Hi de Hi? - No de No!

[Parksy]

It looks as though things have caught up with Pontins who were once considered to be a highly desirable holiday destination way back through the mists of time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11748317
We only ever stayed at a Pontins once somewhere around 1962 or 63, if I remember it was somewhere near to Southport and most of the street went on two coaches ( or char a bangs as we called them back in the day) for a week.
We were easily pleased back then, music played through loudspeakers situated around the site to get everybody out of bed early and into the giant concrete structure supposedly resembling a land lubbers idea of a cruise ship (I'm not making this up honestly!) which contained an enormous dining hall for a breakfast served by grubby spotty teddy boy types with glottal Merseyside accents.
I remember that we kids stuck (literally) to the cornflakes, the 'full English' breakfast was considered to be too rich for our delicate stomachs and we were told that it would 'only make us sick'.
They got that part dead on at least, the waiters fingernails back then were blacker than the Devils curtains so we didn't much fancy it anyway.
We loved the free table tennis and funfair rides, my younger sister sprained her ankle on a sort of pedal go cart (she's still a lousy driver

) and she became the centre of attention (as usual) for the remainder of the stay.
There were the bathing beauty contests, glamorous grannies and knobbly knees and ballroom dancing each evening which gave us kids a chance to slope off from under the parental gaze whilst the adults tripped the light fantastic.
Not long after our father bought a large tent and a Bedford van with twin windscreens and a bench seat and this gave rise to many camping expeditions and sort of ignited my present day love of caravanning.
Dear, innocent times and I hope that Pontins survives in one form or another as Haven seems to have prospered because it's sad to see another little bit of the past disappear.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Haven is up against it at the moment too...

Incidentally, can anyone identify the pop top that the annoying Watchdog lady is standing in?

And I'd love to know why are they surrounded by tourers when the whole piece is about dirty static vans? Giving us a bad name...

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Unlike Parksy we were way too poor to take advantage of Butlitz or Pontins when I was younger

Around 1954 we hired a caravan at Ingoldmells, just outside Skeggy, and at the time they were just building Butlitz.
We went to the same caravan park!!! a couple of times in the following years and I always looked on jealously at those who went to Butlitz. We couldn't even afford a day pass

waaaaaaa!!!!!! waaaaaaaa!!!!!!
Below is a pic of a younger, slimline version of myself with my grandmother outside the caravan. I don't know the make it is though.
The only recollection I have of it is, on arrival, I crashed out on one of the cushions and went to sleep which was unusual for me.
I always recall my parents saying it's the sea air

In those days the mowing of grass was unheard of.
What I'm holding I haven't a clue but at a guess it's a crab because The Point at Ingoldmells was excellent for catching crabs (the marine variety) with a ball of string, stone for weight and a shrimp tied on the end

 

[Steve L]

And they say we're not having a "Double dip recession"!!
When holiday companies that were started in redundant world war two army camps go down the pan you know your in the S*1T!!
People have reigned in the purse strings this year and it can be seen in every leisure activity. Garden centers are quiet, shops holding all year sales and even caravan sites suffering despite a supposed increase in caravan sales.

The site I'm on has had a very quiet year with occupation down 40% on seasonal tourers. Next year will be even worse as the wardens have done a grand job of self presavation by converting 25% of the remaining tourers into static owners. Once they're in the static trap their hooked to very hefty annual charges and often in too deep with finance to get out without negative equity. Also having gone adults only due to one occassion where someone's child allegedly left a tap on in the laundry, casual tourers and tents have dropped 70% compared to the last year. So rather than spend £100 on two sets of push taps, they have forfitted several thousand pounds of custom. Also now in the comfort zone having done the probation period and having the good static sales figures, they are seldom found at the office at the main time for potential trade. I've seen an estimated 100 units turn and burn because the office is closed.

I wonder how long this can go un-noticed.

