Latest news with #Guinan
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Family-run caravan park near Edinburgh named best in Scotland
Linwater Caravan Park, located in the village of Newbridge, 12 miles west of the Scottish capital, was named Best Caravan Park at the Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025, as well as receiving a runner-up position in the Hospitality Champion of the Year category. The family firm, which was founded in 1998 by the Guinan family, was recognised for its customer service and continuous investment in the park's facilities, along with its commitment to providing a consistently high-quality experience for guests. Open all year round, the holiday park offers holidaymakers pitches for caravans, motorhomes, campervans, and tents, alongside a range of self-catering holiday lodges and static caravans. The site also boasts a fully equipped camper's kitchen, an onsite shop, a dog walking area, and a playpark. Linwater owner Katie Guinan said she is 'incredibly grateful' to her loyal guests and is looking forward to the future of the park. She said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for a second year. To be recognised again by the Scottish Hospitality Awards is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing how many amazing parks we were up against. 'We're also hugely proud to have been named runners-up for the overall Hospitality Champion of the Year. 'This recognition is a true testament to the dedication and resilience of our small team, who continue to go above and beyond – especially at a time when rising business costs, including increases in employer National Insurance, have made things more challenging than ever. 'Their hard work, positivity, and commitment to providing the best guest experience is what keeps Linwater special.' She added: 'We're incredibly grateful to our loyal guests for their continued support, and we look forward to building on this success together.' In March, Linwater Caravan Park was named in this year's Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards – with the accolade given based on consistently high reviews on the travel site. The park previously announced it is set to unveil a new static caravan terrace after pouring £200,000 into the project. The family said it will transform a previously unused area into a 'stunning accommodation space,' featuring two new luxury lodges and six brand-new static caravans. A spokesperson for The Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025 added: 'We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and businesses across Scotland's hospitality sector. 'The winners and the shortlisted nominees reflect the very best of the industry—those who go above and beyond to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. Congratulations to all on their remarkable achievements.'
The National
25-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Family-run caravan park near Edinburgh named best in Scotland
Linwater Caravan Park, located in the village of Newbridge, 12 miles west of the Scottish capital, was named Best Caravan Park at the Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025, as well as receiving a runner-up position in the Hospitality Champion of the Year category. The family firm, which was founded in 1998 by the Guinan family, was recognised for its customer service and continuous investment in the park's facilities, along with its commitment to providing a consistently high-quality experience for guests. Open all year round, the holiday park offers holidaymakers pitches for caravans, motorhomes, campervans, and tents, alongside a range of self-catering holiday lodges and static caravans. READ MORE: Fraudster jailed for 3 years over £550K Scottish tea scam The site also boasts a fully equipped camper's kitchen, an onsite shop, a dog walking area, and a playpark. Linwater owner Katie Guinan said she is 'incredibly grateful' to her loyal guests and is looking forward to the future of the park. She said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for a second year. To be recognised again by the Scottish Hospitality Awards is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing how many amazing parks we were up against. 'We're also hugely proud to have been named runners-up for the overall Hospitality Champion of the Year. 'This recognition is a true testament to the dedication and resilience of our small team, who continue to go above and beyond— especially at a time when rising business costs, including increases in employer National Insurance, have made things more challenging than ever. 'Their hard work, positivity, and commitment to providing the best guest experience is what keeps Linwater special.' She added: 'We're incredibly grateful to our loyal guests for their continued support, and we look forward to building on this success together.' In March, Linwater Caravan Park was named in this year's Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards – with the accolade given based on consistently high reviews on the travel site. The park previously announced it is set to unveil a new static caravan terrace after pouring £200,000 into the project. The family said it will transform a previously unused area into a 'stunning accommodation space,' featuring two new luxury lodges and six brand-new static caravans. A spokesperson for The Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025 added: 'We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and businesses across Scotland's hospitality sector. 'The winners and the shortlisted nominees reflect the very best of the industry—those who go above and beyond to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. Congratulations to all on their remarkable achievements.'
The Herald Scotland
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Caravan park wins 'best in Scotland' for second year running
The small, family-run park also earned the runner-up position in the overall award category – Hospitality Champion of the Year. Founded in 1998 by the Guinan family, Linwater Caravan Park offers 60 pitches for caravans, campervans, motorhomes, and tents, as well as a range of self-catering lodges and static caravans. READ MORE: Katie Guinan, Linwater Caravan Park Owner, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for a second year. 'To be recognised again by the Scottish Hospitality Awards is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing how many amazing parks we were up against. We're also hugely proud to have been named runners-up for the overall Hospitality Champion of the Year. 'This recognition is a true testament to the dedication and resilience of our small team, who continue to go above and beyond – especially at a time when rising business costs, including increases in employer National Insurance, have made things more challenging than ever. Their hard work, positivity, and commitment to providing the best guest experience is what keeps Linwater special. Linwater Caravan Park (Image: Supplied) 'We're incredibly grateful to our loyal guests for their continued support, and we look forward to building on this success together.' A spokesperson for The Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025 said: 'We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and businesses across Scotland's hospitality sector. "The winners and the shortlisted nominees reflect the very best of the industry - those who go above and beyond to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. Congratulations to all on their remarkable achievements.'
