Howard’s having fun in Spain…
Wednesday 25th August 2010, 2:29PM BST.
Reigning Miss Malaga, Ursula Aguilar Cordoba, presents the crown and winner’s sash to Lidia Santos Jimenez, who will now go on to represent Marbella in Miss Malaga 2011. (1014664)
MISSING businessman Howard Holland and his wife Margaret have turned their talents to judging beauty pageants.
The couple were on the panel for the Miss and Mr Marbella competition in their new home, the resort of Puerto Banus on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
Mr Holland is working as restaurant manager at a bar owned by Tottenham and England footballer David Bentley, and which has been visited by Marbella Mayor Angeles Munoz.
A message on the Buddha Beach website said: ‘Thirty contestants took part in the event, which saw them appearing in underwear, beachwear and eveningwear in front of a panel of judges.’
- Read the full story in the Guernsey Press. See below for subscription details.
- To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
Cant we issue an arrest warrant and haul him back from his hedonistic palace?
Report abuse
I was up plaza last fri, him & his mrs are
Judging miss guernsey 2012.
Report abuse
sure you can ,if you join the e.u ;)
Report abuse
Arrest warrant for what not paying back a personal loan leave me alone
Report abuse
Do you think Mr and Mrs Ferbrache took part!!!!
Report abuse
Not sure whether “howard” is actually Howard Holland but whoever it is he’s correct. Defaulting on a loan is a civil matter, not a criminal matter, and so has nothing to do with arrest warrants or extradition etc. The only thing that would change that is if fraud or theft charges were issued, but there has been no indication of that.
Report abuse
Owing this much money is something that would definitely get in my way when trying to enjoy myself…
How is it possible that with a loan of this size they can AFFORD TO living it up in Spain or where ever?
I should get a personal loan from someone who trusts me and bugger off with it to the Caribbean to have some fun. Genius idea!
Report abuse
Why not leave Howard alone and worry about more important issues on this Island, after all it comes down to the fact that Mr Ferbrache lost out or did he.
If everything went swimming ok he would have reaped the financial gains and walked away a happy man but he caught a cold.That is what business is surely.
Howard and Ferbrache are both taking their medicine in different ways so lets just move on to the real issues effecting the Island.
Rubbish, loo tax, sewage, road closures etc.
Report abuse
Somebody bring him back so he can run Christies properly. It has gone down hill since he left.
Report abuse
i think howard is a great person my self and i think he and his wife should both be left alone ,hes never done any thing bad to me and has always been very nice to me .and i knows who i am very wel as known as the man whos very clever with my hands at making things in casting resin .and to be quite frank i realy feel sorrey for howard and if i was a very wel off man i would go out of my way and bring him out of this mess .and its not his fault that hes got him self in this mess because guernsey is not the best place to start a bissness to get off the ground and hes not the only one thats lost every thing iv seen this happen to others as wel ok .so anyone out their having a dig at howard stop moaning about your money and give the poor man time to pay it back ok and leve him wel alone .its not as if hes killed anyone the way everybody carrys on over here the saddos and its only money and you aint going to take it with you wen you die just rember that ok .take care howard all the best good buddie
Report abuse
Ferbrache being portrayed as the victim is starting to wear a bit thin I’m afraid. He made a bad decision and paid for it, end of story. He’ll soon recoup his losses by charging £400 or so an hour for legal advice.
Report abuse
yes very true .every one to their own i ges im not taking sides here and dont blame both men .its easy for me to say this but i ges in fact i know i would feel the same if i had lost alot of money ,would,nt anybody.
Report abuse
Phil
£400 an hour??
You must be on mates rates ;-)
Report abuse
Tooxar
I am quite sure that if Advocate Ferbrache had simply made a commercial decision which had gone wrong then he would have simply “taken it on the chin”. He was very obviously a passive financial backer who had recourse to personal guarantees from Howard Holland if his investment went bad. Its natural that he would seek to invoke those guarantees if the guarantor does a runner!
However, the bigger question is to ask how those businesses failed, or in fact to ask whether they really failed at all. They must together have been turning over somewhere in the region of £50k a week, or £2.5m a year. Hard to see how they could be losing money.
Hypothetically of course, would your view be any different if it was found that money from the businesses was being used to pay for expenses which were not bona fide expenses of the business, such as flying first-class for snowboarding holidays in California, private plane hire to London for his wife to have her hair done etc etc? If you were a passive investor in such a hypothetical business you’d probably be feeling rather aggrieved, I suspect. I wonder how Advocate Ferbrache might react in such a situation?
Report abuse
David
£2.5m turnover is a very conservative estimate, I know for a fact that one of the smaller businesses was turning over just under a million, add Christie’s, the Boathouse, the Swan etc and the £2.5m could be increased fairly substantially I’d imagine. Bearing in mind the gross profit margins involved it is indeed hard to see how the businesses could have failed. If private expenses were being paid from business funds would this not create the possibility of criminal charges?
Report abuse
Phil
Yes – I suspect that £2.5m is probably more like the turnover for Christies alone, so maybe £4m to £4.5m is more like it.
Yes, hypothetically of course, if private expenses were being paid from the business accounts without the approval of the other directors and shareholders then fraud or theft charges might result. Possibly hard to prove though, especially in a cash-driven business, and possibly would highlight the naivity of the directors and others shareholders, which would be professionally embarrassing for them but if enough was at stake then they’d probably risk it. Anyway, all hypothetical I assume?
