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Butlins

Butlins Holiday Camps - UK Family Holidays with a Fun Tradition

Butlins Holiday Camp has become part of the legend of the British seaside, something in which memory lives on. Going on holiday to Butlins with your parents has always been an experience which as a child you don't forget. But guess what? This is real, now, in the 21st Century, still available. You can still experience this for yourself. You can go on holiday to Butlins and experience what it's really like. Let's hope it's great fun! visit the place

In the words of Butlins 2004: "Butlins offer families and adults a variety of holidays and weekend breaks, packed full of entertainment all year round. Minehead resort plays host to the Arena Tours featuring top names in music such as Westlife & Busted. Other entertainment on offer include themed weekends, 60s, 70s & 80s, soul & mowtown".

Butlins still have Redcoats, and they still have fairground rides, and fish & chips, ice cream, people walking around and queueing up, swimming pools, crazy golf novelty features, etc; it is an experience which is there to be experienced. And these extraordinary theme parks, places of pilgrimage to the British seaside idyll, are located at splendidly named places such as Skegness, Minehead, and Bognor Regis.

Butlins: "In 1936 Billy Butlin created the most recognised holiday company in the UK – Butlins. The first Resort opened in Skegness introducing the famous Redcoats. With Butlins, a new holiday concept was created for the British holiday maker. Through the years Butlins has evolved into the great brand that it is today. Butlins offers guests entertainment, great facilities and an atmosphere to have fun and relax with family and friends.

Butlins family resorts are open all year round at all 3 holiday resorts in the UK, so whether you're looking for a summer holiday or a half term break, Butlins is the ideal choice for cheap family holidays. Book early and you can get the best deals and choice from the range of resorts including Minehead, Skegness and Bognor Regis, and holidays at the Shoreline Hotel and Ocean Hotel. Butlins can offer not only the ideal kids holiday but plenty of entertainment and activities for parents, grandparents and the whole family"

You can book your holiday at Butlins. If you have been tempted by this, here's the new link:

The link was here to visit Butlins!

www.butlins.at and www.butlinsonline.co.uk affiliate program was with Buy.at where it was CORKED. However, the Butlins affiliate program has gone again! Now with Affiliate Window. Sadly, the program has now finished and the page has had to be Bunged Up. In the meantime, for alternatives please visit our Travel page (You could also still book your holiday at Butlins through Thomas Cook, but on this page you can book directly).

As an interesting footnote, here's the history of Butlins, the earliest dates at the end. See how the company has fared through thick and thin, being requisitioned during the war, and various ventures expanding and yet others being closed or sold. Students of history and culture wishing to do research are encouraged to look into this further as I'm sure there is a lot of interesting stuff to be learned, and they are also encouraged to book a holiday at Butlins to experience the essence of the place for themselves.

History of Butlins:

2004:

May: Butlins is hosting, for the 2nd year running, Britain's Strongest Man, at Minehead.

July: Eastpak Mini Ramp Tour arrives at all Resorts over the peak season.

July: Match Winners Tour held at all Resorts allowing children between 8-16 years to get specialist football coaching from the experts.

2003:

January: An 'Out of Africa' show, featuring performers from Kenya and never before seen in the UK, is included in the summer programme for all three Resorts.

February: A fly-on-the-wall documentary called 'Redcoats' is broadcast on ITV.

April: Billy Bear, Butlins very own cuddly character, whose ambition is to become a Butlins Redcoat is introduced.

July: Butlins introduce summer Roadshows with popular TV Channel Nickelodeon.

August: Chat Magazine Roadshows are introduced to all 3 Resorts. An Education Centre at the Skegness Resort is opened by Ivan Lewis, Minister for Skills and Vocational Education. In conjunction with the Learning Skill Council the centre will offer online tests in literacy and numeracy and certificates in nationally recognised qualifications. A second series of 'Redcoats' is broadcast.

2002: Butlins takes over sponsorship of Swimathon from BT for the next 3 years. Monies raised go to Macmillan Cancer Relief. In its first year Butlins Swimathon raised £1.8million.

2001: Butlins hosted Britain's Strongest Man, holding the event at the Minehead Resort.

