What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Who was it that let me be a weather forecaster? Who was it let me say something like, oh well, there may be a bit of a shower but then it'll be nice and sunny? Who was it? Hmm, yes, well me. Take no notice. Want to know something certain about the weather. Rain. Today. Rain. Crap. You might believe that poor weather would not unduly concern me, given that there is always next week, or the week after, or the month after. Well it does. Apart from the fact that I genuinely do feel sorry for the visitors, there is what I do. Today. Rain. Crap. Only some spits and spots to begin with, then more, and more. Going around Puerto Pollensa with "El Puente", making drops all over the town. Getting wet. Trying to shield the books. And succeeding at my expense. Wet. And venturing onto the front, the chill off the sea hits at the sweat of having marched about the place for an hour or so already. The combination of a cold. I know. It's happened before. Wet. Sweaty. Windy. Chilly. Fever. What I go through in the name of clients. Get up. No breakfast. Get out. Get wet. Eventually I gave up. And stopped off for something to eat - finally. And saw Emma from Sea Club. How do you keep a hotel full of over 1000 people happy with this weather? Well, they're managing, she says. This is when the hotel staff, the receptionist, the entertainers really earn their crust. When they can also be reduced to tears. The story goes of the receptionist at the Jupiter (or was it Marte or Saturno, doesn't matter, you know where I mean) who was so bombarded by the misery of the guests and the accusations that it was all somehow her fault that she just broke down. I can understand frustration, but - odd though it may seem - there is not a lot that hotels, receptionists, entertainers, bar owners, restaurant waiters, excursions operators, tourist office personnel can do about the weather.

And so where were we? Yesterday. Remember those good figures for visitors in the first four months but the decline that had occurred during April? Well today comes what might have been expected. Holiday sales to the Balearics have gone into "recession" in the UK, according to the head of the Mallorca hotel federation (as reported in the "Diario"). To compound the external problems and that of the euro-pound imbalance, there is also the issue of local inflation. As a consequence, prices have risen, as some anecdotal reports have suggested, not that these price rises are necessarily going to translate into profit growth; the contrary in fact.

But you know, even with all this bad news knocking around, you talk to a bar-owner who really works his place and you hear that things are better than last year. Which bar? Try guessing. Puerto Pollensa. And moreover, though this bar does very well thank you from sports television, there is not a concern about the absence of British Isles teams from the upcoming Euro championships. He knows you can't rely on this. I know it, too. Run a good house. Be reliable. Provide a good atmosphere. And despite the apparent problems, turnover can still be increased.


QUIZ
Chain - Roger McGuinn to The Byrds and "Turn, Turn, Turn" to "Turn Of The Screw" by Henry James which was filmed as "The Innocents". And how do you get from that film to George Michael? Yesterday's title - Bob Dylan. Today's title - who?

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