Wednesday, September 8, 2010

JUDAS reporter David Jones

He wrote how difficult it would have been for someone to kidnap the toddler from the apartment complex.

 David Jones had his suspicions about the McCanns but two years on and after along chat with Clarence Mitchell, he confesses he was horribly wrong



By David Jones

Last updated at 7:49 AM on 4th May 2009



Tuning the car radio into a late-night BBC phone-in programme during a long motorway drive, a heated debate caught my attention.

'What sort of parents would leave their three-year-old daughter alone in an apartment and go off for dinner?' one angry caller would demand to know.

Then someone else would counter: 'They did nothing wrong. This could have happened to anyone.'

As I listened, it slowly became evident that the girl in question had vanished a few hours earlier from a holiday resort in Portugal, and that she seemed to have been abducted from her bed as she slept.

By the following day, the first heart-melting photographs of 'Missing Madeleine McCann' had been published in the newspapers, etching this grimly compelling story into the national consciousness.

And soon afterwards, I was dispatched to the Algarve to report the hunt for the snatched-away cherub.

Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance, yet this saga has since taken so many twists and turns, and invoked such prurient fascination, that it might have happened only yesterday.

Two years and millions of words later, the questions show no sign of abating. 'What do you think happened to her? Could she still be alive? Where is she now?' I am invariably asked, if ever I mention that I spent many weeks investigating the Madeleine McCann mystery.

Like every other reporter who has striven to solve this perplexing case, not to mention all those expensive private investigators and the inept Portuguese police, I am no nearer to knowing the answers today than I was on that May afternoon when I first arrived in Praia da Luz.

But over recent months, having sifted again through my notebooks, scoured the internet, revisited old contacts and observed Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, campaigning relentlessly and indefatigably for their daughter's return, I have come to one definite conclusion.

It is that whatever became of the slumbering Madeleine on that dreadful Thursday night, her parents played no part in her disappearance.

In early September, 2007, during perhaps the most sensational week of the inquiry, Kate McCann was declared an arguida (an official suspect) by the Portuguese judiciary.

During her ensuing interrogation, she was treated in a manner which bordered on brutality - remorselessly bullied and hectored in a marathon grilling that would have tested anyone's inner resources to their limits, let alone that of a grief-stricken mother.

At that time, amid mounting speculation about the McCanns' possible culpability, I wrote an article that caused something of a stir and, I am told, exacerbated Kate and Gerry's anguish.

(It also angered my wife, who, with a mother's instincts, has steadfastly believed the McCanns from the outset.)

In that piece, which was based on the facts in my possession - aligned to gut feeling - I voiced the suspicions of many colleagues and a surprisingly large proportion of the watching public, by admitting that I had nagging doubts about the couple's innocence.



It was an honestly held opinion, but now, on the second anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance, I have to confess that I was horribly wrong.

One of two new posters which show Madeleine McCann as she was aged three, and how she might look now, aged six.

Why, though, did I think back then that they might be in some way culpable, and why, two years after their daughter vanished, have I so radically changed my views?

As the spring of 2007 progressed, opinions about Kate and Gerry McCann polarised in an extraordinary way, and they found themselves the subject of intense scrutiny.

It was fuelled by their decision to launch an international media campaign, the likes of which had never been seen before, in the hope that it would keep Madeleine in the news and hasten her return.

They hired a succession of PR experts and private investigators, set up an internet site that kept people up to speed with every facet of the case via Gerry McCann's strangely breezy web diary, jetted around the world to appear on TV and even secured an audience with the Pope.

All this frenetic activity was paid for by a fund whose coffers were swelled by tycoons such as Sir Philip Green and Sir Richard Branson; and it made many people deeply uneasy.

Ironically, discussion of their campaign techniques also distracted the world from the very objective the McCanns and their supporters were trying to promote: namely, finding their missing little girl.

Observing from close quarters, I was among those who found it all rather unedifying. During those early months I was perturbed by the McCanns' demeanour.

More...Madeleine at six? Two years on, the startling image that could rekindle McCanns' hope

Don’t you dare tell me Maddie is dead

Grown-up face her mother doesn't recognise: The technology behind Madeleine McCann's computer-generated image

Clinging for comfort to Madeleine's favourite soft toy, Cuddle Cat, Kate appeared unreachably distant.

Her husband, by contrast, seemed positively chipper, and there were days when the Leicestershire cardiologist almost appeared to relish his highprofile, globetrotting new role.

With hindsight this was a ridiculous and unjustifiable rush to judgment. For how can any of us know what constitutes 'appropriate' behaviour for parents robbed of a child so swiftly and left in limbo, unable to escape the darkest fears of their imagination?

As their spokesman Clarence Mitchell remarked to me this week, after it was suggested that Kate again appeared close to the edge on returning from an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in America, the couple would have been damned in some quarters however they had reacted.

He was right, but I was not alone among those who allowed their personal observations of the McCanns to colour their opinions about the case.

Gerry and Kate McCann talk with Oprah Winfrey about the ongoing search for daughter Madeleine who went missing two years ago this Sunday

And the more I examined the story, as they and their team presented it (in the absence of any information from the legally constrained Portuguese police), the more sceptical I became.

There were all manner of reasons why the suggestion that some fiend had simply carried off Madeleine into the night just didn't seem to add up.


For one thing, Praia da Luz is not some bustling, mainstream Mediterranean resort where a stranger could easily slip in undetected.


It is little more than a village, serviced by one main access road. In early May, it is particularly quiet (the more so now that many holidaymakers refuse to venture there).

Furthermore, the apartment the McCanns had rented was on the ground floor, on the corner of a well-lit street and passageway.

Although the McCanns and their friends - the so called Tapas Seven - were dining in a restaurant obscured by a 6ft wall, they were less than 100 yards away.

Examining this scene time and again, measuring out precise distances and times, it seemed inconceivable that anyone would have the audacity, let alone the wherewithal, to break into the flat and snatch a three-year old girl sleeping beside her younger twin siblings without being caught.

The alternative theories seemed equally outlandish. Some ventured that Madeleine had woken up bewildered in a strange country and wandered off to look for Mummy and Daddy, only to fall down the freshly dug roadworks by the apartment, which were filled in a few days later.

Or had she been snatched by paedophiles and smuggled out of Portugal, perhaps across the Spanish border an hour's drive away, or on a waiting boat - a possibility that gained credence after witnesses said they had seen a girl resembling Madeleine with a man near the harbour?

As this last scenario gathered momentum, I went to Morocco, following one of many supposedly reliable eye-witness sightings of the little blonde girl with a distinctive 'flash' in her right eye.

The trail led to a remote village high in the Atlas mountains, where Madeleine was believed to be held captive in some farmhouse - but, like so many other such claims in Belgium, Holland, Spain and, most recently Malta, it came to nothing.

In the meantime, the spotlight had fallen on Robert Murat, an entrepreneur of mixed British and Portuguese extraction whose mother lived just a few hundred yards from the McCann apartment.

In the estimation of one over imaginative reporter, he appeared to have acted strangely while working as an interpreter for Portuguese police investigating the disappearance.

Such was the police's desperation to solve a case that threw their deficiencies into stark relief that, without any discernible foundation, Murat was also made an official suspect.

Every aspect of his personal life was minutely examined. Murat was then the subject of all manner of lurid smear stories. Yet when I tracked him down at his sister's country guesthouse and became one of the few reporters to interview him at length, I did not recognise the man in these articles.

As he spoke lovingly about his own infant daughter, and described how it felt to be falsely accused of the most terrible crime imaginable, I became convinced of his innocence - and wrote as much.

Yet, at that stage, I still couldn't be so sure about the McCanns, and when Kate was arrested I came out and said so.

I asked Clarence Mitchell this week how they had reacted. 'Kate and Gerry didn't like the piece, but at the end of the day you have the legitimate right to question anything as a journalist.


Hope: One of the posters being released by the Find Madeleine Campaign

'Given the flavour of what came out in the Portuguese media at that time it was understandable; regrettable but understandable.

'But when you meet them, and get to know them, you realise quite quickly that they aren't making this up. And when Madeleine is recovered, a lot of people will regret what they wrote.'

Sadly, I am not at all sure that she ever will be found.

Flawed as the Portuguese police case against the McCanns clearly was, it is not so much the hard evidence that now convinces me that I was wrong, but our old friend gut instinct, which in my case has completely changed after following the case from a distance for many months.

I have come to admire the McCanns for their cussed determination and refusal to alter course, despite all the criticism.

When I spoke to Madeleine's two grandmothers this week, that admiration was cemented. 'The whole family are physically exhausted. Kate, in particular, is very tired after coming home from America,' her mother, Susan Healy, told me from her Liverpool home.

'She has had a hectic couple of weeks and really needs to recharge her batteries, but I don't think she has thought about stopping. Not for a minute. I don't think either of them can stop - that's the awful thing.

'They are just stuck in a situation where they don't have a lot of control. The only control they have is to remind people that Madeleine is still missing. That is why they do it.

You have to understand that everything Kate does - everything - is done because she wants her daughter back. That's the only question they ever ask themselves: will this help us find Madeleine? Nothing else is of any importance.

'If Kate ever gets to the end of the line - I mean, if they got to the stage where they thought there was nothing more they could do - then that would be very difficult. But it would appear that they haven't reached that stage.

'Madeleine is their daughter and they've simply got to carry on. I don't know whether they would call it optimism or not, but they have to keep hoping. If they shrugged their shoulders and said "OK, she's not alive any more," they would be letting her down, wouldn't they?'

In Glasgow, Mr McCann's mother, Eileen, told me much the same thing. 'There's nothing to say that Madeleine isn't alive, so why would they think otherwise?' she said. 'We never even discuss any other possibility.'

You can only applaud such spirit. But if, against all the conceivable odds, Madeleine really has survived, what has become of her?


This week, in a TV reconstruction of her abduction, the latest private detectives to be hired by the McCanns - two experienced former CID men from the North of England, whose no-nonsense approach contrasts sharply with that of their expensive and unproductive predecessors - may uncover fresh clues.

After sifting through reams of previously unexamined Portuguese judicial documents and reinterviewing key witnesses, there is talk of a new 'mystery man' apparently seen loitering near the apartment on that fateful Thursday night.

The programme will not solve the most enduring and troubling missing person inquiry of modern times, of course. Nor will it silence the whispers from those who still harbour lingering doubts about Mr and Mrs McCann.

Nevertheless, we can be sure that they will continue to carry their cross with stoicism.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1176448/David-Jones-suspicions-McCanns-years-confesses-horribly-wrong.html#ixzz0yxBk2SkF

The Haunting of David Jones

This is all that is left of reporter David Jones thoughts on the McCanns, by his own admission after talking with Clarence Mitchell he made a retraction and said he now knows the McCanns are innocent.

I wish he would tell us how he knows this for a fact.

Quote from David Jones before he was pressured to change his mind.


