cooper’s last big project was the grandly-named “Internet World Television”. His master plan was to get sports experts to video themselves. The clips would be put up on a website and pay-per-view income would be split between the sportsperson and iwtv. Most of the material seemed to have come from anglers and martial arts enthusiasts.
I’ve heard far worse ideas than this for making money. It’s a shame, perhaps, for Jon Cooper that YouTube came along.
But I still didn’t know where Wealth Mic was based. I Googled its phone number. Nothing. So I Googled it with just the first seven digits, 0207 and the exchange. It was clear from the other businesses showing up on Google that this was not a physical exchange but the number allocated to Skype to represent central London. Jon Cooper could be anywhere.
Of course, there could be plenty of innocent explanations for all of this. It’s hard to start a business and you have to talk bigger than you are. The sample interviews on Wealth Mic sounded genuine even if the picture of the interviewer looked suspiciously like David Cameron.
So I emailed Jon Cooper:
Hi Jon
Sorry we haven’t managed to link up today as I did have a few questions
to ask you.
Can you tell me who is behind Wealth Mic? It’s just I know how
expensive it is to promote as well as produce marketing materials.
Where are you based? All I’ve got is a London phone number and I think
it’s a Skype-In one.
Your Skype profile shows www.iwtv.tv as your website, but it doesn’t seem
to work. What happened?
The profile also shows your languages as Catalan and English. Is that
why wealthmic.co.uk is registered in Barcelona?
I’m obviously happy to work with you, but I need to be sure that the
business is bona fide. I do have a wife, mortgage and professional reputation to
support.
Speak soon
Nick
A little later he replied:
Nick
Out of principal I'm not going to jump though (sic) hoops to offer someone
work.
I suggest you keep on eye on what's going on with WealthMic, and when
you're are (sic) satisfied we are credible enough to work with, get in
touch.
Kind Regards
John
I did email him again, apologising for anything I might have said to upset him. He didn’t reply. So I guess I’ll probably never know why his name changed from “Jon” to “John” or what “Carrot & Stick Media” is that he referred to in his initial email.
But I will keep an eye on what happens to Wealth Mic. I know I did the right thing, but there’s always this nagging feeling that maybe I turned down the opportunity to make quite a lot of money.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Confessions of an accidental UK landlord and property speculator
Moving abroad can turn expats into accidental landlords and property speculators. If you own your home, what do you do with it if you leave the country? Hanging on to our flat in Edinburgh was a mixture of maths, cowardice and indecision. Only time will tell if it was the right thing to do.
When Barbara and I moved to Ibiza we hadn't planned on a long stay. Letting our UK home was part of the deal. The rent was supposed to cover our Spanish accommodation costs -which it did. Almost.
Everything became more permanent when we decided to buy a place in the sun. The obvious thing to do was sell up in Edinburgh, but that meant stepping permanently off the UK property ladder. Instead we took out the biggest interest-only mortgage we could and put the cash towards our Ibiza house.
Read the full article on my website A Desk In The Sun
When Barbara and I moved to Ibiza we hadn't planned on a long stay. Letting our UK home was part of the deal. The rent was supposed to cover our Spanish accommodation costs -which it did. Almost.
Everything became more permanent when we decided to buy a place in the sun. The obvious thing to do was sell up in Edinburgh, but that meant stepping permanently off the UK property ladder. Instead we took out the biggest interest-only mortgage we could and put the cash towards our Ibiza house.
Read the full article on my website A Desk In The Sun
Friday, January 19, 2007
Could you live and work overseas?
I put this quiz together for people who are thinking of leaving Britain to live and work abroad in countries such as: Australia, Spain, Canada, New Zealand, USA, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Cyprus, Ireland, South Africa, Austria and China.
What I hope is that these questions will make you think about the challenges of living and working abroad. Some of the answers aren’t obvious, but there’s no right and wrong.
So you know what to expect, here are the questions:
1. How do you generally feel at the end of a two-week holiday?
2. How concerned are you about job security?
3. How is your health?
4. How do you feel about your present job?
5. How is your relationship with your family?
6. What is your favourite restaurant?
7. Some friends invite you to meet up for a meal. What sort of restaurant would you suggest?
8. What is your ideal Christmas?
9. When did you last give somebody your home phone number?
10. What’s your favourite way of spending an evening?
11. How do you react when bureaucrats make your life difficult?
12. Where do most of your friends come from?
13. If you moved abroad what sort of friends would you hope to make?
14. Have you ever been to a social event in Britain with somebody who’d be classed as from an “ethnic minority”?
15. What would you normally find in your shopping basket?
16. When on holiday abroad do you hire a car and go off exploring?
17. What do you think of credit cards?
18. How do you and your partner get on?
19. How long have you and your partner been together?
20. As you come to the end of this quiz what do you think now?
Click here for the link to my "A Desk In The Sun" website where you can try the the quiz.
What I hope is that these questions will make you think about the challenges of living and working abroad. Some of the answers aren’t obvious, but there’s no right and wrong.
So you know what to expect, here are the questions:
1. How do you generally feel at the end of a two-week holiday?
2. How concerned are you about job security?
3. How is your health?
4. How do you feel about your present job?
5. How is your relationship with your family?
6. What is your favourite restaurant?
7. Some friends invite you to meet up for a meal. What sort of restaurant would you suggest?
8. What is your ideal Christmas?
9. When did you last give somebody your home phone number?
10. What’s your favourite way of spending an evening?
11. How do you react when bureaucrats make your life difficult?
12. Where do most of your friends come from?
13. If you moved abroad what sort of friends would you hope to make?
14. Have you ever been to a social event in Britain with somebody who’d be classed as from an “ethnic minority”?
15. What would you normally find in your shopping basket?
16. When on holiday abroad do you hire a car and go off exploring?
17. What do you think of credit cards?
18. How do you and your partner get on?
19. How long have you and your partner been together?
20. As you come to the end of this quiz what do you think now?
Click here for the link to my "A Desk In The Sun" website where you can try the the quiz.
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