Latest news with #Hazell
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Inverness architecture firm moves into employee ownership
It declared the shift of ownership into an employee-owned trust (EOT) marks a 'significant milestone in its evolution and commitment to sustainable growth'. A statement said HRI was founded in 1997 and has built a reputation for delivering high-quality architecture across the Highlands and Islands. It expanded its presence across the north of Scotland with the opening of a second office, in Thurso, in 2019. Director Vicky Hazell said: 'All successful businesses evolve, and the EOT model is particularly well suited to creative organisations like ours. Our professional team is deeply invested in the success of the practice, and employee ownership strengthens that connection.' Read more: The move by HRI follows a report in The Herald which revealed that companies in Scotland are transitioning into employee ownership at a rate of around 45 a year. It highlighted that firms which have been taken over by their staff are reporting an increase in production. Many company owners are choosing the option to ease concerns over succession planning. The Scottish Government has set a target increasing the number of firms in staff hands to 500 by 2030. Inverness is home to two of Scotland's largest employee-owned concerns – Highland Fuels and Carlton Bingo – while others in the Highlands include Aquascot, Swanson Fruit, Caley Timber, and Dynam. Ms Hazell added: 'This change means our staff have a real stake in our success and will benefit directly as we continue to thrive. While our commitment to delivering a high-quality service remains unchanged, the added benefits of community impact, staff satisfaction, and shared success make this a powerful investment—for us and for our clients.'
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders star Nicholas Ball died 'broke' as he leaves nothing to wife
EastEnder actor Nicholas Ball died 'broke' as his wife Ayda has been left with nothing from his will following his death last year aged 79 following a short illness EastEnders star Nicholas Ball left nothing to his wife following his death last year. The actor died aged 79 following a short illness and was known for portraying gang lord Terry Bates in the popular BBC soap. His character is remembered for attacking Peggy Mitchell and causing havoc in the iconic Queen Victoria pub. Ball also appeared in Footballers' Wives, where he took on the role of Garry Ryan, the club chairman and a former rockstar. Despite his on screen success, record show Ball left no will and nothing in his estate. It comes after Darius Danesh's ex-wife speaks out after pop star died after refusing operation. Administration of Ball's estate was granted to his wife Ayda Kay, who he wed in 2019 after over two decades together. A High Court document reads: 'The application has stated that the gross value of the estate in the United Kingdom amounts to £0 and the net value amounts to £0.' In June last year, Ball's agent revealed in a statement that he had "passed away following a short illness" and noted that his acting career, which spanned theatre and the small screen, was impressively long-standing across six decades. Ayda also shared a statement as she said at the time: "It is with the heaviest and broken of hearts, that I share the loss of my beloved Nicky-Nicholas Ball." Ball had been married to actress and psychologist Pamela Stephenson from 1978 to 1984, but she left him for comedian Billy Connolly. Director Keith English paid tribute to him after his death, as he said: "Fabulous as star of hit TV show 'Hazell' in the 1980s, Nick was a terrific actor - kind and generous. "He starred in our short film 'Top Dog' in 2001 in which he was great and we became life-long friends with him and his wife, Ayda Kay. Indeed, we were honoured when the pair of them asked if they could be married in our garden in 2019. "A fabulous affair. One of our fondest memories was going to see Jerry Goldsmith play The Royal Albert Hall with him and his great friend Mel Smith. "Mel had hired a box for the show. Both men were known hell-raisers and, sure enough, when the four of us rolled up they were both fairly merry and proceeded to football-chant 'There's only one Jerry Goldsmith!' between musical pieces to an uneven response from the rest of the auditorium. "Nick was a loving husband, friend and a wonderful actor. We enjoyed every minute of his company. Farewell and bon voyage." His television credits extended to crime shows such as Jonathan Creek, Hustle, Heartbeat and Bergerac. He also featured in comedies like Red Dwarf and The Young Ones, and the drama The Crezz. Ball secured roles in various film projects, including Overlord, Rogue Male, crime drama The Krays: Dead Man Walking; and an adaptation of Jilly Cooper's The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