Gerry & Kate McCann might be involved


2008-02-16

As we all know now the Madeleine McCann story is coming to the end but David Jones who is an investigator on the case doubts the McCanns innocents Well as we know the Madeleine McCann case is truly gut wrenching, a beautiful child has been the victim of a horrible crime, but here is an investigators view on the case: ‘I have a terrible nagging doubt the McCanns might be involved’.



http://www.blogtoplist.com/rss/mccann.html

Blogs 151 to 200

Gerry's Blog/Diary - Days 151 to 200


Day 200 -19/11/2007 Monday No entry

Day 199 -18/11/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 198 -17/11/2007 Saturday No entry

Day 197 -16/11/2007 Friday No entry

Day 196 -15/11/2007 Thursday No entry

Day 195 -14/11/2007 Wednesday No entry

Day 194- 13/11/2007 Tuesday No entry

Day 193 - 12/11/2007 Monday No entry

Day 192 - 11/11/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 191 - 10/11/2007 Saturday No entry



Day 190 - 09/11/2007 Friday

BACK TO WORK



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The media attention in Rothley has died down considerably with the passing of the six-month marker last weekend. The prayer service for Madeleine and other



missing children was very well attended and we found it calming, comforting and very



positive. The four churches in Rothley contributed to the service as they will be doing so again for remembrance Sunday and these events strengthen our sense of community.



No major developments to report in the last week in the search for Madeleine. There has been a good response to the launch of the helpline to find Madeleine and all the leads are being checked out and followed up where appropriate. Kate and I continue to encourage anyone who has information to phone or e-mail.



It has been a busier week for me as I have returned to work, initially on a part-time basis. The Trust have been very supportive throughout and it has been good, although difficult, to see so many friends and colleagues again. I was certainly ready to get back although we have agreed to gradually phase my



return to full-time commitments. It is also been the first week since we returned from Portugal when we have not had friends or family staying with us. Kate and I have therefore been opening all the mail ourselves and we would like to thank everyone who has offered their support and encouragement.





Day 189 - 08/11/2007 Thursday No entry



Day 188 - 07/11/2007 Wednesday

Latest Update

Helping to find Madeleine



We are pleased to recognise the independent Helping To Find Madeleine Forum (HTFM) as an affiliate of our campaign to continue in the search for Madeleine. For further information go to www.helpingtofindmadeleine.com







The advice of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is that high visibility of a missing child through posters, car stickers etc increases the chances of finding that child. The friends and family of Kate and Gerry urge everyone to please keep looking for Madeleine. Our greatest fear has always been that Madeleine would somehow be forgotten about and that our efforts to bring her back safely would run out of support. We know in our hearts that Madeleine is still out there, alive, confused and aching to be returned to her family where she belongs. Whatever happens, please don't forget that. Don't forget about Madeleine. http://www.youtube.com/user/DontYouForgetAboutMe





Day 187 - 06/11/2007 Tuesday No entry

Day 186 - 05/11/2007 Monday No entry

Day 185 - 04/11/2007 Sunday No entry



Day 184 - 03/11/2007 Saturday

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Today marks six months since Madeleine was taken from us. It is an incredibly long time for us but must be even longer for Madeleine. It is so painful for us simply being separated, but all the more distressing when we have to speculate about the situation Madeleine finds herself. We have no idea whether she is suffering but we have to hope and pray that she is being treated like a princess, as she deserves.



This afternoon there will be prayer vigils in Liverpool, Praia da Luz and many friends will be praying in Glasgow. Tonight we will be attending an ecumenical service to pray for Madeleine and other children who are suffering. There is again a lot of media presence in Rothley and the upshot is that millions of people know Madeleine is still missing and that we will not give up looking for her.



We urge anyone who may have information that might help us find Madeleine to call us on the confidential number +34 902 300 213 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +34 902 300 213 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, which is manned by private detectives in Spain or e-mail investigation@findmadeleine.com, or contact the police.



Statement from Kate McCann:



Saturday 3rd November : 6 Month Landmark



Six months is such a long time for a little girl to be separated from her family. We believe that our Madeleine is out there somewhere and retain hope that we can be reunited.







Madeleine is a beautiful little person who deserves a loving and happy life. There is no doubt that the best place for her to be, to ensure this, is with her family.







We know that somebody somewhere can make this happen. That somebody, has the ability and power to bring about so much joy, as well as bring peace to themselves.







If you have any information relating to Madeleine’s disappearance or whereabouts, PLEASE, - pass it on.







0034 902 300 213 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0034 902 300 213 end_of_the_skype_highlighting









Day 183 - 02/11/2007 Friday No entry

Day 182 - 01/11/2007 Thursday No entry

Day 181 - 31/10/2007 Wednesday No entry

Day 180 - 30/10/2007 Tuesday No entry

Day 179 - 29/10/2007 Monday No entry



Day 178 - 28/10/2007 Sunday

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The last couple of days have been hard for Kate and I. We have had a lot of ‘family time’ and despite the pleasure of seeing Sean and Amelie having fun, Madeleine’s absence was very much tangible. We were, however, bucked up somewhat after opening lots of mail, which was incredibly supportive and uplifting. We would like to pass on our sincere thanks once more to everyone who is supporting us. My mum and sister have also arrived for a few days and this is the first time we have seen each other for 5 weeks. My nephew and a close family friend also came to visit last night.



Today we all attended mass in the local church. Next Saturday will mark six months since Madeleine was abducted. We will be marking this milestone very quietly with an ecumenical prayer service for Madeleine and other missing children in the local Anglican church.





Despite sadness and despair at our own situation, it is heart wrenching to hear of tragedies affecting other families close to home this week. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.





Day 177 - 27/10/2007 Saturday No entry



Day 176 - 26/10/2007 Friday

ARGUIDO



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PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR



Francisco Marco



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It has been a busy few days for Kate and I. We did our first interview since being made arguidos, for Spanish TV. This was very difficult for us but had one important purpose. We announced that private investigators are looking for Madeleine and that there is a dedicated ANONYMOUS telephone line for anyone who has information, which may help us to find Madeleine. The number is +34.902.300.213 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +34.902.300.213 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. We urge anyone who may have information to please call this number.



The investigators are based in Spain because we believe Madeleine is most likely to be in the Iberian Peninsula or North Africa. They have also released a sketch of an eyewitness who saw a man carrying a small child away from near the apartment on the night Madeleine disappeared. We believe this child was Madeleine. The Portuguese police have released the description of the man previously: he is 35-40 years old, approximately 5’8”-5’10” (1.72-1.78m), Caucasian with southern European/Mediterranean appearance, slim build with dark hair. We hope that this picture may



jog someone’s memory who may



have seen this man in the Praia da Luz area on the night or days before Madeleine was abducted. Someone else may be aware of a man matching this description who has behaved suspiciously at any time since the beginning of May.





Day 175 - 25/10/2007 Thursday No entry

Day 174 - 24/10/2007 Wednesday No entry

Day 173 - 23/10/2007 Tuesday No entry





Day 172 - 22/10/2007 Monday

Brian & Susan Healy



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This last weekend we went to visit friends and Kate’s parents. It is the first time we have been to Liverpool since we went to Portugal on holiday in April. Sean and Amelie had a great time playing with other young children and it was good for Kate and I to catch up with very close friends. We attended the ‘children’s mass’ in the church where we were married and I met the local priest who also happens to come from Glasgow.



We welcome the announcement from Mr Ribeiro, the National director of the Judicial



Police in Portugal, that our friends who were on



holiday with us in Portugal are to be re-interviewed. We do not know how many other ‘witnesses’ will be interviewed but obviously we want to be eliminated from the inquiry as soon as possible. We constantly hope that one of the other lines of investigation leads to Madeleine being found safe and well.





Day 171 - 21/10/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 170 - 20/10/2007 Saturday No entry

Day 169 - 19/10/2007 Friday No entry

Day 168 - 18/10/2007 Thursday No entry

Day 167 - 17/10/2007 Wednesday No entry



Day 166 - 16/10/2007 -Tuesday

Calum MacRae

Infohost

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This is believed to be the edited version copied from official site.

Life in Rothley is definitely quietening down although daily photographs of us leaving the house still seem ‘newsworthy’ which I find incredible. We are slowly trying to return to normal and it is heartening meeting ordinary people who are very supportive and sympathetic. We have managed to catch up with quite a few friends in the last week, which we have actually had to build up to because of the emotions involved in talking about what has happened. We also had our first visitor from Praia da Luz who spent a few days with us. It was touching to hear about our friends there, who continue to hold weekly vigils praying for Madeleine and her safe return.



The media frenzy is gradually subsiding with just occasional unsubstantiated reports of ‘evidence’ appearing. It is very encouraging that Mr Rebelo’s officers will be seemingly reviewing all the material in the inquiry, which will hopefully identify areas for further investigation. Contrary to some other reports Kate and I do NOT accept that Madeleine is ‘probably’ dead. We know it is a possibility, however the fact there is no evidence Madeleine has been seriously harmed gives us ongoing hope



that she will be found alive.



Finally, thank you once again to evryone who has written to us or sent messages of support. Calum has been away for a week on holiday and we will be updating the messages of support very soon. We would love to reply to everyone personally but the huge numbers simply make it impossible.



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Day 166 - 16/10/2007

This is believed to be the original Version copied from Bebo

Life in Rothley is definitely quietening down although daily photographs of us leaving the house still seem ‘newsworthy’ which I find incredible. We are slowly trying to return to normal and it is heartening meeting ordinary people who are very supportive and sympathetic. We have managed to catch up with quite a few friends in the last week, which we have actually had to build up to because of the emotions involved in talking about what has happened. We also had our first visitor from Praia da Luz who spent a few days with us. It was touching to hear about our friends there, who continue to hold weekly vigils praying for Madeleine and her safe return.



The media frenzy is gradually subsiding with just occasional unsubstantiated reports of ‘evidence’ appearing. It is very encouraging that Mr Rebello’s officers will be seemingly reviewing all the material in the inquiry, which will hopefully identify areas for further investigation. Contrary to some other reports Kate and I do accept that Madeleine is ‘probably’ dead. We know it is a possibility, however the fact there is no evidence Madeleine has been seriously harmed gives us ongoing hope that she will be found alive.



Finally, thank you once again to evryone who has written to us or sent messages of support. Calum has been away for a week on holiday and we will be updating the messages of support very soon. We would love to reply to everyone personally but the huge numbers simply make it impossible.





Day 165 - 15/10/2007 Monday No entry

Day 164 - 14/10/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 163 - 13/10/2007 Saturday No entry

Day 162 - 12/10/2007 Friday No entry

Day 161 - 11/10/2007 Thursday No entry



Day 160 - 10/10/2007 -Wednesday

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After a few days of ridiculous newspaper coverage in the UK and Portugal it was heartening to hear of the statement this evening from Mr Ripeiro, the National Director of the Judicial Police in Portugal. He has again emphasised that all lines of the investigation, not only Madeleine’s death, are open and that much of what has been written is pure speculation and in some cases misinformation.



Scientific reports that we drugged our children clearly fall in to the latter category.

In the coming days and weeks we hope that only factual material is reported, allowing everyone to focus on finding Madeleine and who took her.





Day 159 - 09/10/2007 Tuesday No entry

Day 158 - 08/10/2007 Monday No entry

Day 157 - 07/10/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 156 - 06/10/200 Saturday No entry



Day 155 - 05/10/2007 -Friday

CHEQUE

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WRISTBANDS



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ARGUIDO



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It has been a quieter week for Kate and I. We did go into the Leicester Mercury on Wednesday to pick up a cheque for Madeleine’s Fund from donations for green and yellow wristbands. We did our first interview since returning from Portugal to say a huge thank you to everyone, especially here in Leicestershire, for supporting us during these last few dark weeks and months. Click here to read the interview. We have talked a little of life returning to ‘normal’ in Rothley. Several photographers are still in the village but otherwise it has been very quiet.



