On The Trail Of Winston Churchill

In the 13 December 1935 edition of "La Vanguardia", the newspaper included a small item at the foot of its page devoted to news from "the regions". In the Balearics section it reported that the ex-Conservative minister, Winston Churchill, had arrived with his wife on board the "Ciudad de Palma", which had crossed from Barcelona to the Mallorcan capital. He was met by the (English) Vice-Consul and then headed for Formentor, where he was planning on spending some time.

Churchill would not have found Mallorca at its warmest. Above mention of his arrival, the paper said that the whole of the northern mountain area was covered in snow and that the temperature was a mere four degrees. There was another reason for a certain frostiness, not one mentioned on that page of the paper: the cold fears and anxieties of conflict.

It was the Hotel Formentor where Winston and Clementine stayed. This hotel, grand then as it still is, had not enjoyed the greatest of fortunes since its completion. Or at least the person behind it had not. Adan Diehl, the Argentinian poet, had by then left Mallorca along with his wife. It had been mostly her fortune which had been sunk into Diehl's hotel. They returned to Argentina all but penniless, grateful to the locals of Pollensa who had helped pay for their voyage: they, in turn, grateful to Diehl for having created this splendid hotel.

But why was Churchill in Mallorca eighty years ago this month? Another newspaper, "ABC", reported that he was planning on writing and painting. It also reported that he showed an interest in Spain's political situation, asking if it was true that the country was threatened by a "wave of leftism" (an even greater wave than there already was). While he asked about this, he declined to answer questions about international events.

In November that year, the Conservatives had won the general election. Churchill, who had been hoping for the post as First Lord of the Admiralty, was not given it, Baldwin preferring to "keep him fresh to be prime minister" in the event of war. He took himself off, therefore, for a Mediterranean break. His main intention, including getting some sun, was to work on the third volume of "Marlborough: His Life and Times". If he had intended spending longer in Mallorca, this wasn't to prove to be the case. By Christmas Eve, "ABC" was carrying a photo of him and Clementine back in Barcelona. He then went to Morocco, and she returned to England.

But Churchill would have been all too aware of the political situation when he had arrived, and though he might not have been in the cabinet, he remained immensely influential and important. His status was such that the Vice-Consul who had greeted him in Palma had ensured that ample quantities of food and drink were laid on when Churchill visited him. The Vice-Consul was to become someone in whom Churchill placed a great deal of trust: his spy chief in Spain, Alan Hillgarth.

Not long before Churchill had arrived in Mallorca, a British resident of the island was asked by the authorities about a road. This resident was Robert Graves, and the road in question was the main road from Cala Deya. Graves was already aware, in November of that year, of a German who had been accused of spying in Soller, the evidence for which was that he owned a radio. As for the road, rumours were abounding that it was to be used by a landing force. Nothing came of the need for Graves to have to speak to the authorities, but the fact was that in Mallorca in late 1935 there was a great deal of anxiety, one that Hillgarth shared for two reasons: possible war with Italy and what was indeed a "wave of leftism", to which Robert Graves was to refer in a letter, noting the alarm that the "Daily Mail" had spread with a report of "Red Riots".

Given Mallorca's geographical situation and the tensions, pre-Civil War, with Italy, it was understandable that there would have been anxieties and all sorts of rumours. And this again raises the question as to why Churchill was in Mallorca in late 1935. Was it solely for a writing and painting holiday? Maybe it was, but that period spent on the island was to prove to be highly significant. Hillgarth it was who was to eventually be involved with the plan to bribe Franco to keep out of the Second World War, and crucial to that plan was the banker (and Franco's banker) Joan March, described in September 1935 by the "Chicago Tribune" as the "boss of the Balearics". March was one of Hillgarth's key informants.

In the Hotel Formentor, the grand hotel overlooking the bay of Pollensa, did Churchill meet Joan March in December 1935?

MALLORCA TODAY - Hotel Formentor work aided by Pollensa town hall decision

Pollensa town hall has dropped a so-called special plan for Formentor in order that work at the Hotel Formentor can be allowed to proceed. The work envisages an increase in the number of places at the hotel and it should start before the end of next year.

See more: Ultima Hora

MALLORCA TODAY - Increase in irregular labour contracts

The raid by work inspectors and police on Nikki Beach in Magalluf and the dismissal of senior management at the Hotel Formentor have highlighted the issue of the "irregular" employment of staff, often from countries such as Romania or Bulgaria. A representative of the UGT union has described these examples as the "tip of the iceberg" of a situation in which the submerged, black economy is growing.

See more: Ultima Hora

MALLORCA TODAY - Hotel Formentor senior managers dismissed

Barceló Hotels and Resorts, which owns the Hotel Formentor in Pollensa, has dismissed with immediate effect the hotel's director and head of personnel for irregularities "on the margin of legality" in respect of the employment of Romanian students.