EastEnders star ‘died penniless and left no money for his wife' after passing away aged 78 from short illness
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EASTENDERS legend Nicholas Ball died broke and left nothing to his wife, legal documents show. The actor passed away aged 78 last year following a short battle with illness. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Nicholas Ball had roles in Eastenders and Footballers' Wives Credit: Shed Productions 4 Ball played gang lord Terry Bates in the BBC show Credit: BBC 4 Nicholas was previously married to actress Pamela Stephenson Credit: ANL / REX / Shutterstock He played Terry Bates in the BBC soap and also had roles in Footballers' Wives and Hazell. But records show Ball, of Porchester Square, London, left no will and nothing in his estate. A High Court document shows administration of the estate was granted to his wife Ayda. It reads: 'The application has stated that the gross value of the estate in the United Kingdom amounts to £0 and the net value amounts to £0.' The couple married in 2019 after they had been together for more than 20 years, as reported by NeedToKnow. She revealed his death in June last year saying: "It is with the heaviest and broken of hearts, that I share the loss of my beloved Nicky-Nicholas Ball." Ball had been married to actress and psychologist Pamela Stephenson from 1978 to 1984. She left him for comedian Billy Connolly. Ball had a long acting career but reportedly struggled for parts after private eye series Hazell ended. He had played a number of supporting roles in various television series including Z-Cars, Softly Softly: Task Force, The Young Ones, Bergerac, Tales of the Unexpected, Casualty, and Holby City. Director Keith English paid tribute to him after his death, saying: "Fabulous as star of hit TV show 'Hazell' in the 1980s, Nick was a terrific actor - kind and generous. "He starred in our short film 'Top Dog' in 2001 in which he was great and we became life-long friends with him and his wife, Ayda Kay. "Indeed, we were honoured when the pair of them asked if they could be married in our garden in 2019. "A fabulous affair. One of our fondest memories was going to see Jerry Goldsmith play The Royal Albert Hall with him and his great friend Mel Smith. "Mel had hired a box for the show. "Both men were known hell-raisers and, sure enough, when the four of us rolled up they were both fairly merry and proceeded to football-chant 'There's only one Jerry Goldsmith!' between musical pieces to an uneven response from the rest of the auditorium. "Nick was a loving husband, friend and a wonderful actor. "We enjoyed every minute of his company. Farewell and bon voyage." A six decade acting career Nicholas Ball had a long and glittering acting career in some huge shows 1975 - Overlord - Overlord 1976 - The Crezz - The Crezz 1978 - Hazell - Hazell 1980 - The House That Bled To Death - The House That Bled To Death 1982 - The Young Ones - The Young Ones 1983 - Bergerac - Bergerac 1991 - Red Dwarf - Red Dwarf 1997 - Heartbeat - Heartbeat 1999 - Jonathan Creek - Jonathan Creek 2005 - Footballers' Wives - Footballers' Wives 2007 - Eastenders - Eastenders 2009 - Hustle - Hustle 2015 - Holby City - Holby City 2020 - Doctors
North Wales Live
05-06-2025
- General
- North Wales Live
Iconic 'Popeye' boat reported missing in ‘Abersoch Triangle'
An old fishing vessel that's featured in countless photos has been listed as 'missing' by its perplexed owner. Known as the 'Red Boat', it has languished in Abersoch's inner harbour, Gwynedd, for at least a quarter of a century. The boat's chubby outline and striking colour gave it semi-iconic status – so much so that it featured on a school mural and appeared in a children's story. But in late May, owner Peter Hazell was left scratching his head when arriving at the harbour to find its berth empty. The businessman bought the Red Boat as a renovation project five years ago – he was hoping to make a start once legal matters had been clarified. After its disappearance, he issued an appeal on Facebook 's Abersoch Appreciation Page but this drew a blank. 'It's still a mystery,' he said. 'There are over 20,000 people in that group yet not one person has offered any sensible clues. Someone must have authorised and paid for its removal.' In the absence of information, the appeal became the butt of gentle online humour instead. One man wondered if the boat had disappeared into the 'Abersoch Triangle'. Another added: 'Popeye probably wanted it back.' A call was issued to check back gardens. Little is known about the boat's history or name. Over the years it's had several owners with some living onboard for short spells. