A MAN who was made redundant from Burtonwood Brewery has made a fresh start in Wales with his wife and two daughters.
Colin Thompson, aged 42, left the brewery in December 2004 and took over The Hilary, a four star guesthouse in Towyn, Llandudno, in May 2005 with the help of wife Deborah, aged 43, and children Katie and Nicol, aged five and seven.
Deborah, who used to live in Haydock, said: “When the brewery closed a lot of people from the Warrington and St Helens areas were affected. “For us it was the best thing that ever happened, it was a total career change. It gave us the chance to spend time together as a family and gave us a better quality of life and new interests.”
Since leaving school aged 17, Colin had worked as an IT consultant at the now defunct brewery, which used to employ about 2,000 people.
Deborah, who grew up in Wales, added: “Initially the closure was a huge shock, the thought of doing something else with his career had never entered Colin’s mind.
“When I had children I stopped working so we went from two salaries to one so Colin’s redundancy was obviously a worry but he wasn’t upset because it opened the door to a new opportunity.”
The couple came up with the idea of opening a guesthouse because they often entertained friends at their Haydock home and were told time and again that they could make a living out of it.
Deborah said: “The running of the B&B is very family-based and everyone pitches in. I look after front of house, Colin makes breakfast and the girls enjoy helping with that.”
Now the family is offering Warrington Guardian readers the chance to stay at the The Hilary, which has eight bedrooms and a car park but does not take children, for two nights for free – a prize worth between £140 and £160.
The offer is valid until December 31 and if the winner chooses to stay on a Bank Holiday weekend a minimum three-night stay is required.
To be in with a chance of winning readers should answer the following question: * How many stars has The Hilary been awarded?
Send your answers to hannah.al@guardiangrp.co.uk by March 31 or post FAO Hannah Al-Taraboulsy, Warrington Guardian, The Academy, 138 Bridge Street, Warrington, WA1 2RU.
Normal Newsquest rules apply.
