Cymrophobia 2: The ‘Reverse Midas’

As I mentioned in the previous post, Jacques Protic has been involved in a number of business ventures. Nothing strange about that. What is strange is that these excursions into the world of commerce all seem to have ended in failure. From my research, and information received from contributors (and thank you all), I believe I am now in a position to list these ventures, in chronological order.

Before that, let’s look into the man’s background. He is a UK citizen born in 1945. There is a question over where he was born. According to ‘Brychan’ Protic speaks perfect English with a “twang of Wirral” and poor Serbian with a somewhat old-fashioned, perhaps even posh, accent. One possibility must be that his parents were Serb nationalists who left Jugoslavia towards the end of WWII. Because once it became clear that post-war Jugoslavia was to be communist or socialist, many Orthodox, royalist Serbs packed their bags, especially if they could in any way be linked with those ChetniksChetniks accused of collaborating with the Italian and German occupiers; worse perhaps was that many Chetniks had even fought against Tito’s Partisans. Though that said, if Protic did attend Belgrade High School, as he claims, would a son of Chetnik sympathisers be allowed back into Jugoslavia in, presumably, the early 1960s? Background information would be nice but it’s the Jacques Protic of Menai Bridge that we’re really interested in.

Incidentally, the term Chetnik was revived during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s; used by their enemies to describe any Serb in uniform or, more specifically, Serb irregular units. Nowadays the term seems confined to the extreme Right in Serbia and other areas. (See picture.) The distinctive Serbian cap is called a ‘sajkaca’.

While there have been many business ventures, it’s only fair to point out that during most of the period covered by these dips into the world of capitalism Protic had the sense to hang on to his ‘day job’. This was as UK agent for the German company Weiss Technik, makers of laboratory and medical equipment, from June 1990 to December 2006. Weiss Technik has a factory in Ebbw Vale, “England”.

I can’t help noticing that apart from a vague reference to ‘Belgrade High School’ and his diploma from Salford University, there is no information on Protic prior to 1990, which of course coincides with the beginning of the break-up of Jugoslavia and the subsequent fighting. Almost as if he had lain asleep and then, in 1990, when he was 45 years of age, someone pressed a button and he sprang into life. What was he doing before 1990? I can understand the Balkan wars energising someone of his background, but there’s no obvious connection between his business ventures and what was happening back home. So is it just coincidence? Whatever the reasons for his foray into entrepreneurialism, here is the list of the companies of which he has been a director, with the date of formation and the date when each company ceased to exist. I cannot promise that the list is complete.

  1. Environmental Engineering Systems Ltd 16 October, 1991 – Final Dissolution 31 March, 1998. Protic served as Director throughout the life of the company and also Company Secretary from 01 October, 1993 to 24 May, 2007. Trading address in Manchester.
  2. Ees Ultracare Ltd 04 June, 1992 – Final Dissolution 26 November, 1996. Protic served as Director and “Technologist”. No address found. Ees = Environmental Engineering Systems?
  3. Q Medical Science Ltd 25 January, 1996 – Final Dissolution 21 December 2004. Protic served as Director. Registered address and trading address at PKF in Manchester.
  4. Q-Med Plasma Technolgy Ltd 15 March 1996 – Dormant. Name changed 20 July, 1999 from EES International Ltd. Protic is Director. Based in Kingston Upon Thames.
  5. Q Plasma Technologies Ltd / Q Plasma Technologies (Holdings) Ltd 09 November 2001 (both) – 17 January 2006 (both). Protic served as Managing Director of both. Based in Liverpool. What does the ‘Q’ stand for?
  6. Solid Solution Ltd 08 July, 2002 – Final Dissolution 15 November 2011. Protic served as Company Secretary from 18 December, 2006 to 24 May, 2007. Registered address and trading address in Liverpool.
  7. Ebsol Ltd 08 January, 2008 – Final Dissolution and Striking Off 15 March, 2011. Bit of a mystery this one. Based in same address (more likely, ‘letter-box’) in Kingston Upon Thames as Q-Med Plasma Technology, but also with a ghostly presence in Llangefni. Change of name 22 April, 2008 from Ebuild Services Ltd. No accounts were ever filed. The only other person involved with this company, Gareth Iwan Whalley, now works for the DVLA in Swansea.

So, what have we got here? The companies Protic has been involved with (with two exceptions) seem to be in the same line of business as his employer, Weiss Technik; that is, laboratory and medical equipment. The first exception is Solid Solutions Ltd, which dealt in fruit and vegetable juice(!); and Ebsol which, as the name might suggest, was doing something with solar panels, but with no great success.

The most interesting of his ventures was Q Plasma Technolgies, registered at John Moores University in Liverpool. It seems to have been formed to promote an invention that was submitted by Jacques Protic for a US Patent, using a specialist law firm based just outside Washington DC. This would not have been cheap, but fortunately funding was obtained in the form of debentures from HSBC and, more importantly, I’m told, a grant, or loan, from the Merseyside Special Investment Fund. This is EU funding much like the funding large parts of Wales receives. But, true to form, this venture also went belly-up. Proving yet again that Jacques Protic has the ‘Reverse Midas’.

