History of the British Holiday camp

8.7.24

Hi-de-Hi campers! If that reference is lost on you, perhaps you’re too young to remember the 80s TV comedy series Hi-de-Hi set in a British holiday camp in the late 50s/early 60s, or it maybe it just passed you by. It was a nostalgic look at the British holiday camp in what many regard as its heyday, and we’re doing the same here in this blog.

Why are we writing about this? Well, at The Aqua Contractor, we deal with aquatic weeds in holiday parks right across the UK, and you can read more in our case studies.

Why did holiday camps spring up?

Holidaying was beyond the reach of most Brits before the 1950s, but the end of World War II signalled a social shift – a working and middle class emerged with greater disposable income and paid holidays. People were ready for reward for all that hard work, and to unwind and enjoy themselves, and they didn’t have to go far. British holiday camps eventually sprang up north, south, east and west.

Billy Butlin: British holiday camp pioneer

The British holiday camp pioneer was Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin, aka Billy Butlin.

Born in South Africa and raised in England, he tapped into the growing appetite for affordable holidays and so set about creating a place where families could have fun in friendly, welcoming environments.

He opened his first holiday camp in 1936, Butlins Skegness. His camps offered what was at the time a revolutionary concept of all-inclusive chalet accommodation, meals, and entertainment for adults and kids. These camps were designed to keep families entertained with activities like sports, competitions, kids talent shows, Glamorous Grannies and Knobbly Knees contests, plus a whole load of other stuff that was of the time.

Butlin's British Holiday Camps boom

Butlin’s Skegness doubled in size after just one year and then in 1938, he opened Butlin's Clacton. But Billy had to hand both camps to the government in the 1940s to help the war effort. But by the 1950s, widely considered the golden age of the British holiday camp, things were back on track and he was on the acquisition trail again, and adding more innovations, like heated swimming pools so the weather didn’t matter. Eventually, you could find Butlin's in places as far apart as Ayr, Bognor Regis, Filey, and Minehead with Red Coats (staff) keeping everybody entertained, amping up the fun factor day and night.

Billy passed away in the early 1980s, and it was from then on, and under new ownership that Butlin’s sold off many of its camps during the 90s, to become the more streamlined operation it is today.

Pontins

Around a decade into Butlins’ success, Fred Pontin decided he wanted in on the action and so Pontins was born in 1946.

Pontins offered a similar all-inclusive holiday experience with a slightly more laid-back vibe. It was Bluecoats at Pontins camps providing entertainment and organising all the fun activities. During the 1950s, Pontins rapidly expanded, opening camps in locations like Brean Sands, Camber Sands, and Southport. The competition between Butlin’s and Pontins was very real, and at its height, there were 30 Pontins camps in all. The company was sold to Britannia Hotels in 2011.

Ladbrokes

Betting company Ladbrokes decided to dive into the holiday camp business too. In 1965, Ladbrokes acquired several camps and entered the market with a view to offering a whisp more sophistication, catering to the rising expectations of holidaymakers who wanted affordable luxury. Caister-on-Sea in Norfolk, which was the UK’s oldest holiday camp dating back to 1906, was on of theirs, another being Seaton Sands in Devon.

In the 1990s, former Ladbrokes holiday camps were branded as Warner Self Catering sites. Many have since been sold off or closed.

A changing world

The rise of affordable air travel meant that families could now holiday abroad and this really took off in the 70s, so Butlin’s and Pontins tried reposistioning themselves in the market and revamped their offerings, updating facilities and incorporating more modern entertainment. They tapped into nostalgia while also appealing to newer generations.

The Legacy Lives On

The legacy of the British holiday camp lives on to this day, with many wonderful holiday parks like Haven, and perhaps owe at least some of what's shaped them to Billy Butlin and Fred Pontin.