23/10/2014 00:00
TW
0

Villa Burgled
Dear Sir,
I have just arrived back from two weeks in Majorca where my daughter got married and my one year old grandson celebrated his first birthday.
The family and guests all had a wonderful time and I was telling everyone how diverse and beautiful Majorca is.
How wrong was I, we went out for lunch on our last day only to come back to the villa having been  broken into.
They stole everything from the camcorder with the wedding on it, valuables, jewellery, money and they even stole the money out my grandson’s first birthday card.
What alarms me is the Guardia Civil just shrugged their shoulders and said that we had been the fourth property to have been  broken into in the village (Campanet) in the last ten days. They also said that Buger got hit with the same kind of break-ins last summer.
The only consolation is they left our passports and it happened on the day before we were due to fly home and also most importantly no one got hurt.
Next year I will choose very carefully where I go on holiday and just might give Majorca a miss and,  if I do, it will be the first time in ten years.
I’m writing this email hoping you can warn other holiday makers to be extra vigilant.
Yours faithfully,
Brian Peters

P.S. The windows, doors and  shutters at the villa were locked up secure EVERY time we went out.

Dear Sir,
The end of this month will bring us closer to the end of an era in Can Pastilla. The Highwayman pub/restaurant will close approaching 40 years under only two owners Wendy & Terry Hudson and now Eileen & Ron Neadley & family. They are going out in style with two “last suppers” – a Friday fish & chips (plus mushy peas) and a traditional Sunday lunch of roast beef and all the trimmings. I’ll be at both but I’m on the hunt for a replacement. On my family’s visits two weeks on the local food is a little too much and an occasional injection of their excellent British fodder is necessary!
The demise of our British businesses has been occurring over 20 years and the Highwayman was one of the handful remaining. Back in the 80’s there were over 50, mostly bars but also a book shop, jeweller, car hire and even a launderette. Perhaps they “don’t want pub crawls in Magalluf” but many here would welcome them back where they started decades before Magalluf. Mass tourism on the island started in Can Pastilla the nearest beach to the airport. Eventually our prices went up and the tour operators moved their 18-30’s west. The same can happen again.
It is not all bad news. Although TripAdvisor refers to Can P astilla as  a quiet Spanish village somewhat geriatric it gives us restful nights. There has also been a resurgence in small Spanish restaurants. We now have half a dozen with adventuristic chefs cooking their own preferences and at non-tourist prices.
Mike Lillico
Playa de Palma