Blackstone Franks - now known as Blevins Franks - started out its rise in Spain together with The Entertainer. This was in 1985. In those days, Mike Connolly the manager of the paper gave them a free page in all editions in the hope of raising more financial advertising. There would be an advert with some 'caution' or 'warning', together with an article - as often as not, written by Bill Blevins. How much advertising came from our paper running the Blackstone Franks loss-leader? Well, we started a monthly financial insert called 'Blue Chip' on the back of the various banks, money-lenders, IFAs and the occasional scoundrel that preyed on the Brits.
After about a dozen years, I managed to persuade Bill Blevins to pay 100 pounds a week for his presence - not so bad on a print-run in the early nineties of 40,000 copies.
I got to know Bill quite well and to a lesser degree his partner David Franks (who, when he came to Mojácar, would put on his shorts and singlet and go jogging).
But, they are bean-counters. Money men. They follow the dosh.
When the... (*edited by Court Order*)...
In all those years - despite me starting another smaller newspaper, despite various attempts to contact them and so on - I have never heard back from Blevins Franks.
I would imagine that this is for two reasons. Both to do with money.
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