Butlins

Butlins Holiday Camps were founded by (later Sir) Billy Butlin to provide economical holidays in the United Kingdom. Between 1936 and 1966, nine UK camps were built. Three camps remain in use by the Butlins company today.

Butlins camps are noted for their famous "Redcoats" who provide entertainment and organisation at every level.

There was a UK TV satirical sitcom during the 1980s based on a Butlins-style holiday camp called Hi-De-Hi!.

History

The first of the Butlins holiday camps was opened by Sir Billy Butlin in 1936 in Skegness following his success in the development of amusement parks. A second camp quickly followed in Clacton (1938) and a construction of a third began at Filey (1939). With the outbreak of World War II, building at Filey was postponed and the camps at Skegness and Clacton were given over for military use. Wartime use of Butlins camps continued with resorts at Ayr, Filey & Pwllheli being completed and opened as military camps.

In 1945, with war over, Filey opened as a holiday camp. The camps at Skegness & Clacton (1946), Ayr & Pwllheli (1947) followed and a new camp was built at Mosney (1948). Butlins became popular in post-war Britain with family entertainment and activities available for the equivalent of a weeks pay. Further post-war camps were opened in the 1960s at Bognor Regis (1960), Minehead (1962) and Barry (1966).

In 1948, Billy Butlin acquired two hotels in The Bahamas and in the 1950s, Butlins began opening hotels in the UK: Saltdean, Brighton (1953), Blackpool (1955) and five in Cliftonville (1955-1956). In later years, they were joined by further hotels in Scarborough (1978), Llandudno (1981), London (1993), a sixth hotel at Cliftonville and one in Spain (1983). The camps at Ayr and Skegness also had separate self-contained hotels within the grounds. All the Butlins hotels of the 1950s-1990s were sold in 1998 but the majority are still open today under different ownership. In 1998, camps at Ayr and Pwllheli were also sold following the closure/sale of camps at Clacton (1983), Filey (1983), Barry (1986).

In 1968 Billy Butlin's son Bobby took over the management of Butlins and in 1972 the business was sold to the Rank Organisation for £43 million. The company was later sold off to Bourne Leisure in 2000.

In 2005, a new £10m hotel was unveiled at the Bognor Regis resort to complement the existing chalet accommodation. The hotel aimed to move away from the Hi-De-Hi perception, adding hi-tech equipment and luxurious furniture in each of the 160 rooms. Art deco lines, floor-to-ceiling windows, king-size beds, leather chairs, widescreen TVs, DVD players and en-suite facilities are set to become common features of Butlins accommodation.

Locations

listed alphabetically

Current Butlins resorts

* Bognor Regis (1960—) - known as Southcoast World (1987–1998)
* Minehead (1962—) - known as Somerwest World (1986–1998)
* Skegness (1936—) - known as Funcoast World (1987–1998)

Previous Butlins resorts

* Ayr (1947–1998) - known as Wonderwest World (1988–1998); still open, but operating as Haven Park (1999—)
* Barry Island (1967–1986) - operated independently until closure in 1996
* Clacton (1938–1983)
* Filey (1945–1983) - operated independently for six weeks in 1986, but the venture failed and the park closed
* Mosney (1948–1980) - operated independently until closure and conversion into a camp for asylum seekers in 2000.
* Pwllheli (1947–1998) - known as Starcoast World (1990–1998); operating as Haven (1999—)

Bognor Regis Camp

Situated in the small seaside town of Bognor Regis, Butlins Bognor first opened on the 2nd July 1960 at a cost of £2.5 million. The camp quickly became popular, accommodating around 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors.

Butlins Bogor was refurbished through the 1980s. In 1987, the camp was renamed Southcoast World following a £16.5 million spend on new and updated accommodation, the addition of a new indoor water complex and a new miniature steam railway.

In 1998, as one of Butlins three remaining camps, Bognor again underwent major refurbishment. The camp's Southcoast World identity was dropped, and £45 million was invested in redevelopment. A Skyline Pavilion was added to the resort, providing a huge undercover area for year-round, weather-protected facilities. The Skyline Pavilion contained new shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment areas. The refurbishment also included further updates to the chalet accommodation, a redesign for the Redcoat uniform and the provision of a resort police constable to improve security. Butlins Bognor was relaunched by pop star Ronan Keating in May 1999. The redeveloped resort had an increased capacity of 5,800 beds.

In 2005, further work was undertaken to update the camp with the introduction of the 'Shoreline Hotel. £10 million was spent on the hotel and its surrounding landscaped gardens. With big porthole windows, and a ship-like prow, the four-floor hotel was designed with a slightly nautical feel. The hotel provides 160 rooms of three different grades, each including hi-tech equipment and luxurious furniture. Guests staying at the hotel can enjoy the sea-views, room service, modern bistro restaurant and cocktail bar, in addition to the regular Butlins facilities.

Minehead Camp

Chosen for its flat landscape and good rail links, Butlins Minehead is located on the Bristol Channel coast in Somerset. The camp was opened on the 26th May 1962 at a cost of around £2 million and was the largest of the Butlins post-war camps.

Butlins Minehead underwent its first set of improvements through the 1960s when problems with flooding were treated and a miniature railway 1964, chairlift 1965 and monorail 1967 were added to the camp.

From 1981, Butlins Minehead was the first of the Butlins sites to undergo major redevelopment work as part of the 1980s investment programme. £10 million was spent and this renovation saw the refurbishment of the indoor swimming pool as well as the addition of an outdoor swimming pool, new chalets and flatlets. Redevelopment work finished in 1986 and the camp was renamed Somerwest World.

Through the late 1980s to mid 1990s, the monorail, chairlift and miniature railway were removed from the park. In 1993, the amusement park was reopened by Lady Dolly Butlin following a move to the front of the camp.

In 1998, Butlins Minehead was selected as one of the three sites to remain open and again underwent major redevelopment. A Skyline Pavilion was added to the resort and the name Somerwest World was dropped. From 1999 further development work saw the modification of Minehead's chalet accommodation and the addition of a Pizza Hut restaurant to the site.

Skegness Camp

Butlins Skegness was the first of Billy Butlin's holiday camps. The camp opened in 1936 but was taken over for military use in 1939. The camp reopened in 1946.

In 1987 the camp underwent refurbishment and was renamed Funcoast World.

In 1998, as Bognor and Minehead, Butlins Skegness again underwent major refurbishment. The camp's Funcoast World identity was dropped and a new Skyline Pavilon was built.

Spring Harvest

Spring Harvest, the largest Christian conference in Europe takes place at the Minehead and Skegness sites every Easter. The event attracts some 55,000 Christians of all ages and plays host to many renowed preachers. It also plays host to Christian artists, such as Christian rock or pop bands and solo artists.There are events for people of all ages- from 1-100. While there, they can make the most of the Butlins facilities, as well as the huge choice of activities put on by Spring Harvest.

Butlins and Dodgem Cars

Dodgem Cars, a brand of bumper cars, were manufactured in the USA by the Dodgem Cars Ltd. Billy Butlin saw them and obtained the UK franchise. As a result, a Skegness funfair owned by Billy prior to going into Holiday Camps saw the first Dodgems cars in the UK in 1923.

External links

* Butlins: official site
* ButlinsBarryIsland.com : The history of the Barry Island Camp
* bbc.co.uk/somerset: The Minehead Meander
* Butlins Memories
* South Wales Echo story about Butlin's early career and first holiday camp
* Spring Harvest website

Butlins: Encyclopedia BETA

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