The invasion of the Umbrella People

I do not agree with Ronald Hughes, in his letter Book Me a Sunbed (August 24). Just because he does not bring his umbrella with him from England it does not mean locals and other tourists have no reason to complain about the umbrellas and sunbeds taking up two-thirds of Ghadira Bay.

And he is wrong, the total bay area is not big. It is the area occupied by the pre-set umbrellas which Mr Hughes must have seen big.

I was passing by Ghadira Bay at 7.45 a.m. around a month ago and more than two-thirds of the beach was already lined with umbrellas with two sunbeds each. Only a small section of the least beautiful part of the bay on the right hand side (facing the sea) was free, a part of the bay my friends and I used to avoid.

Years ago when I used to spend whole days at this beach (I now prefer the beautiful relatively untouched Riviera/Ghajn Tuffieha - let us hope it remains so) one could have an umbrella and/or sunbeds upon request (this is the system also currently being used at Riviera) and point out to the Umbrella Man the preferred site to place it. That gave equal opportunity for people who rented umbrellas and those who brought their own.

So I don't see why Mr Hughes is making a fuss about "some people kicking up such a fuss" on this issue. They have every right to do so. It is their right to place their beach gear wherever they like, just as much as foreigners have a right to rent theirs out to make the hot summer days more comfortable and bearable at the beach. Only it should be done fairly.

The question remains: Do these Umbrella People have a government permit to make the beaches practically their own? If yes, that is stupid. If no, that is cheeky. And what about VAT receipts which we rarely seem to notice being handed out?