Make a ‘Weekender’ of it in sunny Skegness
Back to the good old days at Butlin’s when nights out and trips away with friends were lots of fun
Cops and robbers, priests and nuns, doctors and nurses, grannies and Oompa Lumpas.
It’s amazing who you bump into on a night out.
That said, evening sessions and trips away are not as exciting as they used to be, and it’s been a while since my friends and I had three days and nights as fun-filled as we did on a Big Weekender at Butlin’s Skegness.
Ever since we entered our 40s, socials have become a nightmare to plan, and even if someone does herd the metaphorical cats, we often end up in the same places over and again.
Sure, city breaks make a pleasant change, but once you’ve added up transport, accommodation, entertainment and food and drink, you end up shelling out a small fortune.
Thankfully, Butlin’s legendary seaside resorts have the perfect solution.
Their Big Weekenders are all about friends getting together, letting their hair down, and enjoying world-class live entertainment.
Throw in pool parties and silent discos on site, all included in the price (less than £100 each for three nights), and you’d be pushed to find a cheaper and more convenient adult break on the market.
The set-up is simple but ingenious. Outside of the school holidays, Butlin’s is free of kids, so the facilities that have been built up over the decades are used to entertain the adults.
There are over 70 Big Weekenders at the three English resorts per year, ranging from decade breaks, genre breaks, Oktoberfest, and the multi-era Replay.
For St Patrick’s weekend, my friends Jonathan, Steve, Joe and I were in Skegness for a Back to the 2000s weekend, where the likes of Gareth Gates and MacBusted topped the bill.
Our base was a comfortable Fairground Apartment in the Starfish Quay area, a short fiveminute walk to the central Skyline Pavilion.
Although it is one of the resort’s quieter areas, it definitely didn’t feel like it when we first arrived on Friday teatime.
The beer and Prosecco were already flowing in the adjacent apartments and there was a happy holiday vibe, with gaggles of stag, hen and birthday parties soaking up the spring sunshine outside the chalets.
Once we’d dropped our bags off, we thought it wise to line our stomachs.
As part of our booking, we had an all-you-can-eat premium dining plan which provided us with breakfast and evening meals in The Deck and The Yacht Club.
There was plenty of choice, with live cooking and grill stations serving fresh pasta, stir fries and burgers in the evenings, and sausages, eggs and hash browns in the mornings.
After our tea, we called for a few drinks in the Jellyfish Lounge in the Skyline Pavilion, before heading to Reds where resident DJ Gary Bamford was kicking off his evening set.
By the time Honeyz came on stage at 8.15pm, the atmosphere was electric, and when the Symphonic Ibiza orchestra piped up, the place went wild, with St Patrick’s Day revellers turning the dance floor into a bouncing sea of green.
From there, we partied the night away at Club de Fromage in the Centre Stage club, before stumbling back to our apartment in the early hours. The next morning, feeling worse for wear, we were booked in for a bottomless brunch in The Diner.
Although it’s not something that a group of lads like us would generally be organised enough to plan, we had a brilliant time. And priced at just £32.50pp, it’s another bargain. We spent two hours drinking unlimited
Prosecco, Butlins By The Beach cocktails, mojitos and strawberry woo woos, before getting up and dancing on the tables.
Food-wise, there is a generous choice of juicy, made-toorder burgers, breakfasts, dirty fries, sweet and smoky BBQ ribs and creamy shakes.
Leaving The Diner, we were well on our way again, and continued with a few pints of the black stuff in Hotshots sports bar watching the football and rugby on the big screens.
For those wanting to ease off the booze and do an activity, Saturday afternoon is a good time for it, with a choice of archery, target shooting, laser tag, high ropes, ten-pin bowling, or the pool party at the inflatable-filled Splash with resident DJ
Kate Frost.
Saturday was the big night of our Big Weekender and after a quick nap, we donned our priests’ outfits and headed back to what was becoming our second home, Reds.
If you are sceptical about fancy dress, you really needn’t be.
At least 90 per cent of people are in costume on the Saturday, and if you don’t make an effort with fluorescent wristbands, matching t-shirts, deeley boppers, or full-on fancy dress garb, you will stick out more than if you have.
Saturday night is also when the biggest acts appear, and we saw MacBusted and an Ed Sheeran tribute in Reds before watching Atomic Kitten from the Centre Stage’s balcony in the
Sky Bar.
Sunday was understandably much more sedate, with a few guests who’d not been able to get out of Monday’s shift at work bailing in the morning.
For those who stuck around, there was Gareth Gates on Centre Stage and Nadine Coyle and Scouting for Girls in Reds.
The latter were probably the most eagerly anticipated acts of the weekend – but regardless of whether you are a fan of any of the singers or none at all, Butlin’s Big Weekenders are really not about that.
Yes, they represent a chance to hear 70s, 80, 90s or 2000s music, but, more importantly, they’re also a return to the times when nights out and weekends away were lots of fun.