Given that the companies Protic started up were capitalising on technological expertise and other things – such as potential customers – that he might have gained as the UK agent for Weiss Tecknik, was this strictly kosher? And why, given his contacts on the continent, did he apply for a US patent with Q Plasma Technologies rather than an EU patent? Then again, a more innocent interpretation might be that this was his field after all . . . even though he has no academic qualifications.

Bryn DuWhen he applied for the US patent Jacques Protic’s address was Bryn Du, Llanbedrgoch, an old long house, just inland from Benllech and Red Wharf Bay. A beautiful detached property with 1.5 acres of land attached, selling for over £300,000. (Shown left.) He now lives in Menai Bridge in what looks like a council property. If he owned Bryn Du, then there’s a possibility it was put up as collateral with Q Plasma Technolgies or one of his other companies, and he forfeited it. If so, then this, coupled with the loss of Serbia’s mini-empire might have tipped him over the edge to become what we see today.

By whatever route he reached his present state, I conclude that Jacques Protic is a broken reed, still capable of making ugly noises when a Welsh breeze catches him, but a man of little consequence; an irritant, but nothing more. After what I’ve unearthed I’m almost feeling sorry for him. Almost.

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Welsh not British

“From Chester, Cheshire”.
https://www.facebook.com/jacques.protic

Hywel Ddrwg

http://www.iwl.me

This is a website that analyses text statistically to suggest which famous author’s style the work resembles.

Funnily enough, the text on both the Glasnost and Bilingo websites resemble the authorship of HP Lovecraft. It’s worth noting that the style of ‘Welsh Patriot’s’ post also resembles the style of Mr. Lovecraft.

Strange that eh?

I don’t know how accurate this site is but it’s amazing what I’ll do to avoid watching CBB!

Welsh not British

I just pasted your post into that link and it says you write like HP Lovecraft. Are you Mr Prolapse in disguise? 🙂

Jac o' the North

I’ve been to the ‘forum’ but see no reason for joining. I don’t really care who ‘Banned’ is. He’s obviously an idiot. He accused me of identifying the house where Protic lives and the school his children go to. If he read my post he’d grasp that the photo is of the house where Protic used to live, and that showing it is important in the context of the post. As for the school, Protic identified that himself with his letter. Though it must be questioned if a man of 68 has children in infants school.

Important point about these buggers is what’s given away in the reference to “railroads”. The Welsh language is just a lightning rod for a much more comprehensive rejection of all things Welsh. This is the “package” I referred to in the previous post. They can argue about Welsh language education and try to make it an education matter or, in Protic’s case, a ‘human rights’ issue. They can attack nationalists like me, arguing that we represent a minority opinion, But the bottom line is they want to do away with everything that makes Wales different to England.

Jac o' the North

There is an article here, on the Glasnost website, by Protic moaning about education in Conwy. If you’re right about who’s behind Glasnost then what does this say about Protic? http://www.glasnost.org.uk/2013/04/glasnost-is-back/

As for ‘Banned’, ‘Bilingo’, ‘Mo Patel’, ‘Craig ap Dafydd’, ‘Cliffoch ap Cliffoch’, ‘Welsh Patriot’ (who has posted a comment above) and all the rest, I find it’s easier to think of them as one person, one sad and twisted individual.

Jac o' the North

Since the Swans game finished I’ve been looking at the Glasnost blog, and it’s all the work of Protic. He identifies himself as “editor” and he has written and signed all three articles published since February 27, 2012.

Despite Protic introducing the blog thus: “Glasnost is a relatively new independent organisation aiming to provide its readers and supporters with fresh perspectives upon social and cultural issues that affect daily lives of people in the UK. Whenever possible we aim to expose and question excesses, institutionalised arrogance and other abuses of democracy and basic human rights”, all three articles have – surprise, surprise – been attacks on the Welsh language.

He grandly introduces his blog as covering a wide range of issues “that affect daily lives of people in the UK” but cannot get away from his obsessive hatred for the Welsh language. What interest does anyone in Kent or Kirkudbright have in his rantings about the Welsh language? And note how – as he does elsewhere – he tries to turn it into an issue of “basic human rights”. In other words, denying him a platform for his bigotry is a denial of his human rights! Or perhaps calling him a liar and a bigot infringes his human rights.

And also note how BBC Wales refuses to give him a hearing – because they’re also part of the conspiracy! The man is a sad, mad old twat who’s best ignored. Which is what I shall do from now on unless he, or someone acting on his behalf, comes at me.

The 01244 STD code covers a wide area, including Chester. Given his connections with that town I don’t think we need to consider BNP involvement.