Kate and I will be going through the judicial process in Portugal to try and clear our name as quickly as possible. Obviously it is encouraging that the prosecutor has stated that all lines of enquiry are open. It is likely that we will be ‘arguidos’ for some time since this status remains until charges are brought or up to 8 months if



no charges are made. The investigation will have a new





coordinator appointed to replace chief inspector Amaral. We are happy to continue cooperating with the Portuguese authorities and in fact as arguidos, we can request that certain investigations are carried out.





Day 154 - 04/10/2007 Thursday No Entry

Day 153 - 03/10/2007 Wednesday No Entry

Day 152 - 02/10/2007 Tuesday No Entry



Day 151 - 01/10/2007 -Monday

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Yesterday marked 150 days since Madeleine was taken. For our family it was just another painful day without our beautiful daughter. The questions we ask are pretty much the same as those we asked in the first few days. Who took her, why did they take her and where is she? Without wanting to be boringly repetitive we believe that someone out there knows something that could answer these questions.



I am still amazed at the irresponsible reporting going on in the press with unsubstantiated reports from unreliable sources being repeated in the UK and Portuguese press unquestioningly. It is simply untrue that the twins think that Madeleine has gone on a ‘little trip’. They clearly miss their big sister and have asked on numerous occasions where is Madeleine?’. Kate I and have told them that we don’t know where she is but lots of people are looking for her and we hope that we will find her. They are not traumatised by her continued absence, simply being too young to comprehend the situation but we are well aware that their insight will change as they continue to develop rapidly.



At the weekend we again had lots of visitors with kids, which was great for Sean and Amelie. After attending mass yesterday morning we had a family lunch and then spent a couple of hours in the garden playing. There are still a few photographers hanging around at the end of our street taking daily pictures of Kate and I. We are



managing to get out and about in the village and we have lots of support from the local community. On Saturday we decided to go for a run but drove nearby and parked the car but we were ‘snapped’ at the end, when I was certainly looking wearier than Kate!

BLOGS 101 to 150

Gerry's Blog/Diary - Days 101 to 150


Day 150 - 30/09/2007 Sunday No Entry

Day 149 - 29/09/2007 Saturday No Entry



Day 148 - 28/09/2007 - Friday

Father Paul Seddon Day 148





Twins slide Garden Day 148





Conkers Day 148



Twins Nursery

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Wallis & Gromit

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It has been another busy week for Kate and I. Sean and Amelie have settled back into nursery, almost as if they have never been away. They are also enjoying playing in their garden especially on the big slide and their latest escapade is collecting conkers! When they are not in the garden, they are desperate to watch ‘Wallace and Gromit’ or build dens in their bedroom- another new activity introduced by a very special friend of theirs!



The amount of supportive mail we have been receiving has been overwhelming and shows no sign of abating. Just as when we were in Portugal, someone reads every single letter or card and your kind words really do help us. Thank you! We have once again been lucky enough to have had friends and family here helping us. Paul Seddon, the priest who married us and baptised Madeleine, also came down for a day this week too. The media presence in Rothley has reduced to a few photographers now and it has been good to get out and about a little bit in the village. We have had tremendous input from the local police who have kept a quiet presence at the end of the road, allowing us to have some privacy around the house. The support and kind words we have received from the local villagers has also helped to make our return that bit easier.



When we hear of potential sightings of Madeleine, Kate and I try not to get too excited otherwise we would be on a continuous emotional roller coaster, more than that which we are experiencing already. Despite the disappointment, it is encouraging that people are still being vigilant and have not stopped looking for Madeleine. This is so incredibly important to us both. The official advice from the authorities if you think you have seen Madeleine, or another missing child, is to call the local police force immediately and supply



any information which might be critical such as a car registration or address.

We are planning a quiet family weekend, catching up with friends and some family who will be coming to visit. We continue to hope and pray that our lovely little girl will be back with us soon.





Day 147 - 27/09/2007 Thursday No entry

Day 146 - 26/09/2007 Wednesday No entry

Day 145 - 25/09/2007 Tuesday No entry



Day 144 - 24/09/2007 - Monday

NOT CHARGED WITH ANY OFFENCE





BUSINESS MAN FINANCIAL SUPPORT

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Clarence Mitchell



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It is just over 2 weeks since we returned home from Portugal. The major news in that time is that we have not been charged with any offences regarding Madeleine’s disappearance. It is encouraging that the prosecutor has stated that all lines of enquiry remain open and we have not given up hope of finding Madeleine alive. It is good to see at least some attention re-focussing on finding Madeleine.



Sean and Amelie have settled back in at home very well but they do miss their older sister and we talk about her every day. For Kate and I it has been incredibly difficult to come home without Madeleine but particularly in such circumstances. Our family and friends have rallied round again as they have throughout this entire nightmare and they have also helped keep on top of the huge amount of mail from well wishers. At times our kitchen has looked like a sorting office! We would like to thank everyone for their support. It helps us keep sight of the fact that the great majority of people in this world are good.



Kate and I have been very busy with our legal advisers as we want to be eliminated from the inquiry as soon as possible and start concentrating wholeheartedly again on the search for our daughter. We are very confident this will happen when all the facts are presented together. We are very grateful and thankful to have several businessmen who have pledged financial support to cover legal costs and we were delighted Clarence Mitchell agreed to help us as an official spokesman. It is scary and daunting to imagine how we could have managed to deal with these latter ‘developments’ without such offers of support and commitment. Clarence will try and minimise the impact of the huge media interest in Madeleine’s disappearance on us, as we try and return slowly towards as normal a life as is possible. Although we will NEVER give up on Madeleine, we have to find the right balance for



Sean and Amelie so they too do not



suffer unnecessarily.

In the meantime we will continue to cooperate fully with the Portuguese authorities. I will update the blog periodically especially if there is any major development.





Day 143 - 23/09/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 142 - 22/09/2007 Saturday No entry

Day 141 - 21/09/2007 Friday No entry

Day 140 - 20/09/2007 Thursday No entry

Day 139 - 19/09/2007 Wednesday No entry

Day 138 - 18/09/2007 Tuesday No entry

Day 137 - 17/09/2007 Monday No entry



Day 136 - 16/09/2007 - Sunday

Tumultuous week



Cards, letters, flowers, gifts and messages



Pray local church



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Sorry for not updating the blog for such a long time but obviously we have been incredibly busy during this last tumultuous week. The entries will probably be every few days or if there is a major development in the future.



Thank you for all the cards, letters, flowers, gifts and messages of support. It means so much to us to know that so many people have not been deceived by rumour, innuendo and wild speculation. Most importantly the search for Madeleine carries on and our family have



not given up hope of finding her. Live in Rothley is still a long way off normal with



the large media presence but it is beginning to settle down somewhat. We all managed to go to mass today and it was comforting to pray for Madeleine with friends and family in our local church.





Day 135 - 15/09/2007 Saturday

Statement from the Find Madeleine Fund

15 September 2007 - Saturday

Director John McCann, said:







“On behalf of the extended McCann family and the Madeleine Fund, I would like to say how grateful we are for people's generosity and support.







The main objective of the Madeleine Fund is to leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine.







To that end I would like to announce that the Fund will finance a broad range of initiatives in advertising to remind everyone that Madeleine is still missing. These adverts will focus on Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe and will consist of billboards and other media. This financing of advertisements will complement previous efforts by the Fund and many motivated individuals – family, friends and people touched by our cause.







I hope that the general public will continue to support us in this.







It is so important that we remember: "don't you forget about me"- our lovely wee Madeleine.”





Day 134 - 14/09/2007 Friday No entry

Day 133 - 13/09/2007 Thursday No entry



Day 132 - 12/09/2007 Wednesday

Statement by the Board of Madeleine’s Fund:

Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited

12 September 2007 -



The Fund would like to thank everyone for their kindness, support and generosity.



Madeleine’s Fund was set up to:



Find Madeleine;



Support the Family; and



Bring the abductor or abductors to justice



and subject to that to help other missing children





With the sudden dramatic and unexpected turn of events at the weekend the directors had to consider whether legal defence costs could be paid for by the Fund.





The Board has taken advice from Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP and Christopher McCall QC. The Board has been advised that payment of Gerry and Kate’s legal defence costs would be legally permissible subject to conditions about repayment in the event of a guilty conviction.





The directors of the Fund discussed this today. The two family directors, Brian Kennedy and John McCann withdrew from the meeting when the decision was made. Esther Mcvey chaired the meeting.





The Fund directors realise that there is not only a legal answer and recognise the spirit which underlies the generous donations to Madeleine’s Fund, which it

is the directors’ responsibility to steer.





For this reason the Fund directors have decided not to pay for Gerry and Kate’s legal defence costs. We stress that Gerry and Kate have not asked for these costs to be paid. However, people have already called in offering their financial support. Any such fund to pay legal defence costs would have to be separately set up and administered.





At the heart of this campaign and Fund is a little girl confused, lonely and in need of her parents. This Fund’s money will be focused on finding that little girl and leaving no stone unturned.



12 September 2007





Day 131 - 11/09/2007 Tuesday No entry



Day 130 - 10/09/2007 - Monday

ARGUIDO



Day 130





AIRPORT HOME

DAY 130





COOPERATE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES







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The last few days have been incredibly busy and of course, unbelievably stressful and emotionally draining.



On Friday Kate and I were made ‘arguido’- official suspects in Madeleines disappearance. We cannot comment on any details of the investigation, interviews or any evidence that has been presented to us. We could never possibly have imagined being put in this unbearable situation. No specific charges have been presented at this point and there has been no restriction on our movements imposed.



Despite the anguish and extreme distress this has caused all of our family, long term no one will be able to doubt how intensely Kate and I have been scrutinised. We have absolute confidence that, when all of the facts are presented together, we will be able to demonstrate that we played absolutely no part in Madeleines abduction. Our primary concern has always been the search for Madeleine and this aspect, that our daughter is still missing, must remain a priority for the investigation.



On Saturday we asked the Portuguese police if they had any objection to us coming back to the UK. We had assured them that we will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation and of course will return as requested and for our own emotional reasons. We decided to fly back on Sunday as we had originally planned and all of our family spent the rest of the evening helping us to pack.



On Sunday we left for the airport at 7am with huge media attention. Camera crews followed us all the way to the airport, and the whole experience, like much of the last four months was incredibly surreal. The flight itself went quickly with Sean and Amelie constantly active and excited about returning to Leicestershire. We always hoped that we would not have to return without Madeleine and could never have imagined the possibility that we would do so as suspects in our own daughters disappearance. The pain and turmoil we have experienced in this last week is totally beyond description. Kate and I are totally 100% confident in each others innocence and our family and friends have rallied round unflinchingly to support us. We would like to thank everyone else for the support we have received since we came home.



We have had very mixed emotions since coming back to our own home. It is very comforting to have such familiar surroundings and our own belongings and the twins have settled straight back in as if they have never been away. We have had



numerous visitors with friends and those in official



capacities. We have appointed solicitors to advise us and assist our Portuguese lawyer in preparing our defence against any possible charges. The sooner this is done the sooner we can concentrate fully on trying to find Madeleine, which is the most important thing through this unending nightmare.





