DAVID BENTATA

  Chapter 29  – “The MOUSE” At one point, late 1990s and early 2000, I dabbled in Real Estate in Spain. I was working on both sides of the Frontier and so had contacts on both sides too. I did a few modest sales, mainly to non-Spanish speaking UK expats who wanted to buy property in Spain. But I have to start from the beginning... For several days there was a man who would wait outside 123 Main Street, where we, as well as other companies, had our offices. He would go up to the first-floor offices of an Italian maritime business agency, knock on the door several times, and as no one was inside, he would sit patiently on the ground floor bench waiting for the Italian owner of that company to make an appearance. After a week of this I asked him if I could help. He showed me two cheques, each for a six-figure US dollar amount, and stamped by the bank with the ominous words "REFER TO DRAWER". He explained that he had been paid for goods and services by the Italian owner of t...

Chapter 28 - ITALIAN BUYING TRIP Must have been around 1970. TEO was going full swing and my father had made excellent contacts with an Italian suits firm by the name of ABITAL. Most ready-made suits at the time  lacked a proper fit, let alone any flair. Trust the Italians to come up with superb tailoring as well as an extensive range of designs and colours. At the time my great friend Toby was working for Cohen's Camera Centre in the Main Street Arcade. Obvious interest in fashion clothing and our close friendship made me invite him to join us at TEO as a Manager. He had to give notice and was due some leave which h e wanted to spend in London. I had to go to Milan to learn more about ABITAL and place the order for the next season. So, we agreed to meet in Nice on the south of France, drive to Milan and drive back to Gib as the end part of a mutual holiday.   At that time, I had ordered a FIAT 124 Coupe sold to me by Joe Benrimoj from Overseas Motors. David Benaim, t...

  Chapter 27    COMMUNIST SPY DEFECTION It must have been in the 80s,   ...... but the date – or at least, the year,   is not as important as the story. At that time, a very close and good friend of mine used to import goods and merchandise from Poland. Poland then was very much a communist country ruled by the iron fist of the USSR through the very feared KGB Secret Service. I may not remember the year, but I very definitely remember the month, April, and the first day of that month too. I thought I would play a joke on my friend it being April Fool’s Day. The Hi-Tech communication system at that time was the Telex Machine.  This consisted of an electronic typewriter, which had a fat, long roll of paper on which to type a letter or a message, as well as a spool with a long paper ribbon on the side. As you typed your words, the writing would come up on the top roll of paper as in a normal typewriter. However the same message would come out on the si...

  Chapter 26 Buddy Holly Story It could have been 1989 or 1990 I'm not sure which, probably 1990, when I was in London for a trade show. That was when London was THE city for fashion.   I was quite alone and not too happy 2 years after my divorce. At one of the stands at the IMBEX Fashion Clothing Trade Show at Earl's Court I met a delightful young lady. Both of us being at a loose end...well you know how these things go. We smile, we chat, we laugh, and go for a drink at the bar.... and eventually I invited her to dinner. I knew a very cosy French restaurant, off the beaten track, in St John's Wood, aptly called "Au Bois St.Jean" ... what else? It was actually in a converted cellar and the manager was a diminutive Frenchman who insisted on speaking French to his preferred clients. I really never thought I would be so grateful to Brother Murphy ("Malvaloca" to his pupils, but not to his face) for the tedious lessons he pounded into me in that lang...

  Chapter 25 (Part 2) Prince Edward Let me start by assuring you that I am a monarchist. Yup, I am a card-carrying supporter of the monarchy ……. in UK! True, I do not support all the members of the monarchy in Britain, but my admiration for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is absolute. I would like to say the same about most of the rest of the Royal Family ….. but I cannot. The word "Royal" in Spanish translates as "Real". However, I have yet to find the proper adjectives in that language for the English word "Regal". There is a big difference between the two. Every head of state who wears a crown is called Royal. But it takes someone of the calibre of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to give meaning the word REGAL. Sadly, none of her present descendants make the cut …..   with the illuminating exception of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and his most Regal wife, Kate! Be that as it may, let me continue with the sequel to Part One of this chapt...