ELTIPS AV R T
An hour later, they were sat goggle- eyed watching a panto, starring a fire- breathing dragon. And then they were off, for all the free fun of the fairground.
Welcome to Bultin’s 2019, where kids rule and the fun is non-stop.
Gone are the days of knobbly knee and glamorous granny contests. Instead there is Splash Waterworld and showbiz names.
And let’s not forget the food. Theo, nine, and seven- year- old Nathan loved sitting down to a bizarre banquet of their choice, consisting of crackers and cheese, a burger and sweet and sour chicken. All piled on the same plate.
I confess I held a grudge against Butlin’s since my parents took me to the, now closed, Ayr camp as a grumpy teen and someone nicked my baby sister’s pushchair, leaving us to take turns carrying her about.
So, I was slightly dubious pulling into Butlin’s at Skegness in Lincolnshire and piling into our small seaside apartment.
But my mood was instantly lifted by the standard. Totally spotless, two bedrooms and a bathroom with a shower led off the main living area and kitchen.
The decor was simple and colourful with a nod to the seaside. Nathan was taken with a chalk version of pin-the-tail on the donkey.
It was a short walk to the Skyline Pavilion, a massive circus tent-like structure, where most of the bars, entertainment, restaurants and arcades are housed.
Arriving after 8pm, we were too late to enjoy a meal under our premium dining package deal, so grabbed some fish and chips there.
The boys enjoyed a few hours in the arcades, where machines chuck out dozens of winning tickets.
Saturday was an early start – and the moment our Butlin’s weekend became a blur. The resort has eve
STOCK up on wine at the on-site supermarket.
You’ll have earned a drink after all that youthful activity.
TREAT your teen to a girls’ night in pamper session at the spa for £12.
THERE are loads of restaurants at Butlin’s, such as Ludo’s Italian, the Firehouse Grill and Burger King. But paying the food bill up front with a premium dining package means you know where you are with
your spending. rything you might imagine from Butlin’s past – cheesy tribute shows, a sweet shop selling sticks of rock, a nearby beach. But the brand has undergone a massive reboot.
The boys did a drum workshop, watched breakdancers, enjoyed a production of Paddington and sat mouths agape at the huge dragon in Sleeping Beauty. All in the price.
Dragon
Dance troupe Diversity and stars such as Stephen Mulhern – a former Redcoat – are often on stage.
For an extra few quid, the kids went climbing and tried mini tennis. There’s little here you wouldn’t find at Centre Parcs, but prices are more reasonable – between £3.50 for gokarts and £14 for high rope adventures. There’s even a cinema.
And A there’s a long list of free events, eve from fun football and family sports to pool parties, tennis coaching and fencing lessons. The swimming pool is impressive.
But one of the best was the food. Premium dining costs from £27.75 an adult and £6.95 per child and gives you access to two restaurants. It was a wonder we could move to do anything after breakfast. Food ranges from traditional fry-up to made-to-order pancakes, with unlimited juice and hot drinks.
For dinner, there was virtually no queuing, food was fresh and chefs cook in front of you. And there’s plenty for the kids too – whatever taste mash-up they desire.
I’m reliably informed by the hubby that the bar prices were OK too.
Watch out for Soho Coffee Co, which had prices that were hard to swallow. But overall, Butlin’s has realised there’s nothing to be gained by h hiking up prices.
You can almost draw a line be between budgets, with higher en end apartments on one side of th the Pavilion, more affordable on the other. But everyone m meets in the middle at the hub of the action.
Butlin’s has come a long way sin since Billy set up his first camp at Skegness in 1936. But there’s stil still the same old problem – a we weekend just isn’t long enough. FACTFILE:FAC See Butlins.com/offers for family breaks for two nights or more from £160.