See more: El Mundo

MALLORCA TODAY - Hotel Formentor redevelopment given the go-ahead

The Council of Mallorca has finally and definitively approved the redevelopment of the Hotel Formentor near Puerto Pollensa. The approval has required the redefinition of plans for urbanisation and tourism offer in Pollensa. These will result in the town hall taking on the supply of services to three urbanisations in the town, that by the hotel and also in El Vilar and La Font. The town hall will also take on the parking near to the hotel's beach, which should bring in a not insignificant amount of cash to the town hall.

See more: Diario de Mallorca

Live This Life Of Luxury

The Hotel Formentor near to Puerto Pollensa is to become part of the Círculo Fortuny. This association sounds as though it should mean the "wheel of fortune". It doesn't in fact have anything to do with Nicky Campbell and Carol Smillie-Smile dispensing prizes or in fact anything to do with a fortune as such, though there are plenty of fortunes knocking around within it. The name comes from Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, a fashion designer (among other things) who was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. One of his models was the first wife of Condé Nast, the publisher who bought "Vogue" after the magazine's founder died in 1909.

It was appropriate, therefore, that it was the Spanish "Vogue" which last year went big on the launch of the Círculo Fortuny. Fashion is an element of the Círculo, the activities of which are devoted to the promotion of Spanish luxury brands, products and services. The full name of the association is the Círculo Español del Lujo Fortuny.

Formentor is the first hotel in Mallorca to be incorporated into this circle of luxury, and it is also appropriate that it should be; it opened in 1929 when Sr. Fortuny was enjoying some of his greatest successes. Far from being a crumbling pile, as its longevity might suggest, the five-star hotel is indeed luxurious. It offers "an unforgettable stay" with "unforgettable views of the bay", according to its website. So, you will never forget, if you happen to stay at the Formentor, and you will also remember that it is "emblematic". Of what I'm not entirely sure, but the word sounds good.

Anyway, enough of the promotion and back to the wheel of fortuny. When this association burst into the golden light of publicity last summer, it marked the second coming of a luxury-motivated grouping in the space of about a month. There you are, waiting an age for a luxury association to arrive, replete with leather-upholstered seats and your own seat-side mini-bar plus personal chauffeur, and two come along. The Asociación Española del Lujo got there a bit earlier than the Círculo. And the difference between them is? Erm ...

A difference is that the first luxury mover is presided over by Béatrice d'Orléans. And she is? A French princess who is also, or has been, a journalist specialising in, you might have guessed it, fashion. A septuagenarian French princess getting the gig as CEO of a Spanish luxury association can be explained, at least I think it can be, by the fact that she was Dior's presence on Spanish earth for 20-odd years.

Otherwise, the only difference between the two associations seems to be that the Círculo is part of an international alliance that had previously only comprised the three main European associations in the luxury sector. I say the three main associations because my research suggests that I should. To be honest, I had never heard of Walpole British Luxury, which is one of the three.

Such ignorance on my behalf can probably be explained by the fact that I tend not to move in luxurious circles, be they Fortuny or otherwise. But in Mallorca, such circles clearly exist and not just in the form of the Formentor hotel. Luxury abounds. You only have to click onto some estate-agent websites or to pick up a magazine with a luxury bent to know that it does. Mallorca is divided fairly and squarely between the luxury half and the not-luxury half. In fact, the luxury half is probably nothing like a half, but you could be forgiven for believing that it were.

But how luxurious does luxury have to be for it to qualify as a member of the Círculo Fortuny or the old maid of Orléans' association? The thing about luxury is that it comes with a thesaurus alternative - exclusiveness. You can't have any old luxurious riff-raff knocking on the teak door with gold leaf inlay demanding to be let in. The Círculo, you would suppose, would be self-limiting. Once the circle is completed, then that's that.

So, Mallorcan businesses with an eye on their luxury being promoted in the international arena, which is what this is all about, will have to get a move on. But unless they are at least "emblematic" and "unforgettable" (twice over), they probably don't stand much chance of breaking the circle and will have to make their own efforts in being part of a sector (the luxury one) that in Europe employs 800,000 people and generates 137,000 million euros. And how are these figures arrived at? No idea, but they sound luxurious.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.

MALLORCA TODAY - Hotel Formentor in Spanish luxury promotion

The Hotel Formentor in Pollensa has become part of the Circuló Fortuny, an association which was formed last year and that brings together leading Spanish names devoted to the luxury end of the market and with the purpose of promoting these businesses, products and services overseas.

See more: Diario de Mallorca

MALLORCA TODAY - Pollensa attack on tourism ministry over Hotel Formentor

Pollensa town hall's Partido Popular mayor Tomeu Cifre has attacked the tourism ministry over inconsistencies in the proposed reforms of the tourism law which would relax procedures for hotels in terms of permissions for development but which appear to prevent a more relaxed approach to development of Hotel Formentor, the subject of considerable debate for some years and which is currently confined to minimal increase in the number of places.

