The kindness of Majorcans

WE are regular readers of the Bulletin, but this is the first time I have had cause to write to you. Three years ago, my partner and I decided to buy a holiday apartment on the island and after an internet search, visited the north of the island for a visit as a guest of Prestige Properties. We were treated very much like royalty by the proprietor & his wife, Jaume & Robin Sebastian and very quickly, with his unstinting assistance, we purchased a property in Port d'Alcudia.

Unlike the UK, where agents are universally regarded as the lowest form of life in the food chain, Jaume continued to befriend and assist us after he received his commission, which after our experiences of property purchase in the UK was indeed quite unusual.

He helped us to purchase a car, get NIC numbers, arrange insurances, translate documents, etc, all without charge. We became good friends, meeting often for coffee or dinner, and exchanged emails regularly.

As has probably been the experience of many other people, our huge enjoyment of the lifestyle and the kindness of people of Majorca caused the frequency of our visits to the island to increase and we now spend around half of each year there.

The dull weather, increasing beaurocracy, culture of violence & greed and political correctness in the UK is in complete and utter contrast to our experiences in Majorca. To our dismay, we found out a couple of weeks ago that Jaume had passed away, quite suddenly as a result of a massive heart attack. He was a wonderful gentleman, an example to all of us, whether Majorcan or British, of what we should all strive to achieve in our short lives.

When death takes such a man so suddenly, it is a reminder to all of us that we should be sure to live our lives well, and that men such as Jaume should be an example to all of us.

Sincerely Kenneth & Zara McGrath