Day 129 - 09/09/2007 Sunday No entry

Day 128 - 08/09/2007 Saturday No entry

Day 127 - 07/09/2007 Friday No entry



Day 126 - 06/09/2007 Thursday

POLICE INTERVIEW

DAY 126





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Everyone will know that Kate attended for interview as a witness with the Portuguese police today. This is only the second time Kate has been interviewed and although it was a long day, going on past midnight, this was shorter than my second interview which lasted



13 hours! The suggestion that Kate is involved in Madeleines disappearance is ludicrous. Anyone who knows anything about the 3rd May knows that Kate is completely innocent. We will fight this all the way and we will not stop looking for Madeleine.





Day 125 - 05/09/2007 - Wednesday

PADDLE POOL



CARDS WELL WISHERS



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We were surprised to find increased media presence in Praia da Luz again today. We were followed down to church, then to the shops and back to our accommodation which is very unusual, apart from the build up to the 100 days. All the excitement seems to be over the results of the recent forensic tests that again have created a huge amount of speculation. There has been no official conformation that the report has been received, or what the tests suggest if anything!



Kate and I went for a run along the coast at lunchtime. It was pretty windy but still warm enough. Later in the afternoon we went to visit a friend of Kate’s who is on holiday in a nearby village with her family. They brought lots of cards from well-wishers at home



and we talked a lot about the search for Madeleine. The twins had a great time splashing around in a little inflatable paddle pool, singing songs and being doted on by the older kids.





Day 124 - 04/09/2007 - Tuesday

INTERVIEW FRENCH PUBLICATION



BANANA SPLIT WITH CHILD FRIENDLY TOPPING







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Kate and I did our first interview for a French Publication today. Any interviews we do now, of which we only accept a small percentage of bids, focus on the issues that we have faced since Madeleine’s abduction. The French have recently adopted a child alert system with some early success stories. With increasing travel and movement of workers in the European Union, it is also important we standardise the way serious crimes are tackled.

This evening we were invited to a friend’s house with the children



for dinner.

The twins had a good time with the other kids in the paddling pool and especially enjoyed the banana splits with extra child friendly toppings!





Day 123 - 03/09/2007 - Monday

MINCE & TATTIES

Day123





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After dropping the twins off Kate and I popped into church for 10 minutes to pray for Madeleine. Spent most of the day going through

mail, e-mails and I had a number of calls to make. It was good to



spend some time with my family and Sean and Amelie certainly enjoyed their auntie’s dinner- sometimes it is hard to beat mince and ‘tatties’!





Day 122 - 02/09/2007 - Sunday

TRISH CAMERON







EILEEN MCCANN





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Another relatively quiet family day.My mum and sister arrived this morning after we had been to church. This afternoon we took the kids to a friend’s house with a pool. Kate and I went for a short run and then we all had a swim and a couple of treats brought all the way from Glasgow!.





Several people have been asking about whether they should still be putting up posters of Madeleine since I have said the campaign will be having a lower media profile- especially of Kate and I. The advice of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is that high visibility of the missing child through posters, car stickers etc increases the chances of finding that child.

Kate and I therefore would encourage you to continue taking posters on holiday and ask permission to have them displayed in supermarkets, post offices and shops.





Day 121 - 01/09/2007 -Saturday

ZOO



PRAY





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Today was a very quiet family day with just the four of us. Kate’s family left first thing this morning. We took Sean and Amelie to a local zoo that they really enjoyed. I managed to get the blog written early so it is off to bed for an early night.



In Rothley, our home village, there was a meeting this afternoon with the four churches all contributing prayers for Madeleine.



We would like to thank everyone who is praying for Madeleine and all those who have sent us messages of support- you do help to maintain our strength and focus.





Day 120 - 31/08/2007 - Friday

DEFAMATION WRIT



Day 120





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Those of who you that read the blog regularly know how difficult it has been for us not to respond to many of the slurs against our behaviour leading up to Madeleines disappearance. We have consistently stated that we will not put new information into the public domain that might jeopardise the investigation and in fact, we are constrained by Portuguese Law as witnesses from doing so.



There has been some wild speculation reported in the press about what may have happened to Madeleine. Most of the innuendo regarding Kate and me has died down in light of the statements from the official Portuguese Police spokesperson. However last Friday, a Portuguese newspaper published a front-page headline ‘PJ believes that the parents killed Maddie’. We firmly believe that the report was speculative, defamatory and published despite official statements to the contrary.



As well as damaging our personal and professional reputations, such allegations smear the investigation, the campaign to find Madeleine and cause great offence and anxiety to all our family. This is why, after careful consideration, we have issued a writ against the newspaper for defamation. Our focus has, and always will

be, on doing our best to help find Madeleine. This lurid allegation is so serious and wide of the mark that we feel it cannot go unchallenged.



The legal expenses for the proceedings will not be paid from Madeleines fund.





Day 119 - 30/08/2007 - Thursday

RUNNING UP STEEP HILL







SCHOOL







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Kate and I managed an early morning run, finishing by running up the steep hill. It got a difficult day for us off to a good start.



Madeleine was due to start school today. It has been hard not to imagine how excited she would have been and how she would have looked in her school uniform. Kate and I would like to thank the pupils, parents, teachers and headmistress for their continued



support and prayers. We would like to wish all the new pupils much happiness and we hope pray that Madeleine will be able to join her fellow classmates soon.





Day 118 - 29/08/2007 - Wednesday

COMPUTER BLOG





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Relatively quiet day. Kate and I did one interview in the morning for a newspaper- that I managed to finish, probably because the journalist stuck to questions that I am allowed to give answers to!









This afternoon and evening was mostly spent at my computer and a couple of hours with the kids. Their constant chatter with each other is quite entertaining.





DAY 117- 28/08/2007 - Tuesday

PLACE OF SAFETY

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We, like everyone else, await the results of the forensics from the recent searches. We do not know who has taken Madeleine or why. Sometimes people do things for reasons that even they cannot understand. An act of madness, an accident or sudden impulse can lead to consequences that people may never have imagined or intended. Faced with such a situation we believe any human soul will ultimately suffer torment and feelings of guilt and fear.



If you have done something you regret, if you find yourself in a situation you never

intended, it is not too late to do the right thing. Please come forward, return Madeleine, leave her in a place of safety. At the very least, help us by letting us know what has happened to our beautiful little girl.





Day 116 - 27/08/2007 - Monday

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No major news to report. Most of my day was spent on e-mails and telephone calls.

Kate I went for a run together in the early evening along the

waterfront and then we popped into church for 10 minutes to pray for Madeleine. We had dinner with Kates family who are over here just now. Sean and Amelie are particularly enjoying having some older kids around.





Day 115 - 26/08/2007 - Sunday

Father Jose Pacheco



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I attended mass this morning but Kate did not go as she went to the English speaking service last night. It was good to see the local

parish priest,



father Jose back after a couple of weeks on retreat.

This afternoon was spent with the twins who remain very happy and help Kate and me keep looking forward.





Day 114 - 25/08/2007 - Saturday

CHAIN EMAILS



Day 114







EDINBURGH

HOME





KIRSTY WARK

Day 114







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Kirsty Wark interviewed me at the Edinburgh International TV festival this morning. It was very well attended, especially considering the 9.30 start on a Saturday morning. It is difficult to explain why Madeleines disappearance has generated so much media coverage and why it has been so sustained. I am certain that the coverage would not have been nearly as great if this had happened 10 years ago. The use of mobile phones, the internet, low-cost airlines and 24 hour news channels have changed the world we live in- making it seem smaller. No doubt Madeleines physical appearance also captured the publics imagination as well as the highly unusual circumstances of a foreign child being abducted on holiday.



Our family decided to try and make as many people as possible aware that Madeleine was missing quickly. Family members did frequent TV interviews and friends distributed images of Madeline to news outlets. My sister started the electronic campaign proper by sending a chain e-mail with a poster of Madeleine, which was quickly advertised by Sky and downloaded by thousands of people. Celebrities, sporting stars and ordinary people wanted to help, almost certainly because they felt the same feeling of helplessness that we did. After the first few weeks we fully expected the media attention to die down but this has just not happened.



Some sections of the media now question their roles in the coverage of the news story that is Madeleine. Kate and I quickly realised that much of the coverage was pure speculation, which was often negative and certainly unhelpful for us. We decided to rely on information only from official sources and this has certainly helped us remain on a fairly even keel despite some of the lurid headlines.



I left Edinburgh early afternoon but spent most of the day travelling as I had to fly back to Portugal via Luton. I managed to get some work done and write my blog on the way back. It was great to see Kate and the kids again after 2 days.





Day 113 - 24/08/2007 - Friday

AEROBICS



Day 113







EDINBURGH

GO





MAKING DVD

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I started the day early with a pooled telephone interview for the press to talk about the media coverage of the campaign to find Madeleine in advance of my interview at the Edinburgh International TV festival. We touched on the coverage of the investigation and of course the wild speculation and innuendo being reported in some quarters. Although Kate, our friends and myself would love to correct much of the inaccuracy we will not divulge information publicly which might help the perpetrator of Madeleines abduction cover his tracks.



Travelled to Edinburgh this afternoon and managed to keep up the aerobic exercise with 25 minutes in the gym. I then met up with one of our friends who has



been instrumental in distributing images of Madeleine and who produced the DVD of her to ‘Don’t you forget about me’. We had a bite to eat and took the chance to update each other on what has



been happening in the last few weeks.



Off to bed for an early night after speaking to Kate, who has some family staying with her in Portugal whilst I am in the UK.





Day 112 - 23/08/2007 - Thursday

Rhys Jones

Day 112







NCMEC





PACT



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Another early morning start but this time for a series of radio interviews to discuss the survey of MP’s and MEP’s. The survey shows overwhelming support for the introduction of a Europe wide sex offenders register. There is also support to implement a child rescue alert, using local media to inform the community when a child has been abducted and felt to be at serious risk.



There have also been calls for changes in the way child abduction cases are handled in Europe to provide the best expertise available, quickly to the investigating police force. We are uncertain if these measures were in place if it would have made any difference to us finding Madeleine. Kate and I do hope that future changes in legislation and practice will help prevent cases of child abduction and also increase the chances of successfully finding missing children in such circumstances.



Although very serious cases like Madeleine’s (stereotypical kidnapping) are rare, it is very difficult to determine the scale of the problem, as there is no consistency in data collection across Europe. We agree with two leading British Charities (PACT and missing persons) that such data have to be collected with greater accuracy so that the frequency of serious crimes against children can be reliably documented- ideally such data should be available across the EU. Europe is probably 25 years behind the USA in such regard. Change has been driven by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and by families who have suffered high profile child abductions.



Travelled back to the UK tonight to attend to a few personal matters before



heading to Edinburgh. I have just heard about the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool. This murder is such a tragic waste of a young life and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Rhys family.





Day 111 - 22/08/2007 - Wednesday

DRIVE TO AIRPORT







TOUCH WITH VERY NICE MUM





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I had another early morning drive to the airport- I could almost do it with my eyes shut. After dropping the kids off we had some photos taken with the results of a survey of UK and European parliament MP’s. The survey results, commissioned by the find Madeleine campaign, will be published tomorrow and demonstrate strong support for changes in European legislation following Madeleine’s abduction.