MALLORCA TODAY - Hotel Formentor booked for Cloud Atlas

The Hotel Formentor, says the ADN news site, is to be a beneficiary (to the tune of 25,000 euros) of filming for Cloud Atlas. Fifty people have been booked in for two nights, which would seem as though they may be 14 and 15 September, as the annual literary gathering starts at the hotel on 16 September. ADN also says that in August exclusive reservation of the whole hotel was made. As previously reported, 180 people associated with the film have been booked into hotels in the Pollensa area.

MALLORCA TODAY - Hotel Formentor announcement criticised

The plan to redevelop the Hotel Formentor in Puerto Pollensa has run up against opposition from groups represented at Pollensa town hall. The PSM argues that special privileges should not be extended to the hotel, while the Alternativa per Pollença claims that the Partido Popular-La Lliga pact at the town hall has not consulted other parties over the plan. This is likely to be a recurring theme of the town hall administration as the PP-La Lliga rule with a minority.

Every Day Is Like Sunday

For all the talk of hotel renovation work proceeding without licences having been granted - as was the case with the Son Moll hotel in Cala Ratjada where four workers lost their lives when it collapsed - when it comes to the blue-chip hotels, you can be pretty sure that everything's tickety-boo before one brick is laid or one sod of earth is turned by a mechanical digger. Take the Hotel Formentor, for example. For those who may not know, this is the exclusive pile on the Formentor peninsula, one about which much old eulogistic nonsense has been written in the past, a goodly portion of it on the hotel's own website, which now - sadly - appears to no longer exist; at least, I can't find it. But, never fear, because I have a cunning archive system and can give you an insight into the mangled and pompous English that some nutter came up with: “respecting the classical beauty of the Mediterranean landscape that surrounds it, the hotel does not refuse the modern life’s new-technological advances that assure comfort to its guests in every aspect”. There is a background historical aspect to the hotel, which is that it was opened as the Depression kicked in back in 1929. Omens not so good for renovation work now, I'd say.

In internet terms though, the hotel seems now to have been corporatised, finding itself featured on the Barceló site and having even been dubbed the Barceló Formentor. Anyway, the deal is that the hotel needs some renovation work doing, and has done for some while. Because it is so prestigious, or so it is alleged, what would otherwise be a matter of virtually zero interest, has become yet another political rumpus in the wider metropolis that is Pollensa and the fiefdom of Mayor Cerdà. The local politicos and, of course, enviro big-mouths, GOB, are all at it.

The latest is that the central environment ministry is demanding a wider environmental impact study than that which has so far been presented. It claims that there is a lack of information in respect of, for example, the swimming-pools with salt water that form part of the renovation and re-development. So far, so environmentally dull. However, the opposition Partido Popular in Pollensa is blaming the town hall administration not just for the need for a further study and for the greater constraints being imposed by the environmental ministry but also for a discrepancy in the annual municipal budget to the tune of some 600 grand, this being the tax for the re-development construction, an amount that has not been forthcoming because the town hall has not yet granted the licence.

At this point, it all gets rather confusing, and the mayor is attacking the PP over its demagoguery, or something like that. But what is quite interesting is that this case highlights exactly the sorts of issues as to why work goes ahead without licences. Firstly, there is the tax, which, one presumes, is heftier in this instance than would normally be so. Then there is the fact that the central environment ministry (to say nothing of that with responsibility for the coasts) has to have its say. Added to this is the hamstrung nature of the town hall who cannot give the go-ahead to the developers. And on top of that, the opposition and whatever other group has to have its say as well. You do begin to realise that, were it not for by-passing some of the regulations, nothing would get done here. The Formentor hotel is one of the best-known of the island's hotels not just of those in the area. Of course, they want to get it right, but just how long does it take to get things right?


Yesterday was a public holiday of course. It felt, like all public holidays, as though it was a Sunday. A dull, nothing-happening, grey Sunday (though for Spaniards something was happening). It will come as some consolation to those of you in icy Britain to know that yesterday's weather here was the precursor to a particularly cold snap. Snow as low as 100 metres today apparently; and it is cold and very, very wet. This is not as we have known recent Januarys, which have been generally fine. But that just goes to prove, again, that the local weather in winter is not something to be relied on. Winter tourism? Hmm.


Might I just say - thanks ever so much for all the best wishes following my unplanned Christmas entertainment. I'm feeling fine. In fact, I'm feeling better than I have for ages. Your emails have been much appreciated.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Ladytron, "Evil" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLmiIXPRoY); and for "Destroy", because it is so great, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtqGoHouoE0. Today's title - no clue; easy.

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