Independent travel agency Stonehouse Travel has just marked five years in the business, with Love Island favourite Tom Clare making a special guest appearance at the birthday celebrations.
The shop, based in the village of Mapplewell on the outskirts of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, invited customers and suppliers to share the milestone, along with one half of this year’s Love Island: All-Stars winning couple.
Tom, a footballer for Macclesfield FC, appeared as a contestant on the ninth season of ITV’s Love Island in 2023 and returned in January 2024 for the spin-off show Love Island: All-Stars, which he won, with partner Molly.
The shop was set up by Teresa Bray and Joanne Holmes, who previously worked together at Travelcare, Co-operative Travel and Thomas Cook. It is owned by Andrew Tissington and Ian Frank, who also own a finance business, Stonehouse Financial Services.
From sales of just over £650,00 in year one, Stonehouse Travel has posted sales of £2.9 million for the year to 31 May 2024 and the team has expanded with full-timer Kevin Caunt and part-time agent Sara Sanderson.
Joanne said: “We opened our little travel agency at the end of May 2019, on two members of staff and navigated it through the demise of Thomas Cook, to be hit with the COVID the following March.
“Since then, the two of us have worked tirelessly and have grown the business into a team of three full-time and one part-time and we have trebled our sales turnover.
“On Friday 31 May, we held an event to celebrate our fifth birthday. We invited friends, family, customers, tour operators and suppliers, all of whom have supported us from the beginning of our journey.”
The event also raised £1,500 for Western Park Hospital in Sheffield.
Suppliers attending the party, at the Legends Suite, Barnsley Football Club, included Jet2holidays, Newmarket Holidays, Balkan Holidays, CroisiEurope and Constantinou Bros Hotels.
Joanne added: “As Love Island is sponsored by VIBE by Jet2holidays, we had a guest appearance from Tom Clare, on half of the winners from the last series. He is the son of one of our colleagues at Stonehouse Financial Services.”
Pictured, from left, are Joanne Holmes from Stonehouse Travel; Love Islander Tom Clare; Stonehouse Travel staff Sara Sanderson, Kevin Caunt and Teresa Bray; Jet2holidays National Sales Manager Simon Marshall.
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The shop, based in the village of Mapplewell on the outskirts of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, invited customers and suppliers to share the milestone, along with one half of this year’s Love Island: All-Stars winning couple.
Tom, a footballer for Macclesfield FC, appeared as a contestant on the ninth season of ITV’s Love Island in 2023 and returned in January 2024 for the spin-off show Love Island: All-Stars, which he won, with partner Molly.
The shop was set up by Teresa Bray and Joanne Holmes, who previously worked together at Travelcare, Co-operative Travel and Thomas Cook. It is owned by Andrew Tissington and Ian Frank, who also own a finance business, Stonehouse Financial Services.
From sales of just over £650,00 in year one, Stonehouse Travel has posted sales of £2.9 million for the year to 31 May 2024 and the team has expanded with full-timer Kevin Caunt and part-time agent Sara Sanderson.
Joanne said: “We opened our little travel agency at the end of May 2019, on two members of staff and navigated it through the demise of Thomas Cook, to be hit with the COVID the following March.
“Since then, the two of us have worked tirelessly and have grown the business into a team of three full-time and one part-time and we have trebled our sales turnover.
“On Friday 31 May, we held an event to celebrate our fifth birthday. We invited friends, family, customers, tour operators and suppliers, all of whom have supported us from the beginning of our journey.”
The event also raised £1,500 for Western Park Hospital in Sheffield.
Suppliers attending the party, at the Legends Suite, Barnsley Football Club, included Jet2holidays, Newmarket Holidays, Balkan Holidays, CroisiEurope and Constantinou Bros Hotels.
Joanne added: “As Love Island is sponsored by VIBE by Jet2holidays, we had a guest appearance from Tom Clare, on half of the winners from the last series. He is the son of one of our colleagues at Stonehouse Financial Services.”
Pictured, from left, are Joanne Holmes from Stonehouse Travel; Love Islander Tom Clare; Stonehouse Travel staff Sara Sanderson, Kevin Caunt and Teresa Bray; Jet2holidays National Sales Manager Simon Marshall.
The post Love Islander makes guest appearance at agency’s fifth birthday party appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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