Latest news with #DavidHartley
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Our village was made famous by huge TV show – now busloads of brash tourists block our driveways… nowhere's off-limits
Bus loads of tourists come to see locations from the historical drama series TOURIST TROUBLE Our village was made famous by huge TV show – now busloads of brash tourists block our driveways… nowhere's off-limits Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RESIDENTS of a town made famous by a hit TV show have hit out at brazen tourists who peer through their windows and block their driveways. Bampton in Oxfordshire was made famous by the hit period piece with several locations across the village used in filming. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Locals have been subjected to tourists peering in their windows Credit: Twitter - @markchristie 5 St Mary's church features heavily in the show Credit: David Hartley Locals have said the town, which features in Downton Abbey, has become a magnet for tourism and now attracts thousands of brash visitors a year. Some residents told the Telegraph that the tourism has made them a small fortune and helped to improve local amenities. Others have slammed the tourists, demanding their quant village be freed of "brash American accents." Residents of Bampton have told horror stories of their encounters with tourists. Locals have been subjected to selfie-sticks appearing at bedroom windows, tourists wandering into their back gardens and buses blocking up narrow streets. Guided tours of the village are offered to fans of the hit show with some charging as much as £500. Busloads of fans are taken around the small village to visit filming locations made famous by the British drama series. Local shop owners have claimed at one point they were making £1,000 a day from the tourists. The thousands of pounds raised from visiting TV fans has been used to fund renovation works to buildings. Local services have also been improved using the massive wealth brought into the community. Despite all this locals still hit out saying they've had enough of nosey tourists peering in their windows and obstructing their driveways. One resident told The Telegraph: "My friend overheard a tour guide say that Bampton was nothing before Downton Abbey. "Let me tell you – Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand." 'I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway. They just go everywhere.' The small village was used for several scenes in the hit show which ended ten years ago. 5 Highclere castle, the main filming location, is more than forty miles away from Bampton Credit: Getty 5 Tourists pay £500 for guided tours of the towns filming locations Credit: SWNS 5 Bus loads of tourists are brought into the small town Credit: SWNS Even though it has been a decade since the last episode of the original series was aired tourists still flock to Bampton. Locations including St Mary's Church and the Manor House, home to Mrs Crawley in the show, can be found in the small village. The main set for the historical drama, Highclere Castle, is forty miles away. The tiny village has a population of just 2,500 and plays host to two coffee shops, a butcher, a deli, a charity shop, an art gallery, antique store and garden centre. Residents claim that visitors spend most of their time and money in a few select locations, bringing no benefit to the rest of the town. A resident told The Telegraph: "They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don't have enough time. 'We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars – not the buses. There's so much more to Bampton than Downton Abbey.' The Community Hub receives shedloads of support but according to locals the other shops and businesses are left to fend for themselves.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Our village was made famous by huge TV show – now busloads of brash tourists block our driveways… nowhere's off-limits
RESIDENTS of a town made famous by a hit TV show have hit out at brazen tourists who peer through their windows and block their driveways. 5 Locals have been subjected to tourists peering in their windows Credit: Twitter - @markchristie 5 St Mary's church features heavily in the show Credit: David Hartley Locals have said the town, which features in Downton Abbey, has become a magnet for tourism and now attracts thousands of Some residents told the Telegraph that the tourism has made them a small fortune and helped to improve local amenities. Others have slammed the tourists, demanding their quant village be freed of "brash American accents." Residents of Bampton have told horror stories of their encounters with tourists. Read more in TV Locals have been subjected to selfie-sticks appearing at bedroom windows, Guided tours of the village are offered to fans of the hit show with some charging as much as £500. Busloads of fans are taken around the small village to visit filming locations made famous by the Local shop owners have claimed at one point they were making £1,000 a day from the tourists. Most read in News TV The thousands of pounds raised from visiting TV fans has been used to fund renovation works to buildings. Local services have also been improved using the massive wealth brought into the community. Despite all this locals still hit out saying they've had enough of nosey tourists One resident told "Let me tell you – Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand." 'I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway. They just go everywhere.' The 5 Highclere castle, the main filming location, is more than forty miles away from Bampton Credit: Getty 5 Tourists pay £500 for guided tours of the towns filming locations Credit: SWNS 5 Bus loads of tourists are brought into the small town Credit: SWNS Even though it has been a decade since the last episode of the original series was aired tourists still flock to Bampton. Locations including The main set for the historical drama, Highclere Castle, is forty miles away. The Residents claim that visitors spend most of their time and money in a few select locations, bringing no benefit to the rest of the town. A resident told The Telegraph: "They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don't have enough time. 'We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars – not the buses. There's so much more to Bampton than The Community Hub receives shedloads of support but according to locals the other shops and businesses are left to fend for themselves.