June: Butlins moves into the Conference and Events market. Since the inception of a specialist department such companies as Barclays, Master Foods and Friends Provident have held conferences and team building events at Butlins.

November: Big Top Concerts became Arena Breaks with the capacity being increased to 7000. Such stars as Ronan Keating, Blue, Gareth Gates and Atomic Kitten now play live during the weekend breaks.

2000: Bourne Leisure acquire Rank Holidays division on 20th October 2000. Big Top Concerts are introduced at Minehead. The Big Top was a specially constructed concert venue with a capacity of 5000.

1999: The remainder of the £139 million is spent on the investment and Butlins Family Entertainment Resorts open at Minehead, Bognor Regis and Skegness.

1998: £75 million invested in upgrading Minehead, Bognor and Skegness. The refurbishment includes accommodation, waterworlds and entertainment. Ayr and Pwllheli transfer to Haven in October.

1996: New holiday company Parkworld Holidays created to manage Butlins and Haven. Butlins celebrate 60 glorious years 'Diamond Jubilee'.

1994: Grand Hotel, London opens.

1993: Acquisition of Grand Hotel, London.

1990: Further investment continues for the Holiday Worlds.

1989: Investment programme commenced for Hotels.

1988: £12 million investment at Ayr, renamed Wonderwest World. Investment continues at Minehead, Bognor and Skegness.

1986: £10m invested at Minehead, renamed Somerwest World, including Sunsplash Waterworld. Barry closed. Number of staff at Head Office cut by half. £30 million investment at Bognor and Skegness, renamed Southcoast and Funcoast Worlds.

1984/85: Clacton and Filey sold. Robert Butlins retires.

1983: Clacton and Filey closed. Luxury units built at Bognor and Minehead.

1982: Mosney sold. Fun pools built at Bognor Regis and Minehead.

1981: £2m development at Minehead. Acquisition of the Grand Hotel, Llududno.

1980: £1.8million development at Ayr. 12th June Sir William Butlin dies.

1978: Sussex beach built and opened. Grand Hotel, Scarborough purchased.

1976: Record Trading profit.

1973: Sunshine (Hayling Island, Seaview and Tencreek) opened.

1972: Record one million bookings. Merged with Rank Organisation.

1971: Programme of accommodation re-furnishing started at Bognor, Filey and Pwllheli.

1968: Sir William retires. Robert Butlin becomes Chairman and MD.

1966: Barry Island centre opens.

1964: William Butlin knighted.

1962: Minehead opens.

1960: Bognor opens.

1956: Grand Hotel (Cliftonville) and the parent company, Nicholson Hotels, purchased with other smaller hotels.

1955: Cliftonville Hotels (St George's, Queens, Florence and Norfolk) purchased and opened. Metropole Hotel, Blackpool, take on a long lease and opened.

1953: Ocean Hotel, Saltdean, purchased and opened.

1951: Butlins (Bahamas) Ltd wound up.

1948: Butlins (Bahamas) Ltd formed to build a vacation village on the island at Grand Bahama. Mosney opens.

1946/7: Skegness, Clacton, Pwllheli and Ayr de-requisitioned and re-opened, Butlins Irish and Continental Holidays formed.

1945: Filey partly de-requisitioned and opened for holidays. Butlins Properties Ltd formed with a total capital of £1,150,00 to finance re-purchase contracts with the Government.

1939/45: Ayr is HMS Scotia, Clacton is an Army Camp, Filey is an RAF station, Pwllheli is HMS Glendower, Skegness is HMS Royal Arthur.

1938: Clacton opens with a capacity of 2000.

1937: Capacity at Skegness is doubled. Company goes public with a share capital of £220,000.

1936: First holiday centre opens at Skegness with a capacity of 1000.

1927/35: Billy Butlin opens amusement parks throughout Great Britain.

1921: Billy Butlin arrives in England from Canada.

1899: William Butlin was born.

The link was here to visit Butlins!

www.butlins.at and www.butlinsonline.co.uk affiliate program was with Buy.at where it was CORKED. However, the Butlins affiliate program is now back again! Now with Affiliate Window. Sadly, the program has now finished and the page has had to be Bunged Up. In the meantime, for alternatives please visit our Travel page. (You could also still book your holiday at Butlins through Thomas Cook, but on this page you can book directly).