Kate is keen to get in touch with a very nice mum, who she spoke

with at the toddler pool in the Ocean Club on Sunday 3rd June. She is sure you will remember the conversation and Kate would be grateful if you could get in touch at with her

at campaign@findmadeleine.com





Day 110 - 21/08/2007 - Tuesday

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We did manage our early morning run today although not quite to the top of the hill due to time limitation. After dropping the twins off at the kids club we did interviews for the 3 biggest selling Spanish newspapers. The message was that we still believe there is a reasonable chance Madeleine is still alive and we are still looking for her.



We were also asked about what is being written about the investigation and pointed out how much of this is pure speculation. We directed them to the official Portuguese police statements that are very sober in comparison. A statement was released this evening through the Portuguese news agency LUSA. This is the translation of what was reported on Portuguese TV station SIC:





The news that points to the existence of an English suspect, close to the couple,

connected to the disappearance of Madeleine on the 3rd May in the Algarve, “does not come” from the PJ and has no “logic whatsoever”, according to what the inspector OlegĂ¡rio Sousa told Lusa.





Day 109 - 20/08/2007 - Monday

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I had a predominately quiet but productive day. I spent most of it at the computer or on the phone. We keep in regular touch with both the Portuguese and British police but there has been no major

news in the last couple of days.



We did not do any exercise today but plan to run tomorrow morning- especially as I am off to bed for an early night!





Day 108 - 19/08/2007 - Sunday

FUND







AEROBICS







NO STONE UNTURNED





RUNNING



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I went to the airport this morning to pick up one of Kates friends who has come out to help for a few days. Kate went to church this morning as usual. We spent a couple of hours reading mail and answering e-mails.



Donations to Madeleines fund have topped £1million pounds. We would like to thank everyone who has donated to the fund and we will ensure that no stone is left unturned in the search for Madeleine. I will also ensure that the donations figure on the website is officially updated! The establishment of the fund, which was created in response to so many people offering financial assistance, lifted a huge weight off our shoulders. Madeleines fund allows us to make decisions regarding our search for Madeleine for the right reasons- with the boards approval of course- and not out of financial necessity. We did hope that the main objective of the fund would have been fulfilled long before now.



Tonight Kate and I went for a run together. It was the first time I

have been for 10 days and I definitely feel better for it. I have made a mental note to get some form of aerobic exercise in at least 2-3 times per week as it does help me both physically and mentally.





Day 107 - 18/08/2007 -Saturday

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Kate took our friends to the airport early this morning. Otherwise it was a quiet family day. We have met some incredibly lovely people in the last few months. Today we caught up with a fantastic couple that met in London and lived there for 35 years before retiring to the Algarve. They have been incredibly kind to us and the twins very much enjoyed the apple cake we had with them.



This afternoon we had a British visitor ho came to offer us a different type of

support. He has been through an ordeal similar to ours involving one of his family. It was good to talk about our emotions, the pressures and different coping strategies that we use in an ongoing trauma, with someone who has experienced a tragic event like ours.





Day 106- 17/08/2007 - Friday

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Relatively quiet day. We are looking at what other avenues we ca explore which might help us find Madeleine. Obviously we are desperate for a breakthrough in the investigation and we always try to look forward and ask what can still be done? The official PJ Spokesman Olegario da Sousa did an interview for Portuguese TV the other day and we will add the text of this interview to the news links so everyone can read the full interview.



I still have lots of e-mails and phone calls to answer every day. We spent quite a bit of time opening and reading all the mail that arrived which generally encourage us to keep going and not give up hope.



Late afternoon we took the twins to the beach for a couple of hours. The weather has become warmer again but the kids are still reluctant to get into the sea, which is pretty cold. They love playing in the sand and like most kids, building sandcastles but especially knocking them down.



This evening we had another vigil for Madeleine and other lost children. The priest



who married us and is a good friend led the service that was conducted in English and Portuguese. The church was almost full but there was a calm serenity and sense of peace, which I find, helps me achieve an inner calm despite the turmoil in lives.





Day 105 - 16/08/2007 - Thursday

PHOTOS OF

OPENING MAIL







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As well as the huge number of messages of support we have had a large increase in letters of support. We did some photos of us opening the mail and we received some lovely messages and a few symbols of hope. Afterwards I made a lot of phone calls and managed to catch up with all my e-mails.



Late afternoon we were invited round to a friends house with a pool which the kids and I really enjoyed. We stayed for dinner and the kids fell asleep on the way back to our house. Our accommodation is a very modest family home and, most definitely, not a luxury villa, as was reported in one of the Portuguese newspapers yesterday.



I can confirm that it does not have a swimming pool, 2 storeys and in fact was amongst the cheapest accommodation available, at short notice, in Luz in August. I would also like to point out that Madeleines fund has not paid for any of our accommodation in Portugal.





Day 104 - 15/08/2007 - Wednesday

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It is the feast of the assumption today, which is a holiday in Portugal. This morning



we attended mass, which was very busy and again



many of the local community asked after Madeleine and said the word ‘force’, meaning strength.

This afternoon Kate and I did a combined interview for the Liverpool Post and the Leicester Mercury this afternoon. We said a big thank you to their readers for all their support and good wishes.





Day 103 - 14/08/2007 - Tuesday

LONG SLEEVED TOP



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Relatively quiet day. This allowed me to catch up with e-mails,

phone calls and some administration.



No major news on any front.

The weather has been unseasonably cool over the last 2-3 days. I have had a long sleeved top on for the first time in over 2 months and it is more pleasant overnight, making sleep easier.





Day 102 - 13/08/2007 - Monday

ICMEC





YOU TUBE





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Praia da Luz is slowly returning to normal. The number of TV crews has reduced dramatically and we have been able to get back to more of our normal routine here. There is still a large media presence particularly of print journalists who are waiting, like everyone else, for the next development in the police investigation. We are still optimistic that there will be a breakthrough. In the meantime however, little has changed for Kate and I. We will not give up hope until Madeleine is found and we will not stop searching for her.



The campaign, as planned, will enter a quieter phase again. We have always envisaged that media attention focussed on Madeleine and us would quieten down and just occasionally we would try to remind people that Madeleine is still missing and that we are still looking. There cannot be many people who do not know these facts after the events of this last week. As well as the find Madeleine campaign we will be working closely with ICMEC and it is heartening to see

so many visitors to the YouTube don’t you forget about me channel for

missing children.

Kate and I would also like to thank the thousands of people who have sent us messages of support over the last few days. It really does help and we know that you will keep looking for Madeleine.





Day 101- 12/08/2007 - Sunday

CUDDLE CAT



Day 101







John McCann



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My brother and his family left early this morning. It was great having them here for a few days, particularly for the twins to be able to play with their ‘big’ cousins. They also were a great help to us especially during these very busy last few days.



We went to mass this morning, which was extremely busy with all the holidaymakers who are here. There was also a lot of media outside but the village is starting to return to normal again after the events of last week leading up to the 100 days since Madeleine disappeared.

A couple of other friends and their daughter have come out to stay with us this week, which really helps. We had a fairly quiet afternoon, spent with the kids who remain very happy. They speak about their big sister frequently and seem to want to look after cuddle cat as much as mummy!

McCanns Blogs 51 to 100

Gerry's Blog/Diary - Days 51 to 100




Day 100 - 11/08/2007 - Saturday

Rev

Haynes Hubbard



Day 100







ICE CREAM



Day 100







CANDLES



Day 100







Just another day but a significant milestone that we

Day100.



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prayed we would never have to face without Madeleine. The prayer service here in Praia da Luz had a huge media presence, but in no way being intrusive, all aligned outside. The service itself was fantastically well attended with a huge turnout from the local community, which was very important to us.



The service was very comforting. There were contributions from Kate and myself, our family, the Anglican and Portuguese communities. Haynes, the Anglican minister, said a few poignant words about the events of this week, which were very touching. We said prayers for Madeleine and other children who are suffering. Everyone in the congregation lit candles, which were placed on the altar. The message from the service was that although 100 days have passed we have not given up hope of finding Madeleine.



In the afternoon we went to a local swimming pool and play area with the kids and their cousins. They had a great time swimming, playing with tennis balls and generally messing around. Needless to say they also managed an ice cream! It has been really good for the twins having other children here, especially since they have not been to the kids club for a few days.



We spoke to our family about the events in Glasgow and Liverpool. There was warm response at both venues and clearly many people are very happy to show support. Unfortunately we did not see any of the coverage on television. We did see highlights of the English premier league last night and note many of the clubs chose to wear Madeleine t-shirts and wristbands as well as playing the Don’t You Forget About Me video. There was also events at the rugby internationals and Ascot racecourse with 12 international jockeys wearing Madeleine t-shirts. The fact that so many people are prepared to show solidarity with us in our search for our daughter does help restore our faith in humanity.



There was a statement from the Portuguese police today regarding the recent



activity in the investigation and media speculation. They confirmed that there are new leads and that we are not suspects in Madeleines disappearance.

Other tests are outstanding and Kate and I do hope that these take us forward in finding out who took Madeleine and where she is. Unfortunately we have to add patience to our other characteristics.





Day 99 10/08/2007 - Friday

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Today Kate and I did a series of TV interviews for Portuguese and foreign TV. It has always been very important to us that we speak to the Portuguese people directly since we are in their country and have received such tremendous support, particularly from the local community. We again talked about the YouTube channel Don’t You Forget Me which was launched yesterday. Naturally we were also asked about the events of this week, which has been incredibly difficult for us with wild speculation in the media. We have always been told that the police had an open mind about Madeleines abduction and that all scenarios were possible.



In the first few days after Madeleines disappearance it was so difficult for us not to imagine the worst case scenario: that she had been taken and murdered, particularly in light of the statistics on child abduction. However as the massive investigation and extensive search did not find any evidence of serious harm to Madeleine, we started to hope that she would be found alive. This belief has been encouraged by the police and reinforced by the experts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on my recent visit to Washington. There have been a number of children recovered, even after years of abduction, and whom the authorities had thought must be dead.



Everything we have done in the last 99 days in the campaign to help find Madeleine has been driven by fact that all our family and friends feel that there is a reasonable chance Madeleine is still alive. Kate and I, like all parents of missing children will always have that hope unless we see concrete evidence to the contrary. It is this hope that has sustained us along with the overwhelming support we have received from family, friends and well-wishers. As parents, we have always said we need to know what has happened to our daughter who has been such a massive part of our life. If the current police activity does uncover new evidence that Madeleine has been seriously harmed we should be the first to know.



We have always felt that the best chance of finding Madeleine is through the police investigation. We have done our best to get relevant information in to the enquiry, particularly from tourists who were in the Algarve around the time of her abduction. The fact that Madeleine could have been moved out of Portugal easily in the first few hours has been the reason the campaign has had to have an international dimension. One in six missing children in North America are found as a direct result of high awareness through distribution of posters and media exposure.



Tonight we attended the weekly vigil to pray for Madeleine and other missing



children. These services have a calm serenity, which allow us to contemplate quietly. There was also a vigil in Rothley attended by family and friends. Tomorrow we will be marking the 100 day very quietly with a prayer service in Praia da Luz. Other family will be at the world pipe band chamionships in Glasgow and on the streets in Liverpool. A number of sporting events will also be marking the day.





Day 98 - 09/08/2007 - Thursday



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We did a series of pooled interviews for TV and the press. The focus was to discuss the launch of the YouTube channel Don’t you forget about me which we have devised in conjunction with Google and the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. YouTube is used by tens of millions of people mainly in the 16-24 age group. We think this is an incredibly exciting innovation to raise awareness of missing children. The channel is launched at lunchtime today and will have other videos of missing children. Families and other agencies will be able to upload videos of children that will help to raise awareness of their disappearance.



