A group of British residents met the Consul at a cocktail party

British Consul, Paul Abrey, pays his first visit to Menorca

Introductions. Deborah Hellyer introduces Paul Abrey to Joana Barceló

Accompanied by the British Vice-Consul, Deborah Hellyer, the British Consul met Joana Barceló, Arturo Bagur, Javier Tejero and Colonel Francisco Riva

C.M.W..Maó

Paul Abrey, who took up the position of British Consul in the Balearic Islands in November 2005, paid his first visit to Menorca last week. Accompanied by the British Vice-Consul to Menorca, Deborah Hellyer, Abrey spent a day visiting various island authorities before meeting a group of some twenty British residents at a cocktail party arranged at the Hotel Rural Biniarroca.

Amongst the people that the British Consul met during his visit were the President of the Island Council, Joana Barceló, the State Administration´s Island Director, Javier Tejero, the Mayor of Maó, Arturo Bagur, and the military commander, Colonel Francisco Riva.

Following his first visit to the island, Abrey said that he had received a very good impression of the British community in Menorca; complimenting Deborah Hellyer on her work here and the British group he met during the evening for their organisation. The Consul went on to mention the reticence that the British feel about integrating in the community in which they have chosen to live, a symptom of which is the inability of many to speak the local language even after having lived there for many years.

"It is normal for the English to go to live in a place and not to learn the language, although there are groups which make the effort to do so" he said. He went on to refer to Menorca as a tourist destination which has enjoyed more British tourists this

year; in his view, this is attributable to Menorca´s particular attractions - explaining that "it is very quiet, very peaceful, very healthy, the food is good and it is easy to reach. It is different and I think that this is the motivation for the market, although, of course, if there are problems in other parts of the world this benefits Menorca and the Balearic Islands".