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone Online photos of the Red Boat residing at the inner harbour go back to at least 2001. Not so long ago the vessel was the main feature of a mural on Ysgol Sarn Bach near Abersoch. Its most recent known appearance in a photo was on May 15. Despite being in a poor state of repair, Mr Hazell had ambitions to renovate the boat once he'd established who was responsible for the berth. His aim was to formalise the berthing arrangement on land with no obvious ownership – he said the Land Registry has been unable to clarify. He said: 'I fully acknowledge that cosmetically the boat was in poor condition, although the hull was solid. She rested above the high average high water mark and the hull would only be exposed to water on high spring tides. 'My intention was to renovate and I am confident Red Boat was capable of being made weatherproof and waterproof. But before doing so I wanted to be sure of the rights of occupation.' Local enquiries about the boat's whereabouts have so far failed to provide answers. Natural Resources Wales has been removing abandoned boats, classified as marine litter, but its efforts have so far focussed solely on the Dee Estuary in northeast Wales. If it was removed as part of a clean-up, by a different body, Mr Hazell wonders why he wasn't approached first, being the known owner. 'How has someone has just removed my boat without notice?,' he said. 'No one is wanting to take responsibility.' Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday If anyone has any knowledge of the Red Boat's location, or who might have ordered its removal, Mr Hazell can be messaged via his appeal post on Facebook here.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Rental e-scooters are removed from Basildon's streets after years of complaints
CONTROVERSIAL e-scooters have been removed from the streets of Basildonafter years of complaints. E-scooters provided by firm Dott had been available to rent via an app since 2020 as part of the council's efforts to improve sustainable public transport. While their removal has largely been welcomed by Basildon residents, some have criticised the ending of the trial as 'a knee jerk decision'. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. Decision - Basildon Council voted to end the trial at a meeting earlier this year (Image: Google Maps) Following a vote to end the trial earlier this year, a spokesperson for Basildon Council has now confirmed that Dott staff visited the town over the weekend to remove the vehicles. The scheme has attracted criticism since being launched, with many residents and councillors claiming the scooters were often ridden and parked inappropriately. 'The e-scooter trial could have been a fantastic initiative rolled out to support people to be able to reduce their reliance on cars for shorter journeys and to get out more,' said Basildon resident and The Childcare Guide founder, Larissa Hazell. 'However, due to users' use of them, it has failed. Hazards - The scooters were regularly left dumped around Basildon (Image: Newsquest) 'In the years since the trial was launched, I have only seen a few scooters considerately parked – most of the time they have been dumped on the pavement, causing an obstruction and danger to those using wheelchairs, buggies and those with visual impairment. 'Many users have been riding them dangerously as well, leaving drivers and pedestrians unsure of where the e-scooter rider is going.' Ms Hazell added that while she understand why some riders may be disappointed by the e-scooters' removal, she believes 'they only have themselves to blame'. When Basildon Council announced its decision not to continue the rental scheme, the risks posed to both pedestrians and riders were cited as an important factor. The discarding of the scooters on pavements and footpaths also raised concerns, particularly for those with disabilities or additional needs. Resident Guy Heather said:'I think it's a shame that the council have made such a short-sighted, knee jerk decision to cancel the e-scooter scheme.' 'They should have worked with the scooter operator to improve things rather than lazily chucking the whole thing in the bin. The council would do well to embrace modern, green initiatives like this.' A spokesperson for Dott said: "As the trial in Basildon has now officially ended, our team has removed the vehicles from the area. "We remain committed to collaborating with local authorities to promote safe and sustainable transport solutions in the future."