Report abuse
David
Absolutely – far be it from me to call HH’s integrity into question!! Why, I can remember Peter Ferbrache himself reassuring everyone how HH was an honest man (after he was banned as a director in Northern Ireland, following activities that would have led to criminal charges in many other countries). I suspect that PF may think somewhat differently now!
Report abuse
Phil
I strongly suspect that you may be right. If only he knew then what he knows now (although of course he wouldn’t now be able to act for him, having sued him).
Report abuse
David
Adv Ferbrache enjoys his reputation as a top Lawyer. You are trying to mimimize the most basic management skills of any ‘high-flying’ businessman while investing a large sum of money; due diligence and delegation.
The most basic due diligence checks on Howard Holland would say “don’t touch with a barge pole” and if Adv Ferbrache is so very very busy because of all his committments why didn’t he simply ‘delegate’ one of his minions to check his investment with Mr Holland every quarter. This is basic stuff that even the bloke who manages the fishmongers at Safeways would do!!
Report abuse
Hey Howard, is ‘Basher’ down there with you by any chance?!
Report abuse
Phil
We’re seeing eye to eye again. Always have re HH and PF.
The biggest shark got away with the most fish this time. Trouble is we have all been paying for the shoals to be maintained for many years now and the authorities have consistently failed to check the waters for any signs of unwelcome predators. Holland and Rogan should never have been allowed to continue with directorships in Guernsey after being barred in Ireland.
Report abuse
Advocate Ferbrache, dealing with a man who had been struck off as a director in Ireland must have given you a clue.
Unfortunately not.
You pays your money and takes your chances.
Report abuse
I’m heading down there next month if anyone wants me to pass on a message?
Report abuse
he was always smug whenever i saw him…
I wish no ills on him, but come back, get a job like the rest of us and start paying it back !!!
Report abuse
Way to go Howard, enjoy yourself.
I bet most of posters here would like to be in your place.
The trouble is they`re so far up themselves and “holier than thou” that they haven`t the balls to admit it.
Report abuse
Peter
What a strange post. How many people do you really think would want to be in debt to the tune of who knows what (£1 million + ?) be facing the possbility of criminal charges, and in exile from their adopted homeland?
I doubt whether schmoozing with Z list celebrities compensates for all that, then again if you’re a particularly shallow person I suppose it may do. Which perhaps says it all?
Report abuse
Phil,
How very upright and public spirited you are, well done. Does Mr. Holland owe you anything? No? Then pray tell me what the hell it has to do with you or anyone except Mr. Holland and his debtors? Nothing at all so why do you feel you or anyone else has the right to comment on the situation?
You don`t know the full details of the dispute and never will.
Report abuse
Peter
Are you Peter Ferbrache by any chance?
We all have a right to comment on the situation – its in the public domain isn’t it? Until the full facts are published, its only natural that the public will speculate.
Report abuse
Peter
I speak as somebody who has seen the financial records of a business that HH was involved with, they were “interesting” to say the least, and I advised the people who engaged me to question the figures vigorously, which they did. The resulting drop in value of the said business was considerable, and quite rightly so.
Of course I don’t know the full details of the dispute (neither do you I imagine) however what I do know is the type of person that HH was/is. One only has to look at the Northern Ireland business to establish that.
That’s why I feel I’m able to comment on the situation, perhaps you could explain why you feel similarly.
Report abuse
I have to agree with Peter. Many sad cases here with little better in their lives other than passing judgement & commenting on all & sundry with things that don’t concern them.
Start thinking about your own lives before electing yourselves judge & jury on everybody else’s.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
So many contributors here are the epitome of perfection. Many appear to be experts on everything including what the cat just dragged in.
There seems to be a hardcore few dozen, “you know who you are,” with little else in their lives it would appear. Quite sad really. Especially at this time of year.
Report abuse
Jeepers Paul
Talk about pot & kettle. When I first came on to this scene every second or third rant was by Paul with the grey avatar
Report abuse
Be thankful for HH, if it wasn’t for him the Guernsey social scene would still be stuck in the 70′s!!! And if he dont owe you owt, how has it affected you?????
Report abuse
Ray
Nope, you are wrong. I have not got the time for that kind of activity. If only.
Report abuse
David
I don’t think Peter is Peter Ferbrache, as I’d expect PF to know the difference between a debtor and a creditor!!
Then again, perhaps accounting isn’t his strong point, which (thinking about it) could explain why he became involved with HH in the first place……
Report abuse
Phil
There are few more unequivocal facts in life than that lawyers and numbers do not go well together, except when calculating their fees !
Report abuse
i’m sure Howard and Peter are feeling every bit of what you all post, given the chance i would reckon they would have done things a little differant, “i’m not a fan” but when a boat starts sinking, self presurvation and the well being of your family comes first, in HHs case, being stuck in a small island with all the whispers and down the nose looks is not the place to be for someone wanting to recover or just forget the bad times……maybe, just maybe if he can re-group, the mountains may be leveled.
The way i see it, someones got a little burnt, ie PF, it will slowly heel.
Someones getting roasted, ie HH, those scares will never heel.
So lets not judge people on the mistakes that they have made, perhaps lets think about wishing them a speedy recovery, after all both have reched heights most can only dream about.
“forget the money guys, stay healthy and live to fight another day”
Report abuse