Butlin’s at 80: How one man an HAPPY C

IT’S 80 years since entertainment genius Billy Butlin brought the fun, if not to the sun, to British holidays.

Happy campers led by Billy’s teams of redcoats enjoyed bonny baby, glamorous granny and knobbly knees contests.

And in its 60s heyday nine Butlin’s camps dotted around the UK provided wholesome family fun for a million visitors.

Three, including the 1936 original at Skegness, Lincs, are still going strong despite changing tastes in holidays.

But the idea for this landmark British institution actually came to South Africanborn Billy when he was overseas.

He was inspired by a holiday camp at Lake Ontario for employees of a Canadian department store where he was working as messenger boy.

Haphazard

He moved to the UK a few years after the First World War ended and recalled: “Watching those unhappy holidaymakers of the 1920s, I thought, what they need is a place where there are things for them to do when it rains.

“I remembered the summer camp on the shores of Lake Ontario. I decided one day I’ll build a camp like that here in Britain, with the same happy atmosphere.

“But it will have more indoor facilities to allow for the British weather.”

He realised Brits love the seaside so he picked Skegness for his first camp because of its rail links to the towns and cities of the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

For 45 shillings (£2.25) a visitor was given a week’s accommodation, meals and entertainment. At that time a manual worker earned £2 a week.

Billy was in serious debt but risked £50,000, equivalent to millions today, on his dream. Apart from a couple of teething problems it was an instant hit.

Kathryn Ferry, author of a new book called The Nation’s Host: Butlin’s and the Story of the British Seaside, said workmen were still on site when the first ever chalet resident arrived in April 1936 and there was a dusting of snow. Seaside historian Kathryn Ferry, said: “After all the hype, that opening weekend was somewhat haphazard.

“There were no extra blankets in the unheated chalets and the unseasonable cold caused people to sit down for breakfast in their overcoats – and dance in them too.

“When the sun shone, people took advantage of outdoor games but the covered facilities proved their worth as showers of sleet sent everyone back indoors. After dinner, campers moved their chairs towards a stage erected in the dinning hall, unaware Billy Butlin himself was waiting in the wings to give a comic turn.”

But people saw its potential – and half of the 400 guests booked to return before they had left. A newspaper advert attracted 10,000 enquiries and the camp was soon fully booked.

In the Second World War the camps closed and Billy was made Director General of Hostels, to boost the working in munitions fa war, appetite for Butl strong than ever, helped b of paid holiday. An extra were entitled to at leas paid leave, so 30 million looking for holiday acco

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