Scottish Sun
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Diehard Crystal Palace fans spend HUGE sum to get home from US holiday for FA Cup final before flying BACK out
The retired risk manager, 61, from Newbury, Berks, said: 'The club is in my DNA - we had to be there' 'WORTH EVERY PENNY' Diehard Crystal Palace fans spend HUGE sum to get home from US holiday for FA Cup final before flying BACK out THIS pair of diehard Crystal Palace fans have spent £20,000 to get home from a US holiday for the FA Cup final before flying back out. The side's Wembley clash against Manchester City on May 17 falls three days into Mark and Anna Newlands' ten-day trip to New York. Advertisement 3 Mark and Anna Newlands have spent £20,000 to get home from a US holiday for the FA Cup final before flying back out Credit: David Hartley 3 The pair say the club is in their DNA - so they have to be there for the final Credit: David Hartley The couple booked it months ago for a cousin's birthday before the Eagles got to the final. So they have bought flights to get back the day before and will return to the US the day after. Mark said they would miss the big birthday but their relatives understood. The retired risk manager, 61, from Newbury, Berks, said: 'The club is in my DNA. Advertisement "We have to be there. "I'm not bothered if this is sensible or not. It'll be worth every penny.' Anna, 62, is just as devoted to the South London club and did not hesitate when Mark suggested the plan. The pair, pictured at the semi-final win over Aston Villa, hope it will be third time lucky after Palace lost their two previous finals. Advertisement The couple's son James, also a Palace season ticket holder, is attending the final although he is not on the New York trip — while their daughter Alice will stay in the Big Apple. Crystal Palace fans earn club an FA charge within 30 SECONDS after engulfing Wembley in smoke by sneaking in flares
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Diehard Crystal Palace fans spend HUGE sum to get home from US holiday for FA Cup final before flying BACK out
THIS pair of diehard Crystal Palace fans have spent £20,000 to get home from a US holiday for the FA Cup final before flying back out. The side's Wembley clash against Manchester City on May 17 falls three days into Mark and Anna Newlands' ten-day trip to New York. 3 Mark and Anna Newlands have spent £20,000 to get home from a US holiday for the FA Cup final before flying back out Credit: David Hartley 3 The pair say the club is in their DNA - so they have to be there for the final Credit: David Hartley The couple booked it months ago for a cousin's birthday before the Eagles got to the final. So they have bought flights to get back the day before and will return to the US the day after. Mark said they would miss the big birthday but their relatives understood. The retired risk manager, 61, from Newbury, Berks, said: 'The club is in my DNA. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS "We have to be there. "I'm not bothered if this is sensible or not. It'll be worth every penny.' Anna, 62, is just as devoted to the The pair, pictured at the semi-final win over Most read in Football The couple's son James, also a Palace season ticket holder, is attending the final although he is not on the New York trip — while their daughter Alice will stay in the Big Apple. Crystal Palace fans earn club an FA charge within 30 SECONDS after engulfing Wembley in smoke by sneaking in flares 3 How the couple will fly from the US to watch Crystal play in the FA Cup final - then jet back
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HireQuest Inc (HQI) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges with Strategic ...
Release Date: May 08, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. HireQuest Inc (NASDAQ:HQI) continues to achieve solid margins and profitability despite macroeconomic headwinds. The company is making progress on expense management goals, with consistent reductions in SG&A expenses year over year. HireQuest Inc (NASDAQ:HQI) has a strong M&A pipeline, which is a key part of their strategy for expansion into new geographic regions and market verticals. The company is well-positioned to benefit from increased demand due to enhanced immigration enforcement, as they comply with E-Verify regulations. The transition to a new CFO, David Hartley, is well-planned, with Hartley having extensive financial experience and a deep understanding of the business and staffing industry. Total revenue for the first quarter of 2025 decreased by 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Franchise royalties, the primary source of revenue, declined from $7.8 million to $7 million year over year. System-wide sales decreased from $134 million in the first quarter of 2024 to $118.4 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net income after tax decreased from $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2024 to $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA margin decreased from 40% in the first quarter of 2024 to 37% in the first quarter of 2025. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Sign with HQI. Q: Can you provide insights into recent business trends, especially considering macroeconomic headwinds and tariff impacts? A: Rick Hermans, CEO: There hasn't been a dramatic shift since the second quarter began. The tariff standoffs haven't had a tangible impact yet, but they are causing hesitation among employers. We noticed some pickup towards the end of last year, but it has since stalled. Q: How are stricter immigration policies affecting your business? A: Rick Hermans, CEO: Stricter immigration policies are positively impacting our business. We've seen clients returning and new business opportunities as employers are now more focused on hiring documented workers. This shift is reopening doors that were previously closed to us. Q: Can you elaborate on the SG&A trends and cost management efforts? A: Rick Hermans, CEO: There were some anomalies in the first quarter, such as timing differences in professional fees and costs related to a minor reduction in force. These masked the improvements in SG&A. We are focused on cost management and expect improvements to be more visible in the second quarter. Q: What is the outlook for your M&A pipeline, and are you seeing more opportunities? A: Rick Hermans, CEO: The ongoing weakness in demand is creating more opportunities for acquisitions, especially among less capitalized staffing companies. We are seeing more realistic pricing, which makes us hopeful about executing deals that align with our strategy. Q: With the CFO transition, how will you manage corporate development and deal sourcing? A: Rick Hermans, CEO: We may add a deal sourcer to support David Hartley, the incoming CFO, but not at his level. David's background as an investment banker means we don't need another full-on dealmaker, but we will likely add someone to help source deals. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
