14/07/2002 00:00
TW
0

Sir,
When reading the article (Saturday's Bulletin) of Ann Macdonald on the sad state of Puerto Pollensa, its change of character over the years and present noticeable decline, having witnessed this over the last 30 years or so, I could not help but draw a comparison with Marbella on the Costa del Sol. In the early 1970s I and my new bride were touring the south of Spain and stayed in Marbella. The Puerto Banus was a pleasure to visit and see. Everything so smart and elegant, of course geared to the yachting scene, but pleasurable for all. Evening bars of the cocktail lounge/piano, were alongside the quayside, a lovely scenario, fine restaurants, perfect service, a showpiece of how a tourist area should be.

Revisiting in the late '70s, what a change. The cocktail/piano establishments were sandwich bars, with a waiter on the pavement hawking for business; it was unbelievable. Came a change in the Mayor, enter the controversial Jesus Gil, who promised to bring everything back to its former glory. When we revisited in the late 1980s the transformation was complete, a monumental work costing a small fortune, but not only the beauty of the town and port were restored and improved, but cleanliness, crime drastically reduced to the minimum, etc. so, with elections due next year, in whichever municipality on the island, of whatever political leaning, those that have shown they were incompetent or just out of their depth, should be replaced by others that have a better, proven track record. Running the affairs of a town, spending public money, is not for amateurs.

Graham Philips