Coastal enclave sees house prices skyrocket after top beach honor... but there's a scandalous twist
Interest in New Jersey Shore town Atlantic Highlands is on the rise, and along with its affordable, small town charm, there's a unique attractions coming into the spotlight.
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Popular UK holiday park shuts for good after 47 years as gutted tourists say ‘such a shame'
HOL NO Popular UK holiday park shuts for good after 47 years as gutted tourists say 'such a shame' A POPULAR UK holiday park has shut its gates for good after nearly half a century – leaving loyal visitors heartbroken. The shock closure has sparked an outpouring of sadness, with regulars calling it 'such a shame'. Advertisement 4 It was often fully booked, especially during big city events Credit: 4 The shock closure has sparked an outpouring of sadness, with regulars calling it 'such a shame' Credit: Baltic Wharf Caravan and Motorhome Club site, on Bristol's harbourside, closed for the final time today. For 47 years it has been a firm favourite for tourists, offering 56 pitches in a prime waterfront spot beside the Floating Harbour. Guests enjoyed unbeatable views of the colourful Cliftonwood terraces and were just steps from top attractions like the SS Great Britain. It was often fully booked, especially during big city events. Advertisement But the land, owned by Bristol City Council, is being handed over to Goram Homes, the council's own housing developer, to build 166 flats. The move has proved hugely controversial among the caravanning community. This weekend saw the site packed for Bristol's balloon fiesta. By mid-morning today, only one or two caravans were left before the gates were shut for the last time. Advertisement In a statement, the Caravan Club said: 'Following a number of lease extensions, sadly the site will permanently close on 11 August 2025. "Thank you to everyone who has stayed with us at Baltic Wharf Club Campsite. Award-winning holiday park in St Ives "Our nearest alternative campsites are Cheddar Club Campsite and Bath Chew Valley Affiliated Club Campsite.' Many holidaymakers took to the club's website to share their disappointment. Advertisement One wrote: 'So sad that Baltic Wharf is finally closing. "We have many happy memories from visiting here, not just because Bristol is such an amazing city… it's such a shame that this site is closing.' 4 By mid-morning today, only one or two caravans were left before the gates were shut for the last time Credit: 4 The move has proved hugely controversial among the caravanning community Credit: Advertisement Another added: 'Sad times… the best place to cycle and get around, so sad this site has to close when it's nearly always full. "We will never visit Bristol again. We loved Baltic Wharf. Thanks for the best times.' With the caravans now gone, work to clear the site is due to start in the coming weeks. Goram Homes, working with the Hill Group, says the new development will feature cafes, shops and landscaped public spaces, opening up the area 'for the first time' to the wider public. Stephen Baker, Goram Homes' managing director, said: 'We cannot ignore the housing crisis… a significant portion of any profit we make will go back to the council, to be reinvested into the city or the development of more new homes.' Advertisement The closure now leaves Bristol without a main city centre caravan site, casting doubt over the future of caravan holidays in the area. For many, it's the end of an era and a goodbye to one of Britain's most unique urban camping spots. This follows a growing trend across the UK, with popular campsites and holiday parks shutting their gates as developers target prime locations for housing, luxury lodges, or commercial use. Advertisement In North Wales, a seaside park recently made way for high-end apartments, leaving regulars without a spot they'd booked for decades. In Cornwall, a cliff-top campsite closed after being sold to a luxury lodge operator, pricing out many returning families.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Win a three-night stay in a beautiful Scottish country estate with award-winning restaurant
YOU could spend the three nights in the beautiful Scottish countryside, looking out over the rolling hills. One lucky winner and a plus one can enjoy the beautiful stay at Wyndham Duchally Country Estate for free as part of this year's Sun Travel Awards. 5 5 Just an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, the retreat near Gleneagles is part of IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts and has a number of beautiful rooms on offer. There are the 55 lodges across the grounds, with two or three-bedroom offerings, along with kitchen and outdoor terraces. This is where you can bring your pup, as all of the lodges are dog-friendly. Otherwise head to the main house for their hotel rooms, as well as the award-winning Monteath's Restaurant. It's here where you will find locally sourced ingredients on the menu, as well as their afternoon tea and Sunday roast. Come back here for breakfast, which is included in the stay. Grab a drink at the Gatehouse Bar too, with the onsite gin distillery producing the Gatehouse Gin. You might even catch some live music on a Sunday. Need some relaxation? Head to the on-site Leisure Centre which has an indoor pool as well as a sauna, steam room and treatment rooms, next to a gym and hot tub. But the great outdoors can't be missed, with everything from cycling through the forests, trying your hand at golf or kayaking around the loch. How to enter To be in with a chance winning this trip or one of seven other incredible holidays to places like Mexico, the Caribbean and Greece, vote for your for your favourite travel companies and destinations in the form below. For the full list of prizes, see here. Pick at least one shortlisted entry in each category in this year's Sun Travel Awards. There are 11 categories in total. You have until the end of August 31, 2025, to vote. The winning companies will be presented with their Sun Travel Award at a special ceremony in autumn. Can't see the form? Click here. Please read our terms and conditions for full rules - including important info regarding dates and availability. Terms & Conditions Promotion closes at 23.59pm on August 31, 2025. Open to residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 years or older, excluding employees and agents of the Promoter and its group companies, or third parties directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion and their affiliates, and their immediate families and household members. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Prize must be booked and taken within 12 months of the Winner accepting the Prize, is subject to availability and black out dates apply including December 20, 2025 to January 3, 2026. Winner and his/her guests must travel on same itinerary. All parts of Prize must be used in conjunction with the same booking. Travel insurance, food and drink (outside what is previously declared in the board basis), spending money and all incidental expenses are the responsibility of the Winner. Prize is subject to IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts terms and conditions. Your information will be used to administer this Promotion and otherwise in accordance with our privacy policy at and those of the partners. Promoter is Times Media Ltd Full T&Cs apply - see here. 5
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Discrimination in travel: What does the law say, and what actually happens?