Andy Williams

if you google an std code and the first two numbers following it it will narrow it down further

Anon

There’s no doubt who’ behind that site.

http://www.nominet.org.uk/whois/lookup?query=www.glasnost.org.uk

Brychan

British diplomatic status had been awarded to a Mr
Dragoslav Protic, a ‘chetnik/royalist’, from Serbia. It lasted from 11th October
1941 and was removed on 1st May 1942. This was removed by the British Foreign
Office due to a change in which of the partisan groups the allies supported in
the Balkans. This would normally have resulted in Dragoslav and the residential
family experiencing immediate internment, typically to the Isle of Man. Had he
been deemed hostile, by collaboration, he would have remained there for the
duration. Any released internees in 1945 were housed in North West of England,
if they could not be deported.

http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/15887/pages/62/page.pdf

http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/15936/pages/294/page.pdf

In this period it would have been common for
internees suspected of collaboration to award new-borns ‘French’ or other
neutral forenames to avoid adverse sentiment. The Immigration Act 1971 would
have finally conferred British nationality to any person born under this
situation. Commonwealth Subjects (reside) but not a British Citizen applied,
that is, up until the 1971 Act, which provided patriality. This revelation may
be completely coincidental but I do notice Mr Jacques Protic does appear to
have moved his birth date depending on his political or business activities,
which, on official documents he has signed, ranges between 1943 to 1945.

It should be noted that it was the people of Wales
including the speakers of the Welsh language who provided the kindertransport
refuge for Jewish mothers at Castell Gwrych (the one he drives past on his
Chester commute) during this awful time. They would be most upset in the way
such hospitality and kindness has been sullied by the obnoxious anti-Welsh
vitriol disseminating from the likes of Mr Jacques Protic.

If he is old enough to remember, he is old enough
to dissist from such hatred.

Jac o' the North

It’s all falling into place. If this is Jacques Protic’s father then it would seem to confirm the royalist-chetnik background. But of course he himself is innocent of anything his father might have done. What is perhaps more interesting is that the year of his birth seems to vary. I also noticed this in my digging. But what advantage would he get from doing it? And, surely, in some circumstances it would be illegal.

Brychan

It would be extremely unusual for someone educated
in a Belgrade High School to have to resort to asking for a good recipe
for čevapčiči
on the ‘English Speakers Corner’ of a Serbian cookery discussion forum.
Perhaps his education attainments and background claims are false, but I do hope
he managed to find a suitable solution to his culinary
requirements.

http://discussion.beograd.com/messages/671/14248.html?1121976996

I have recently found the Kebab
shops of Menai Bridge to produce a somewhat inferior product, not what I have
become used to. Mr Protic may well have chanced upon an idea for his latest
business venture. Wales has an abundant tradition of international
cuisine….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qEnjHoNyX8

Yum Yum.

Jac o' the North

I don’t know how to say this, but, um . . . well, I fear Mr P. may be a fibber.

Welsh Patriot

Having read your blog, it appears to me you lack valid counter arguments to challenge Mr Protic’s viewpoints on Glasnost and elsewhere. If I may say it, your cause would be far better served by concentrating your energies to promote the Welsh language and its virtues, rather than using what appears to be a form of character assassination which in my view can be highly counterproductive?

I happen to know Mr Protic reasonably well and what you say about him is highly distorted and speculative. Mr Protic is not a Welsh hater as you call him but a highly committed individual to human rights causes who truly cares for his community and has many Welsh speaking friends who agree with him and I have seen this in few public meetings that I attended when Mr Protic was there.

Rather than assuming the worst you need to understand that people who work in Intellectual Property (IP) sector often dissolve their companies once the IP is sold and I suspect this fact may have escaped you? Perhaps irrelevant to you but Mr Mr Protic has an impeccable blue chip proffesional background.

I’d be surprised if you publish this but as we say in Wales ‘There must be a Fair Play’ and perhaps you might consider a different approach to voice your passion for the Welsh language and its survival in place of what can only be seen as a witch hunt and a hate campaign against individuals that you see as threat?

Jac o' the North

Ah, so it’s all about ‘human rights’. Silly me. And the IP angle won’t wash either.

Andy Williams

His so-called friends didn’t think that much of him or his beliefs at the council elections did they.

Leigh Richards

that’s quite track record of business acumen you’ve unearthed there jac! Certainly beeb execs needn’t fret too much if ‘sir alan’ is called to that great amstrad in the sky, as there’s clearly a ready made replacement available for the programme in the shape of Mr Protic! And lets hope his ‘winning streak’ continues with regards to the insidious and coordinated McCarthyite smear campaign directed against all things welsh….

you could be forgiven for thinking that graham nash had protic in mind when he penned this song …

Leigh Richards

oops……. the aforementioned song….:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_-XSGcjIhM

Tarian

FYI the London Gazette for August 10th 1971 lists a Dusan Protic (also known as Jacques) being granted a certificate of naturalisation. The gentleman was originally from Yugoslavia and was based in Southport (Lancs) in 1971. No idea if he is the man you are interested in.

Could you highight the blog e-mail address as I can’t find it.

Jac o' the North

That could be our man. The area he’s living looks right. But of course it doesn’t tell us when he arrived in the UK. He could have come as a baby or as a young man. Can you provide a link?

Emlyn

Protic, Diu’san (known as Jacques Protic) ; Yugoslavia ; 37 Lyndhurst Road, Birkdale, Southport, Lancashire. 7th June 1971. (http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/45445/pages/8633)

Jac o' the North

The link seems to be broken.

Welsh not British