Irish Daily Mirror
16-06-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Teacher jailed for oral rape of student banned from classrooms for 20 years
A former secondary school teacher who was convicted of the oral rape of one of his students over 30 years ago has been struck off from the register of teachers. An inquiry panel of the Teaching Council directed that the teacher, Patrick Joseph Bardon, be removed from the register and barred from reapplying to be eligible to teach for 20 years after it concluded his offending was 'fundamentally incompatible' with the teaching profession. Bardon was given a 10-year prison sentence with the final two years suspended in October 2023 after being convicted following a six-day trial of 11 charges of oral rape of one of his male students on dates between October 1992 and March 1994. The identity of the student and the name of the school where Bardon was teaching cannot be published on direction of the inquiry panel. The former teacher of English, who is currently serving his prison sentence at the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, did not attend the inquiry and was not legally represented. Announcing the inquiry's findings on Monday, the panel's chairperson, Adrian Guinan, said Bardon's offending was 'at the very highest end of the spectrum of wrongdoing' and represented 'an egregious breach of trust.' Mr Guinan said the former teacher had demonstrated a pattern of grooming over a 20-month period which involved getting his victim to watch pornography. He said the teacher should have been aware of the vulnerability of his victim and how his conduct could inflict lifelong injuries. The chairperson said the sanction was imposed in order to protect the public and specifically children as well as the reputation of the teaching profession and the integrity of the regulatory process. He also noted that Bardon had been assessed as being at a moderate risk of reoffending. Mr Guinan said the panel had taken into consideration that Bardon previously had a blemish-free record and was relatively young when the offences took place, while he was also caring for his father at the time. He also acknowledged the teacher had demonstrated insight and noted the Teaching Council's sanction was not designed to further punish the teacher who had already received a custodial sentence and had lost his job. The inquiry heard Bardon had written to the Teaching Council in which he stated he fully accepted that the regulatory body would remove his name from the register and prevent him from teaching. Bardon, who is now in his mid-50s, said he would not contest the allegation that his criminal conviction for the offence of rape affected his fitness to teach. The teacher told the Teaching Council that he did not believe any more time or money should be spent on the matter and urged it to reach its conclusions as quickly as possible. He also asked that publicity about the case could be avoided. Bardon acknowledged that the inquiry into his fitness to teach was 'an open and shut case.' He also accepted that he must live with the consequences of his actions for the remainder of his life and asked the Teaching Council to take his punishment of a prison sentence into consideration. In an earlier submission, counsel for the Teaching Council, Joanne Williams BL, had urged the inquiry panel to send out a message about the unacceptability of the teacher's conduct. Ms Williams said it had been 'utterly reprehensible' and 'incompatible with the teaching profession.' She outlined how the offending had taken place in the teacher's house when one of his male students was helping him to correct mock papers. She said the offending began when the student was aged 15 and the accused was aged 23. Ms Williams said aggravating factors were the student-teacher relationship and the significant breach of trust. She said the student had provided a victim impact statement to the court in which he outlined how the offences had profoundly affected his life. She said the victim had contemplated suicide while what happened had also affected his relationship with his parents. He also suffered sleep disturbance, flashbacks and nightmares. The inquiry heard that Bardon, who had no previous convictions, had subsequently apologised unreservedly to his victim and expressed disappointment with himself at the sentencing hearing in the case. Ms Williams said the judge accepted the teacher's remorse was genuine.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fundraiser started after 5-vehicle crash ‘totaled' family's only car
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — A San Angelo family has launched a GoFundMe online fundraiser after a crash involving five vehicles reportedly resulted in their only car being 'wrecked and left totaled.' The crash occurred on Wednesday, June 4, near the 600 block of West 29th Street. According to a San Angelo Police Department officer at the scene, the collision happened after a white Chevrolet Suburban traveling westbound on 29th Street crashed into a silver Nissan Sentra that was traveling eastbound on the same street. The Suburban then left the roadway, striking a blue Chevy Colorado before continuing into a parking lot just outside of a nearby Cato Fashions store located in a strip mall. The vehicle then struck a silver Dodge Challenger, which in turn was pushed into a dark gray Dodge Challenger. The SAPD told a Concho Valley Homepage reporter that the driver of the Suburban may have suffered a medical complication while driving, causing the crash. The motorist was transported to the hospital. RELATED: 5 vehicle crash sends 1 person to the hospital The fundraiser's webpage states that the family of four's sole car was 'wrecked and left totaled' due to the incident. Johnny Guinan, the fundraiser's organizer, said he now owes $15,000 despite the car's estimated value being 'only $5,000.' Worsening matters for the family is their financial situation before the five-vehicle crash. Guinan stated on the webpage that an injury caused by a crash that occurred approximately one year ago has 'drained' the family's savings and forced him to switch jobs. 'We are just asking for some help getting a new car or getting ours fixed; any little bit helps,' the GoFundMe reads. As of the time of publication, the fundraiser has garnered $25 for the family. To visit the GoFundMe webpage, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