The rest of the interviews focussed on the events of the last week. We again emphasised that we do not know of any evidence that Madeleine has been seriously harmed and everything we have done is in the belief it is likely to increase the chances of finding her. Unfortunately the media attention has been very intrusive and we have taken the children out of kids club due to the disruption caused. We



hope this settles down and the kids can get back into their routine which has kept them very settled in the last 98 days. It is a shame that the media attention has also impacted on other holidaymakers which we certainly dont want.



We did manage to have a quiet dinner with our family and the kids.





Day 97 - 08/08/2007 - Wednesday

Brian &

Susan Healy

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Kates parents left early this morning. We did a short interview on how our faith has helped us during the last 3 months since Madeleines abduction. Given the events of the last few days we need to draw even greater strength from our faith and everyone who has supported us.



With the huge amount of media attention on us again it is very difficult to do anything with the kids without them being filmed and it is unfair on them. There is a huge amount of speculation in the media that Madeleine is dead,

particularly with the obvious change in strategy of the investigation recently. At our meeting with the Portuguese police today we reaffirmed that we have to believe Madeleine is alive until there is concrete evidence to the contrary.

It is this belief that has driven everything we have done in relation to publicising Madeleines disappearance over the last 3 months.





Day 96 - 07/08/2007 - Tuesday

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Kate and I managed an early morning run today. It was pleasantly cooler, with a refreshing breeze, which made a nice change. The media presence in Praia da Luz is at its greatest since the first couple of weeks, as is the amount of speculation and rumour regarding the investigation.



This morning we agreed to do a short, pooled interview that was made available to all broadcasters worldwide. We wanted to make it clear, that as far as we know, there is still absolutely no evidence that Madeleine has been seriously harmed and Kate and I have to believe she is still alive. The Portuguese police have assured us on numerous occasions that they are looking for Madeleine and not a corpse. Of course all possibilities are being considered and the police have to be certain before eliminating any of the scenarios. It is absolutely right that we are subject to the same high standards of investigation as anyone else. Kate and I have, and will continue to assist the police in every possible way.

We hope there is a breakthrough in the investigation very soon. In the meantime

the campaign to keep the public involved in the



search for Madeleine continues. We are always trying to think of ideas that will reach people who may not have heard of Madeleines disappearance. I spent a couple of hours this afternoon working on forthcoming events but did manage to squeeze in a much-needed haircut!





Day 95 - 06/08/2007 - Monday

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Today was again very busy. Lots of e-mails and telephone calls to family and friends who have been involved in the campaign to find Madeleine. I went to a large office store in Portimao to buy a new printer and ink, both of which were badly needed after all the

posters we produced this last week.



There has been lots of media attention on the latest police searches.



We are pleased that the investigation remains so active and we are cooperating fully with the Portuguese and British police, as we have done since day 1. We continue to hope and pray daily for that vital breakthrough or sighting that will lets us be reunited as a family.





Day 94 - 05/08/2007 - Sunday

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We attended church this morning as usual. The local priest father Manuel is on holiday so the mass was all in Portuguese and although quicker than normal we did not understand too much of the sermon.



I note there was a lot of coverage of Kates interview in the Sunday newspapers today. I managed to read one of them and certainly seemd to sum up very well how we are feeling and coping without Madeleine. The key message is that we are doing everything we can to help find Madeleine.



After lunch we had a meeting with our campaign manager and Kates family to run through a few things which will be happening this week. There was going to be a lot of media here leading up to the 100 days although we still hope we will not get to that marker, even before this latest search by the Portuguese police.



Kate and I popped back down to the church later on tonight to say a few quiet prayers for Madeleine. The town is much busier at night than when we first came here on holiday and ieven compared to a few weeks ago.



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Day 94 - 05/08/2007

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We attended church this morning as usual. The local priest father Manuel is on holiday so the mass was all in Portuguese and although quicker than normal we did not understand too much of the sermon.



I note there was a lot of coverage of Kates interview in the Sunday newspapers today. I managed to read one of them and certainly seemd to sum up very well how we are feeling and coping without Madeleine. The key message is that we are doing everything we can to help find Madeleine.



After lunch we had a metting with our campaign manager and Kates family to run through a few things which will be happening rhis week. There was going to be a lot of media here leading up to the 100 days although we still hope we will not get to that marker, even before this latest search by the Portuguese police.



Kate and I popped back down to the church later on tonight to say a few quiet prayers for Madeleine.



The town is much busier at tnight than when we first came here on holiday and ieven compared to a few weeks ago.

Computer glitches now sorted out thanks to Calum at infohost.





Day 93 - 04/08/2007 - Saturday

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Another early start to the day as I dropped the crew who did some filming for the website and other forthcoming events. Kate and I did a short interview reviewing the last 3 months and the search for Madeleine. We spent the rest of the day with the kids and Kate’s family. We were all glad it clouded over in the afternoon to give us some respite from the intense heat.



The most recent searches by the police have attracted a lot of renewed media interest with satellite trucks arriving back in Praia da Luz. It is likely that some of the British Broadcasters will also come back out.

We were all very tired and we managed to get off to bed at 10.30pm, which is very early for us by recent standards



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Another early start to the day as I dropped the crew who did some filming for the website and other forthcoming events. Kate and I did a short interview reviewing the last 3 months and the search for Madeleine. We spent the rest of the day with the kids and Kate's family. We were all glad it clouded over in the afternoon to give us some respite from the intense heat.





The most recent searches by the police have attracted a lot of renewed media interest with satellite trucks arriving back in Praia da Luz. It is likely that some of the British Broadcasters will also come back out.

We werre all very tired and we managed to get off to bed at 10.30pm, which is very early for us by recent standards.





Day 92 - 03/08/2007 - Friday

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It is exactly 3 months since Madeleine was abducted. Kate and I had an early start as we drove to Huelva, 50Km over the border from Portugal in Southern Spain. We were meant to go yesterday but had to cancel because I was ill.



Unfortunately it was a public holiday in Huelva and the large shopping centre we planned to visit was closed. We did distribute posters in several garages, taxi ranks and the bus and train stations and gave out some Madeleine wristbands. This was definitely a worthwhile exercise, as many people did not seemingly recognise Madeleine but we did get a very warm response from the Spanish people we met. We would encourage everyone to continue taking posters on holiday but please ask permission before putting them up in public places.



When we arrived back in Praia da Luz we did a couple of media interviews to building up to August 11th, which will mark 100 days if Madeleine is still missing.

There will be a lot of media activity next week reviewing Madeleine's abduction, the investigation and of course the campaign to help find her.

It is an opportunity to highlight that we have not given up hope and are still



optimistic of being reunited with Madeleine.



Tonight we prayed for Madeleine at a vigil in the church. This has happened every Friday since Madeleines abduction and was very well attended tonight, probably due to the greater number of tourists in the resort





Day 91 - 02/08/2007 - Thursday

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Today was a bit of a write off for me as I was laid low with a probable viral illness which meant I could not stray too far from the house! I did manage to get through some e-mails, telephone calls and some paperwork. Feeling a bit better tonight so hopefully be back to normal tomorrow. Kate did manage to put up some of the new Madeleine posters in shops around Praia da Luz.. It is noticably busier, now that we are in August, with lots of tourists many of whom are from Portugal.

The figures from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children show that one in six kids are recovered after being recognised from a poster.

Such statistics do encourage us that relatively simple measures may be effective in helping us find Madeleine.





Day 90 - 01/08/2007 - Wednesday

Brian & Susan Healy



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Another trip to the airport this morning to pick up our campaign manager. Kate did a series of interviews for womens magazines and the Sunday newspapers which took most of the afternoon. Kates

parents, who we visit regularly at home, also arrived and the twins



were very happy to see them. They will be staying with us for a week.



We have had some new posters designed of Madeleine, in Portuguese and Spanish, which I have been printing out to distribute locally.





I also did some filming to camera which we might use on the website and for future events.





Day 89 - 31/07/2007 - Tuesday

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Relatively quiet day apart from phone calls and campaign related e-mails.





We have Busy couple of days coming up so off to bed relatively early (before midnight)!





Day 88 - 30/07/2007 - Monday

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We had a routine meeting today with the Portuguese police. Kate and I are confident that every avenue is being explored and the vital piece of information that leads to Madeleine is only a phone call away.



This is the last time we will have met the Consul General in a professional capacity,

as he retires tomorrow and will be returning to the UK. Bill has provided us with consular support since day 1 and, naturally, he got to know us very well during the last 3 months. He has said that Madeleines abduction is the most tragic circumstance he has had to deal with. Without doubt Bill has given us excellent support and we wish him and his wife a very happy retirement





Day 87 - 29/07/2007 - Sunday

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Dropped Trisha and Sandy off at the airport this morning for an emotional farewell. They have offered us the most unbelievable support and I am not sure how we would have functioned without

them here. They have been the silent face of the campaign to find Madeleine, putting their lives on hold to help us get through each difficult day. From time to time we will have other friends and family coming to Portugal to see the kids and catch up with Kate and I.





Day 86 28/07/2007 - Saturday

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Quiet family day, as is often the case of a Saturday. It has become

blisteringly hot here over the last few days and we decided to take the kids down to the beach early morning. Even then it was hot and there was almost no breeze although the water is still very cold. Met a very nice Portuguese couple who offered us good wishes in trying to find Madeleine.





Day 85 - 27/07/2007 - Friday

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Quite a lot of e-mails and telephone calls today planning future events, which might be helpful to keep Madeleine in peoples minds. I am sure there will be a lot of interest in Saturday August 11th because that will mark 100 days if Madeleine is



still missing. This date coincides with the world pipe band



championships being held in Glasgow. A former world pipe band champion, Alasdair Gillies who is a friend of one of my sisters, has composed a ‘Marvellous March for Madeleine’ that will be played by 100 pipers from all over the world. It should be quite a spectacle and hopefully it will be a celebration, and not a another marker

that Madeleine is still missing.



Day 85 - 27/07/2007 - Friday

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Quite a lot of e-mails and telephone calls today planning future events, which might be helpful to keep Madeleine in peoples minds. I am sure there will be a lot of interest in Saturday August 11th if Madeline because that will mark 100 days if Madeleine is still missing. This date coincides with the world pipe band championships being held in Glasgow. A former world pipe band champion, Alasdair Gillies who is a friend of one of my sisters, has composed a Marvellous March for Madeleine that will be played by 100 pipers from all over the world. It should be quite a spectacle and hopefully it will be a celebration, and not a another marker that Madeleine is still missing.



Day 84 - 26/07/2007 - Thursday

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Spent most of the day travelling getting back to Portugal late afternoon. It was great to be back with Kate and the kids after the short visit to Washington. It was also great to see so many pictures from the 50th day balloon launch on the website.



A lot of people have been asking what can they do to maintain the search for Madeleine. The advice we have had consistently from the beginning, and very much re-emphasised by the experience of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is to maintain a high profile for the missing child. This can be achieved by

relatively simple measures such as displaying posters in prominent public places. We ask people to continue downloading posters from the website and display them at bus stations, train stations and of course take them on holiday. Kate and I would like to thank everyone who desperately wants us to be reunited with Madeleine and have helped in this regard.





