Cynthia Busuttil
Fall changes man's retirement plans
Colin Farrar will return in the UK on February 10 with no plans to return. Right: The hole he fell into near the Buġibba promenade. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli.
A stroll around his new hometown of Buġibba landed a 70-year-old British man in a deep hole in the pavement, with a fractured hip - and a change in retirement plans.
Colin Farrar, from Yorkshire, ended in "excruciating pain" less than a month after he moved to Malta, where he planned to retire.
Two months after the accident, which left him unable to walk, the deep hole in Dolmen Street, opposite the Buġibba promenade, has still not been patched up, but is only covered by a makeshift green-painted short wooden plank.
Sitting on the sofa in the seafront apartment he is renting with partner Rita Dean, Mr Farrar recalled how the two were wandering around the neighbourhood, trying to get acquainted with the town they planned to start calling home.
But as they turned round the corner, Mr Farrar suddenly tripped, ending up on his side, writhing in pain. "All of a sudden, he was sprawled on the ground, in a lot of pain," Ms Dean said.
The elderly man was rushed to hospital where he was found to be suffering from a fractured hip. He spent days bed-bound and in great pain.
"I was unable to move my left leg at all. Getting out of bed was not an option," the retired lorry driver said.
Six days after the accident he underwent surgery to fix his hip, but has been told he might still need a hip replacement in future.
More than two months after his accident, Mr Farrar is still barely able to walk, and has to use a walking frame to take a few steps. The experience has changed the couple's plans to retire in Malta, and they are packing their bags and flying out of the island on February 10, with no intention of returning.
Contacted yesterday, St Paul's Bay mayor Graziella Galea said the council was aware of the hole in the pavement and had already asked a contractor to fix it. Ms Galea said she will be calling the contractor again tomorrow to ensure that the work is done.
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Elleri Lewis
Feb 2nd 2009, 11:30
@Bartolo Snr., I agree. Perhaps you can re read my mail. The roads in Wales mat be better as we spend millions more than you, but the holes are just as dissapointing and our local councils do not take responsibility just as yours dont. Local council is a communist Idea and do not serve local people as thye fail to take responsibility. As you righty say, English people find it unfreindly to retire in most parts of Wales for reasons you give. I too am glad to know our NHS is not burdened with them and that Malta thinks it can deal with British pensioners. Perhaps the root of Maltese problems are holes in the System that encourages more people to move in (unless they are from Africa ofcourse) Very Christian. We dont make it easy by inviting foreigners but we measure them by the money they bring with them rather on humanitarian grounds as Christians and Civilised people should do. All Mlata wants is people with money and you are not prepared to cater for them. The rest, well that's not your problem. It might be cold, wet, damp & unfriendly - but its peacefull !
Christine Evans
Feb 2nd 2009, 09:24
Malta will lose a lot more UK pensioners, if they dont do something about the state of the ROADS & PAVEMENTS. In the UK the roads & pavements are NOT perfect, BUT compared to Malta they are wonderful. What message is this sending to people who want to retire to this Beautiful Island.
The message is simple DONT drive because the roads are sooooooo bad,
DONT walk because the pavements are so uneven with holes everywhere.
Bad publicity is the last thing we want for Malta. With the credit crunch affecting everyone Malta will suffer without BAD PUBLICITY. Malta has a lot going for it, friendly people, climate and wonderful history to name a few. These issues need to be adressed NOW !! NOW!! NOW!! before it is too late.
F.Bartolo Snr.
Feb 2nd 2009, 01:24
@Elleri Lewis don't mean to be nasty but who the hell wants to live in Wales in any case,certainly not i, firstly because i lived there for a short time,was sick with the flu for the duration due to the dump, cold and wet & nasty weather and secondly i didn't think the Welsh are a friendly nation , just ask the English,thats why all the retired taffis come to malta because they can't find better then our island., as far as the pot holes, well i agree the council should take note Pronto! but don't tell me that pot holes do not exist in Wales or anywhere else in Britain, Spain or Greece.,however i also symphatise with Mr.Ferrar it could have been worse-well... it could have been me falling down that hole (Just joking) good luck anyway *Malta is not such a bad place when one look where he is going,and being such a small island at least the locals are friendly and always ready to help out, ie., from these comments below they are all on your side including myself.
oliver mallia
Feb 1st 2009, 21:45
Give my sympathy to Mr Farrar, but as shown on photo, the slabs on the pavement are for a kind of services. More over the cracks between slabs are not plastered or full with dusts. This means that the hole is being opened frequently. So I don’t think that the local council is responsible for it.
