Shropshire couple disgusted at ‘lesbians’ bar receipt at holiday park
A Shropshire couple were left speechless after a barman at a holiday resort handed them a receipt with the word “lesbians” printed on it.
Belinda Mulcahy, 46, and Joanne Sheperd, 41, from Whixall, between Whitchurch and Wem, say they were disgusted when they saw the note during a night out at Hafan y Mor Holiday Park near Pwllheli, North Wales.
The pair had been out for a meal to celebrate Belinda’s birthday and enjoyed the evening, but Joanne was shocked when she later noticed the receipt with the description “lesbians” under their table number.
Ms Sheperd said: “Belinda looked at me and she said, ‘Are you alright?’ I showed her and she was speechless.
“We hadn’t done anything overt. We hadn’t been kissing at the bar or holding hands.
“We could have been friends. We could have been relations. We could have been a whole host of things.
“So the fact he decided to identify us as lesbians was a bit horrifying. We were shocked at how stupid this man had been.”
After seeing the note, the couple complained and were given free drinks by way of an apology by management.
“As if that was going to make it okay,” Ms Sheperd added.
“It doesn’t make it better in any shape or form.
“I don’t know what upon earth possessed the staff member a) to write it and b) to hand me the receipt with it on.”
Haven site Hafan y Mor has apologised for the incident and carried out an investigation.
The park is one of 36 UK Haven sites operated by Bourne Leisure Group, which also owns Butlins.
A spokesman said: “This incident should not have occurred and we are sorry for any distress caused.
“Following an investigation conducted by management, the individual concerned has been subject to internal disciplinary action.
“Our team members will also undertake refreshed training courses to ensure that an incident like this does not occur in the future.”
Earlier this year, another Haven Park turned away a Shropshire man because he was visiting alone.
Andy Omand, from St George’s in Telford, has been booking breaks at Haven Holidays for a number of years and had booked a week off work, drove the 85 miles to Prestatyn and was told by a manager to go home.
He said he was “shocked” and made to feel like he had done something wrong. The 49-year-old said: “I drove to Prestatyn then went to the supermarket to buy some frozen and chilled food for my holiday, I went to check in and get my keys and the lady asked if I could step into a room with the manager.
“He said it was policy now that single people can’t come to Haven anymore.
“I’ve been to different Haven resorts for three years now. I drove home got caught in the commuting traffic and had to throw my frozen and chilled food out. It was a 170-mile round trip.”
The security guard, who spent 13 years working with West Midlands Police, said: “I’d had to book the week off work and had to just drive back home.
“I sat in my car and I was absolutely taken aback, so shocked. I was feeling like I had done something wrong, so I put in a complaint. Many years ago I used to work for a holiday site and I never heard of anything like that or imagined it would happen.”
A spokesman for Presthaven Beach Resort, Johnny Brown, said the situation was a “misunderstanding”.