Day 83 - 25/07/2007 - Wednesday

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Up early this morning catching up with e-mails and phone calls as well as updating the blog. Managed another early morning run, round Washington centre this time, which is quite beautiful with grand buildings and monuments separated by wide grassy areas.



I had another meeting with another congressman Mike Rogers who is an ex-FBI agent and we distributed wristbands to Nick Lampson and some of his colleagues as well as members of NCMEC



This afternoon we had a meeting with the British Ambassador at his residence to update him on our meetings. The Embassy itself is a stunning building almost rivalling the Whitehouse



Flying back to Portugal this evening to get back to the family. I



have no doubt that this visit to Washington has been extremely productive and will really help to maintain Madeleines profile. We will continue to work closely with ICMEC who have incredible experience and energy in dealing with missing children.





Day 82- 24/07/2007 - Tuesday

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Another busy day in Washington. Started early on at NCMEC with interviews from 6.15am for the five major US TV networks morning news shows. A very serious issues programme 20-20 was also recording our visit to the America, as they will also be producing a piece on the search to find Madeleine.



Late morning we had a visit to the White House to meet with the First Lady's deputy chief of staff Sarah Armstrong. This visit was facilitated by Lady Catherine Meyer, founder of the British charity PACT, which is an affiliate of ICMEC and has done so much to raise awareness of missing children in the UK. Mrs Bush is a strong supporter of child welfare issues and is in fact an Honorary Board member of ICMEC. They were already aware of Madeleines disappearance and I took the opportunity to fill them in on my visit to Washington, particularly the work we are doing with ICMEC and the meeting we had with the attorney general. We finished with a very quick tour of the public areas in the White House which is a very impressive building and we also met one of the Presidents Scottish terriers! Immediately following the visit I did a few interviews for the British Media in front of the White House.



After a very brief lunch it was on to Capitol Hill for meetings with politicians who have been instrumental in getting the Adam Walsh BIll and others passed. We met with Democrat congressman Nick Lampson and Republican Senator Robert Shelby who both know the board members of NCMEC very well. They were both very keen to do what they could to help find Madeleine and the support during the visit we have received has been tremendous.



I spoke to Kate and the kids, whose telephone skills are developing very quickly

which is nice for me when I am away like this. Kate has stayed on in Portugal and has been keeping in touch with the police but there are no major developments to report. In the evening I managed to meet up with a friend from Glasgow who is also a cardiologist and working in the Washington area. We went for a bite to eat and it was good to sit down quietly with a familiar face for an hour or two.





Day 81 - 23/07/2007 - Monday

AMERICA MOST WANTED



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Very busy day and I was almost asleep by the time I got back to the hotel so apologies for not posting the blog earlier. We started off by spending the morning at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). We had a tour of the NCMEC led by President Ernie Allen who has been there for 23 years and there is little he does not about missing children.



The work done at NCMEC is extremely impressive. It coordinates information for all missing children and it was the center that pushed for the implementation of the early warning missing child (AMBER) alert throughout the USA. The center was also instrumental along with the founder, John Walsh, in getting the Adam Walsh bill passed on the 25th anniversary of the young boys murder.



NCMEC officials organised a meeting with the US attorney general Gonzales at the justice department. He was already aware of Madeleine’s disappearance and has made child protection a major concern for him. I explained in a little more detail regarding Madeleine’s case and the fact that she is still missing after 81 days. He was very supportive of the campaign to keep Madeleines profile high and of the work that we are doing with NCMEC and its International division (ICMEC).



We went back to NCMEC in the afternoon and I had detailed discussions with some of the experts there regarding Madeleines disappearance. We also had a board meeting with ICMEC regarding working together on other developments in raising

the profile of missing children particularly using internet resources.



Finished the day off with an interview for Americas Most Wanted who have been following Madeleines abduction almost since the beginning. The programme is actually hosted by John Walsh and has massive viewing figures of around 12 million.





Day 80 - 22/07/2007 - Sunday

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Spent the whole day travelling from the Algarve to Washington where I will be visiting the National and International Centers for Missing and Exploited Children and meeting politicians involved in recent legislation on missing children. The flights for our campaign manager and myself were kindly donated by an airline.



There is a very upsetting story on the front page of a British National Newspaper today. The headline suggests that Kate and I face prosecution for neglecting our children by dining 50 yards away and checking on them regularly. We know that there has been criticism in some quarters of our actions but at the time, we felt our actions were responsible. We were essentially performing our own baby listening service although we have talked of the guilt we felt at now being there at the moment Madeleine was taken.



We have been advised that legally our behaviour was well within the bounds of responsible parenting and subsequently been assured that no action will be taken. These types of criticism, particularly at this stage, as well as being hurtful are extremely unhelpful in the search for Madeleine. From the moment we discovered Madeleine missing Kate and I have done everything in our power to try and help get her back.



Our opinion now is completely clouded by what has happened to us and of course has sent shock waves through thousands of families. The real issue is that we should not have a constant fear of abduction of our children from their bedrooms,

gardens or streets for that matter.





What Kate and I did was at worst naĂ¯ve and no one should forget that the real criminal is the predator who has taken a completely innocent child in such a premeditated fashion. It is this act that has wreaked havoc on our family and affected millions of other people





Day 79 - 21/07/2007 - Saturday

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Relatively quiet day on the campaign front. Spent the day with the kids and visited the Algarve





Zoo Marine which they really enjoyed, particularly the dolphins.





Day 78 - 20/07/2007 - Friday

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Kate and I spent a few hours with our campaign manager discussing longer term strategies to maintain Madeleines profile, in case she is not found soon. We had a long conference call with two organisations that are keen to help us with the campaign but there is still quite a bit of work to be done before this venture can be announced.



We also managed an early morning run together, thanks to my mum supervising the kids breakfast. We made it to the top of the cliffs overlooking Praia da Luz in 16 minutes although we did have to walk at the steepest part. I had my first visit to a nearby beach for a

while with the kids late on this afternoon whilst Kate took the opportunity to get through lots of e-mails. The twins took great delight in burying me in the sand, building (well mainly knocking down) sandcastles and trying to jump out of the waves, which were tiny although the water was certainly colder than I was expecting.





Day 77 - 19/07/2007 - Thursday

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I was glad to see the messages of support page updated today after a few days with some technical hitches. Kate and I spent some time reading through them and your messages do help us, especially on days when we are feeling particularly low. Our search for Madeleine is nothing without public support and we would like to give our thanks to everyone who has helped us in any way over the last 77 days.

The kids are really enjoying spending time with their granny who they have not seen for two months.

They particularly enjoyed her mashed potatoes tonight which brought a big smile to my mums face. The last couple of days we have spent an hour or two by a nearby pool and their confidence in the water has really improved.





Day 76 - 18/07/2007 - Wednesday

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Pretty busy day. Started off with a few phone calls and answering e-mails. We had a longer meeting than usual with the Portuguese police because I had gone back to London last week . We have a good relationship with them and, as well as the British officers who are in Portugal, we can feed any information sent to us back in

to the enquiry through an English Speaking detective.





The investigation, as everyone has seen recently, is still very active. There is also a lot of labour intensive detective work going on behind the scenes. Kate and I hope and pray every day for a breakthrough and cannot consider going home without her





Day 75 - 17/07/2007 - Tuesday

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Madeleine has been missing for 75 days today and last night Kate and I attended

mass to pray for her. On the back of the latest poster launch with Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, the extensive media coverage and the millions of people who are desperate to find Madeleine, we are still very hopeful that Madeleine will be safely returned. As parents, Kate and I cannot contemplate giving up the search for our daughter.





Day 74 - 16/07/2007 - Monday

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The campaign to find Madeleine received a a massive boost today from JK Rowling. The author of the massive selling Harry Potter books has asked all retailers to display a specially designed poster of Madeleine when the sixth and final book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes on sale on Saturday 21st July. Ms Rowling, who lived in Portugal for several years, has offered amazing support in the search for Madeleine. As well as offering a large reward for Madeleines safe return she has also added information on Madeleines abduction on her own site with a link back to our homepage. Try and find the information at www.jkrowling.com, I will give you a clue that it is under links! A huge thank you to JK Rowling and her publishers Bloomsbury for their support.



The new poster of Madeleine has been designed in conjunction with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) and this is one of the things we have been working on in the last couple of weeks. ICMEC promote awareness of missing children globally and aim to prevent child sexual exploitation and abduction. The poster features 3 pictures of Madeleine with the advice to contact the local police if you see her. ICMEC, their logo and both theirs and our websites are also on the poster. The distribution of this poster will enhance the awareness of Madeleines disappearance, which we are advised increases the

chances of finding her, and the plight of other missing children.



With the announcement of the poster Kate and I also did a short interview for the press. A lot of photographs were taken of us with the poster so I suspect some of these will make it in to the newspapers in the next few days.





Day 73 - 15/07/2007 - Sunday

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Travelled back to Portugal today on an early morning flight. It was



heartening to see various posters of Madeleine up at all the

check-in desks especially with the busy holiday season underway.





The flight itself was quiet for Kate and I as the twins fell asleep shortly after take-off. My mum and sister have also come out to for a few days so we managed to see a lot of family this weekend





Day 72 - 14/07/2007 - Saturday

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Kate, the twins and myself attended a family baptism today in Yorkshire where we stood as Godparents. At the end of the short service, which was lovely, prayers were said for Madeleine. It is the first time Kate has been to the UK since Madeleine

disappeared but we wanted to support our family the same way they have supported us over the last ten weeks and it was great to see so many family members together. We have also taken a huge amount of strength from our faith and of course the messages of support and prayers for Madeleine from people of all faiths around the world.





Day 71 - 13/07/2007 - Friday

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Spent a large part of the day at the Child Exploitation and Online Protecetion (CEOP) headquarters in London. The work they are doing in the prevention and detection of child exploitation is fantastic and I have no doubt they are world leaders in many aspects of their work.



The statistics of child abduction in the UK, both attempted and sucessful cases, are stagggering with over 1000 reported cases in 2003/4 and the figures show a year on year increase. The scale of the problem is much larger than Kate and I ever imagined and worryingly there does not appear to be reliable statistics for many countries in Europe. Clearly a lot of work has to be done to tackle this growing problem.

Kate and I believe that someone, somewhere knows something

about Madleines abduction.



The events of recent weeks and the high profile of Madeleine reassure us that when the key piece of information comes in, to any law enforcement agnecy, it will be treated seriously and fed into the inquiry quiickly and actioned.





Day 70 - 12/07/2007 - Thursday

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It is ten weeks since Madeleine was abducted and every day has been incredibly hard for our family. No child should be separated from their family in such circumstances. The overwhelming messages of support, thoughts and prayers really help us stay strong. Somebody, somewhere knows where Madeleine is and it may take a single phone call for her to be found. We will not give up searching for her.



I came to London today to meet with the British police and will go to the Child Exploitaion and Online Protection Centre tomorrow to learn more about their role. As I have said previously we want to work closely with the police and child welfare organisations to help us keep awareness of Madeleines and other childrens disappearance high.



I was also invited to attend the National Police Federation Annual Bravery awards tonight. The work of the police is often taken for granted until you really need them. It was a humbling experience to see and meet so many officers who have shown such outstanding bravery in the line of duty and protecting us all.