'It's made us feel unwelcome, disrespected,' said Jemma Louise Gough, 38, after the host of an Airbnb in Manchester cancelled a booking for her and a friend because they are from Wales. 'We just wanted a bed for the night 'she told Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio 5 Live. 'It's also made us feel judged for something unrelated to our character or intentions as a guest. 'I was so shocked that this is still happening in this day and age. If this was about race or religion, there would be global outrage. It comes in many forms, discrimination. But it all warrants attention. It's all unacceptable and it deserves to be spoken out about." So how widespread is discrimination in travel? These are the key questions and answers. How bad were the olden days? Shamefully for an industry that celebrates freedom and is devoted to bringing people together, travel has a long history of discrimination based on nationality, skin colour, sexual orientation and other factors. After the Second World War, some British hotels advertised the fact that they banned guests from Germany and Austria, and did not employ people from those locations. South Africa codified racial discrimination with the apartheid laws, restricting the movements of Black citizens and excluding them from better forms of transport. In 1953 the South African minister C R Swart claimed that segregating whites and Black people on the railways and in accommodation was essential. He warned: 'If they are continually to travel together on the trains and sleep in the same hotels, eventually we would have racial admixture.' Segregation was also enforced across much of the US. For three decades until 1966, African Americans wishing to explore their own country had to rely upon the Negro Motorist Green Book to find motels, restaurants and service stations that would serve them; a film about the book later won an Oscar. asked by cabin crew to move so that a heterosexual couple could sit together. In the same year, the Pontins holiday park chain instructed staff to decline or cancel bookings in the names of people who might be Irish travellers, including Gallagher, Murphy and Nolan. The firm has since said it is committed to comply with the Equality Act 2010. It's 2025: Anyone can go anywhere, right? The UK government says: 'It is against the law to discriminate against anyone because of age, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex [or] sexual orientation.' The statutes are augmented by case law. In 2011, a gay male couple were refused accommodation by B&B owners who said it was against their religious beliefs to allow two men to share a bed. The appeal court eventually decided in favour of the couple. Unfortunately, what the law requires and what actually happens can a long way apart. Consider a situation where somebody walks into a hotel and asks for a room for the night. It is possible that the person behind the desk may not like the prospective guest's accent, skin colour or T-shirt proclaiming a particular political view. They could simply say, 'Sorry, we are full'. Unless someone next in line without the same characteristics is immediately given a room, it would be impossible to prove discrimination. What do the accommodation platforms say? Both Airbnb and say they have zero tolerance for discrimination. reminds property owners that they are hosting people from different cultures and backgrounds who have different perspectives on acceptable behaviour. The firm tells owners: 'It's crucial that staff working at your property – especially guest-facing employees – are trained on what discrimination is and how to avoid it.' Airbnb concurs: 'Hosts may not decline guests based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While your views may be different than those of your guests, please remember that being an Airbnb host does not require that you endorse how your guests live. 'Our dedication to bringing people together by fostering meaningful and shared experiences rests on the principles of respect and inclusion.' Same-sex group bookings are sometimes banned. For example Butlin's says: 'Butlins is a family resort and in keeping with this caravans may not be let to persons under the age of 18 or to groups of the same sex.' The aim is to keep a lid on rowdy behaviour. Where else does discrimination take place? Many disabled people feel airlines discriminate against them. 'We want to make sure everyone has fair access to air travel' – so says the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Yet some disabled travellers feel they get a raw deal. Disability Rights UK says: 'The CAA's current regime of oversight for accessible air travel is limited and ineffective.' Airlines can refuse to carry disabled passengers 'if the size of the aircraft or its doors makes the embarkation or carriage of that disabled person or person with reduced mobility physically impossible'. Campaigners say that aircraft should be redesigned to accommodate the needs of disabled passengers. There are also all-too-frequent reports of special assistance failing at airports. Carriers say they do all they can to facilitate aviation for all, but the nature of aircraft means they cannot deliver the same degree of support as terrestrial transport is able to provide. What about age? Many holiday companies impose age limits, usually out of concern for other customers or simply because they feel they are offering trips for which older or younger travellers would not fit in. At the Hans Brinker hostel in Amsterdam, for example, dormitory beds have an age restriction of 18-40 years. Car-rental firms exclude young drivers, especially for high-end cars, and some impose upper age limits as well. Adventure travel companies often have age restrictions. These are among the key ages for travellers: Discrimination based on your travel history Some nations may use evidence in your passport against you. A previous visit to Israel could prevent you from visiting a number of countries, including Iran. The United States insists that travellers who have visited countries designated as 'State Sponsors of Terrorism' must apply for a visa to travel to the US, rather than the usual online Esta. The rule applies to anyone who has been in: Prospective visitors in the UK must attend an interview at the US Embassy in London or Consulate General in Belfast. They face a wait of at least two months for an appointment.