Joe Grima
Feb 1st 2009, 19:31
J Borg. I disgaree with you. There are many reasons why foreigners should choose Malta to retrire to. Mr Farrar's accident should never have happened had not the Council been incompetent and the Mayor as complacent as she sounds.Mr Farrell should not lose heart and leave because he will find many friends and supporters in this country who sympathise with him.. His duty to himself and to his famiiy is to SUE the council's pants off and then we'll see if the great accountability that we all speak of will be upheld by the Courts.
Brian Maloret. The fact that the situation in Wales may be worse than ours does not in any way excuse the Council's incompetence . This Council should be taken for every penny they have for allowing a situation like that to perpetuate itself leading to severe injury and perhaps permanent disability. Those are quantifiable elements at law. The Mayor in this case should be made to resign or better still, should be sacked for sheer dereliction of duty.
As a Maltese citizen I offer my sincere apologes and my support to Mr Farrar.
Charles DeMicoli
Feb 1st 2009, 16:21
How do you spell incompetence....This gaping 'trap' has been there for over 2 months?!? If the council knew about this accident-waiting-to-happen, why wasn't it treated as an emergency and repaired right away?
@Jeff Mead: some of your comments are appreciated, some are not.
J. Borg
Feb 1st 2009, 16:00
Why anyone would wish to retire in this country is beyond me. The climate is pleasant for less than half the year and there are few of the conveniences that one takes for granted in much of Western Europe. The streets are dirty and full of holes, and you risk your life trying to get to the other side. Everything except bread is more expensive, customer service is horrendous and - especially if you're a foreigner - you risk being skinned alive when you call a plumber, an electrician, or a handyman.
Doreen Camilleri
Feb 1st 2009, 14:39
" to ensure the work is done" !! hello?! Mr Farrar should be compensated big time by the careless contractor as well as to us all for even thinking of being so irresponsible!!...and should be the way to go...
A Cardona
Feb 1st 2009, 14:33
The improvement in joining the EU is seen in a few people's pockets which were really deep already and are now bottomless, whereas the rest of us had been fleeced out of every penny already, and now have absolutely nothing but debts, crime and illegals.
Viva Gonzi u l-UE.
Brian Maloret
Feb 1st 2009, 13:33
When I retired to live in Bugibba several years ago I too had several nasty falls although thankfully I was not seriously injured. The pavements (and roads) in this area are a disgrace and yet the local council do nothing about the problem. Perhaps it does need for someone to sue and receive substanial compensation before the council take this problem more seriously than they do now.
Elleri Lewis
Feb 1st 2009, 13:15
A lot of good comments and feedback; BUT hey, this is not unique to Malta to have Council Authorities useless, paerticularly at be responsible for damaged holes on road surface and people getting hurt. You should try living in Wales. Similar story to this Person, ofcourse he went back home to the Isle of Wight and the Welsh Council were pleased that another English foreigner decided not to retire here. As for the hole on the road, its still here and no-one has the ability to have such incidents land up on the Welsh National paper - so at least in Malta it get to be reported wideley, in Wales , Not at all.
albert rausi jnr
Feb 1st 2009, 12:02
When are you all going to realise that all we have are a bunch of posers with expensive suits and ties.
k.deguara
Feb 1st 2009, 11:54
One reason why I voted yes to the EU was precisely to have a watchdog looking down on us as we seem to be unable to get our act together. No one is accountable in this godforsaken country unless we are taken to international court ans that's what Mr. Farrar should do. I know i speak against my own countrymen but in favour of my country. An injury to a foreigner is the worst kind of advertisement we could get.
Jeff Mead
Feb 1st 2009, 11:25
If i were in his shoes i would SUE them all and take them all the way to the cleaners and even to the european courts to add to the many complaints pending on Malta.Yet we see posters plastered all over our buses in the UK and even by bus stops in the Nehterlands i noticed and places such as Germany and Italy, i say before giving false advertisements get your act together and come down to earth with the rest of the civilized world Charlie boy. I symphatise with Mr.Farrar and hope he will get better treament back in Blighty. Let this be a warning to my countrymen before contemplating retiring in your country, beware of the unforseen downfalls.
Deo Catania
Feb 1st 2009, 10:54
Local Councils are totally useless. Just a waste of time and money.
Paul Micallef
Feb 1st 2009, 10:44
One thing i have to say, SUE,them.
Is someone accountable in this country or not??We have PROJECT MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS, WTOs, WARDENS, POLICE MAN, LOCAL,COUNCIL,,,,and nobody sore that hole????? I think a time has come that the E.U is going to PAY us MALTESE a million EUROS each,and KICK us out,as i really cannot understand where the improvement is, since we joined.