It was a fantastic opportunity to thank officers from all over the country who have been involved with the investigation to find Madeleine. The vast majority of those that I managed to speak to are, like us, very optimistic that we will find Madeleine safe and well.





Day 69 - 11/07/2007 - Wednesday

INTERVIEWS



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This morning got off to a bad start when we were called, even before the twins were awake, by a reputable press agency saying that a body had been found and asking if it was true. It is very disappointing that this person did not check out the source of this rumour before contacting our representatives. Such calls and rumours are distressing even though we know if it does not come through an official source not to place much emphasis on it.



The Portuguese police interviewed three of our friends again today, to clarify points in their initial statements. As most of you will know, there is a lot of misleading information being published, both in the press and on the internet, about the events leading up to Madeleine's disappearance and the criminal investigation. We would like to give more information, especially about inaccurate and hurtful reports, but cannot for fear of prejudicing any subsequent court proceedings. The Portuguese police have made it clear to us that all witnesses should not divulge or discuss the information they have provided. Kate and I are, of course not party to all of the



information coming into the inquiry for sound operational reasons.





Similarly a lot of people have asked to learn more about Madeleines likes and dislikes.



This is information which we have been advised not to distribute publicly because of the risk of it being used in potential extortion attempts. The arrests recently in The Netherlands and Spain show that such information could be used negatively in the wrong hands.





Day 68 - 10/07/2007 - Tuesday

RUNNING



Day 68



AEROBICS



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Kate and I both managed early morning runs today- it is definitely the time of day to it with the high temperatures in the middle of

summer. Getting some aerobic exercise certainly helps us feel



better physically and psychologically which helps maintain our



positive attitude.

The investigation into Madelienes disapperance remains very active and we note that the Portuguese police are conducting a series of interviews today and tomorrow.



Day 67 - 09/07/2007 - Monday

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No major news today but it was heartening to see both the British and Portuguese Prime Ministers, Gordon Brown and Jose Socrates, publicly pledge they would continue to do everything to help find Madeleine.





Day 66 - 08/07/2007 - Sunday

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A small event took place in Porto, in the north of Portugal, today to remember missing children. It was at a large schools end of year musical and the children and staff released balloons.



It is good that local communities are staging events like this and we thank them for remembering Madeleine.



We were glad to hear the young British girl kidnapped in Nigeria was returned safely today.





Day 65 - 07/07/2007 - Saturday

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Quiet family day.





Day 64 - 06/07/2007 - Friday

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The major development today was the arrest of a 39 year old Dutch citizen in Eindhoven for attempted fraud. The man had sent six e-mails saying he knew who had Madeleine and where she was. He was demanding €2million for this information. After being arrested he has admitted he did not have any information and was

motivated by boredom and trying to extort the money.



This arrest, after cooperation between the Portuguese, British and Dutch police



forces, sends a clear message that this sort of crime is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It also encourages Kate and I that all information about Madeleine coming through to the police in any European country will be taken seriously and rigorously evaluated.





Day 63 - 05/07/2007 - Thursday

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Heart wrenching to learn of the little British 3 year old girl who has been kidnapped in Nigeria. We know more than anyone what ther parents are going through and we hope, that like most of the kidnap victims in Nigeria, she is returned safely.



The pictures of the England rugby squad in their Madeleine t-shirts were excellent as were the comments of the players supporting the campaign to find Madeleine. We hope and pray she will soon be able to thank all of those who have helped us maintain such a high profile of her disappearance





Day 62 - 04/07/2007 - Wednesday

RUGBY SHIRTS



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The England rugby team wore Look for Madeleine T-shirts at their open training session in the Algarve today. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures tomorrow! We had a brief, private meeting with the RFU management team last night to thank them for this unprompted show of support which helps keep Madeleines disappearance high profile here in Portugal and at home.



We also met today with SOS Crianca, which is the main child welfare non-governmental organisation in Portugal. Similar to our meetings with child welfare groups and ministers in other countries, they feel our campaign to keep Madeleines profile high is correct. It was a very constructive meeting and they have offered to help support us in any way they can. It is likely we will travel to Lisbon at some point to meet with other agencies to see what advice they have for us and if we can help them. We hope the huge amount of goodwill that has been generated following Madeleines abduction can be translated into tangible benefits for the future and we very much want to work with the organisations trying to prevent child abduction and expoitation.



It was heartening for Kate and I to learn of the release today of Alan Johnston after almost 4 months in captivity. Although the circumstances of his kidnapping are very different to that of Madeleines, it still lifted us to see him being freed knowing

he will be reunited with his family shortly.



We also agree with the commentators who have stated his family have acted with tremendous dignity throughout and Alan himself appeared incredibly resilient and composed following his release. Our best wishes go to Alan and his family.





Day 61 - 03/07/2007 - Tuesday

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We did a single interview today for the Portuguese media with a British journalist sitting in. The interview marked the fact that it is two months to the day since Madeleine was abducted. We took the opportunity to emphasise that we would be staying in Portugal for the immediate future and continuing the campaign to help find Madeleine. We also want to work closely with the media here in Portugal and engage closely with the Portuguese people who have been so supportive.



We were asked what was the hardest day since Madeleine disappeared and replied

that every day has been hard without Madeleine. We also stated that our determination to find Madeleine is matched by the Portuguese police and that we have a good working relationship with them. Our frequent meetings with the police help us stay informed, allow us to feed information into the investigation and let clarify information with senior officers conducting the investigation





Day 60 - 02/07/2007 - Monday

MOVING



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We completed our move to the new accommodation today. It took longer than expected as we moved the thousands of letters of suuport we have recieved and all the new toys. These letters and messages of support have given us tremendous encouragement and we would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to write to us and to those who have donated to Madeleines Fund, helping us continue the campaign to find Madeleine.





Most of this evening was spent on the phone and answering e-mails finalising forthcoming campaign events. There should be some stuff in the press in the next few days although we are very aware that the recent terrorist activity will, quite rightly, continue to dominate the news.





Day 59 - 01/07/2007 - Sunday

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Family day again, apart from some packing and sorting. Our friends are heading home in the morning and I picked up some family from the airport tonight. Our campaign manager has also flown in and we will be finalising a few more events for the coming weeks





Day 58 - 30/06/2007 - Saturday

MOVING



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2nd version

Family day spent with Sean, Amelie, our friends and their kids. Attended mass this evening which was conducted in English with prayers for Madeleine.



We have confirmed our new accommodation and will be moving in the next few days. We seem to have acquired a lot more stuff, partucularly the twins with lots of well wishers sending them toys. We will be

staying on Portugal for the immediate future and are determined to



come home with Madeleine.



Staying in the Algarve also makes it easier to stay in touch with the Portuguese polce, this is particularly important with the investigation being so active. We have regular meetings and calls to keep abreast of developments.



Day 58 - 30/06/2007 - Saturday

1st version

Family day spent with Sean, Amelie, our friends and their kids. Attended mass this evening which was conducted in English with prayers for Madeleine.



We have confirmed our new accommodation and will be moving in the next few days. We seem to have acquired a lot more stuff, partucularly the twins with lots of well wishers sending them toys, We will be staying on Portugsl for thr immrdiste future and are determined to come home with Madeleine.



Staying in the Algarve also makes it easier to stay in touch with the Portuguese polce, this is particularly important with the investigation being so active. We have regular meetings and calls to keep abreatst of developmennts.



Day 57 - 29/06/2007 - Friday

WALLET

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Early rise this morning dropping off and picking up good friends from the airport. One of our friends from Amsterdam, who has been

actively campaigning to publicise Madeleines disappearance, dropped in to see us for a couple of hours since he is on a golfing trip in the Algarve.





Our friends brought back my wallet which had been returned, needless to say minus the Sterling, although all my cards and €30 were still in it! It is good to have my driving license back and one or two other important things.





Day 56 - 28/06/2007 - Thursday

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Busy day- some very good phone calls with important child welfare organsations

who we will be working closely with in the future. I have no doubt we will be able

to sustain a high profile for Madeleines disappearance in the long term.





There has been a lot of media publicity over arrests in Spain tonight following information related to the investigation to find Madeleine. This appears to be a clear signal from European police forces that they are treating all information relating to Madeleines disappearance very seriously





Day 55 - 27/06/2007 - Wednesday

SIGHTINGS



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IT DOES NOT HELP TO RECEIVE INFORMATION DIRECTLY





Kate and I would like to emphasise that if anyone who thinks they

have information relevant to Madeleine’s abduction, then please



pass this on to your local police.





It does not help us to receive such Information directly- we will only pass it on to the



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police for it to be considered in context of the overall investigation.



If people are unhappy to speak to the police directly information can be given to the international crimestoppers anonymously.





Day 54 - 26/06/2007 - Tuesday

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Met with the Portuguese and British police for an update on the investigation. We raised the question of what someone should do if they think they see Madeleine. The clear advice is to call the local police as soon as possible or someone working in an official capacity such as hotel staff or tour representative. Please note that the emergency police numbers are variable in each country. The number in Portugal and Spain is 112 but in Germany it is 110 . The number for most countries can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number#Europe and for those going on holiday it might be a good idea to enter the number in your mobile phone.

If there is a sighting the police would need as much information as possible. If there is a car involved please remember to record the registration number if possible.





We have met so many well-wishers from Ireland over the last 54 days and have recieived hundreds of letters. On Friday of this week there is a mini-vigil specially for Madeleine at Knock, Irelands holiest shrine, which will be attended by family and friends. The vigil will take place from 8pm-midnight





Day 53 - 25/06/2007 - Monday

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Today was largely spent doing some behind the scenes campaigning. We had a meeting about an interesting idea that would help keep Madeleines profile high here in Portugal. Although I hope it comes to fruition, like many of the ideas it requires a lot of planning and cooperation. I will be having another admin day tomorrow

working on implementing our campaign events.





We were invited round to some firends for dinner which was great, especially for Sean and Amelie. Finished the night off answering e-mails. Lots of photographs are coming through for Madeleines 50 day balloon launch. Keep them coming and we will get them posted soon.





Day 52 - 24/06/2007 - Sunday

MOVING



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We attended the local church service this morning as usual. After mass we bumped into an old colleague of my brothers who aslo happens to be from Liverpool and had a good chat with her.



There are very little media left in Praia da Luz although there was still one cameraman and photgrapher outside the church. Our requsets to respect our privacy have been folowed, with one or two minor exceptions during the last 52 days. Most of the campaigning will be done behind closed doors from now on and it is essential that Amelie and Sean are allowed to grow up without continually being photographed.



We picked the twins up early from the kids club and had a really nice afternoon with them, playing with some new toys and then down at the pool.



If Madeleine is not found in the next couple of weks we need to move out of the



appartment we have been staying in as the family is coming out for a holiday. I have to say the owners have been extremely understanding, as they came to Praia da Luz for a holiday and relocated to another apartment to save us moving again.





This degree of flexibility does not exist in the resort in high season. We have managed to look at a few properties to rent in the last couple of days and I think we have found somewhere suitable to live until we return back to the UK with Madeleine.



Day 51 - 23/06/2007 - Saturday

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY





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Relatively quiet day today although we did spend some time planning campaign strategy this morning. This afternoon friends



of ours from Leicester who are holidaying in the Algarve came over to Praia da Luz with their 2 year old son. It was good to see them and the twins certainly enjoyed having an extra play mate round the pool.



DAYS 01 TO 50

DAYS 101 TO 150