 

[Soozeeg]

When I was a child we (my parents, brother and sister) stayed at Butlins, Bognor Regis, along with my aunt and uncle and their 2 kids. We had adjoining chalets that looked identical to the ones in Hi de Hi. We went full board, which we kids found highly exciting and 'posh' at the time, only ever having stayed in self catering statics before. The day after we arrived, my 2 cousins came down with chicken pox or measles (some spotty illness, anyway) - they were both covered in spots from head to toe. My aunt and uncle were terrified of 'the authorities' finding out and booting them off the camp, so my cousins were confined to barracks (and it was just like barracks). They obviously couldn't go to the restaurant, so aunt and uncle took it in turns to go for meals with us. We all took plastic bags and had to surreptitiously slip the odd sausage, roast spud, etc. into the bags for aunt and uncle to smuggle back to their chalet to feed the family - my brother, sister and I thought it was enormous fun and our parents had great difficulty trying to stop us giggling and giving the game away!We were allowed to visit our cousins and chat to them from the doorway of their bedroom - under strict instructions not to cross the threshold on pain of death (well, itchy spots). We took great (sadistic) delight in informing our cousins what a great time we'd had in the swimming pool or the kids club (think it was called the Beavers). I don't think they were impressed!

I've never been to a Butlins or Pontins since, but that holiday has always stuck in my mind!

 

[LMH]

There was a Pontins not far from where we used to live.

When I was a student, myself and some other students were employed on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays evenings (8pm till midnight).

I can't remember what our title was but our job was as follows:

Working in pairs, we were allocated 'a block or several blocks' and we walked around the blocks/chalets listening for any children who had been left alone and were crying. Upon hearing a crying child, we noted the chalet number and put a message on the A frame board in reception.

That was Pontin's free baby sitting service. I can't believe that actually happened and I was a part of it.

We were paid very well actually and a free bus picked us up and dropped us off at home.
Lisa

 

[Philspadders]

SteveinLeo. we are not having a double dip recession. Far from it. We are in growth at the moment.

As for the occupancy levels on your site , that seems to be the exact opposite of what the CC and C&CC are saying with membership increasing and occupancy rates going through the roof.

Quite a few caravan dealers are also experiencing increased sales, possibly as static caravaners are going touring.

 

[Dustydog]

At 5 years old we were taken to Butlins camp at Clacton. All I remember was a tiny chalet, without a toilet I think

A lot of the red coat girls were very pretty

The grub was bangers and mash but quite acceptable. The fun fair part was great and that's all I can recall. Never been since mmm

 

[Parksy]

I've never been to Butlin's in my life but for some reason we used to get their brochure at our house when we were kids.
Thre was always a picture of chubby cheeked Billy Butlin who owned the camps and the glossy brochure had pages filled with pictures of the delights on offer for those who stayed there.
Looking through their brochure was the closest we ever got but I think that some of their parks now accept tourers so you never know.....

 

[Timbo1]

Lisa,

At Butlins, the drill was there would be a white hankie tied to the door handle of the chalet to signify there was an unattended baby inside!!!!!!!!!!! Staff would ride round on bikes keeping watch.. Then there would be a huge chalk board to the left of the stage and it would say "Baby Crying in Chalet.... every now and then a member of the lookout staff would hop on the stage and chalk the number of the chalet up LOL. In the morning the tanoy in the chalet would go "Bing Bong, Radio Butlin Calling" and we would be summoned to breakfast. I was a Butlin Beaver and wore my very fancy embroidered badge with huge pride. I remember Dad breaking his wrist on the first day when he took me to the outside roller skating rink LOL.

It was the 60s then and we'd go to Clacton and I would get so excited as soon as I saw the Giant at the entrance and the funfair. When we really reached it was a fortnight in Minehead Butlins with the monorail et al, year after year and we lapped it up. Such happy days, wonderful fun trying to fit as many things as you could into a matchbox (!), pirate chases, knobbly knees competitions, tyre rolling competitions, ladies wearing proper ballroom dresses prancing around the ballroom, I really really loved it. Such social times we will never see again I fear.

 

[Marc1]

We went to Pontins at Pakefield (the last time in 1992) and both times we had a good old fashioned holiday camp type holiday.
The food was hot and plentiful if perhaps a little unimaginative, the entertainment was reasonable and varied, and the chalets were due a makeover

.
The camps will possibly survive but I fear that the pontins brand will become another British name to vanish.
Is it a sign of getting old when all your favourites have long since gone

 

[colinw1]

I thought it was just my old man who called Butlins - Butlitz..

The main thing is with these places (for me at least) - they are too dear - even the tourer section is too dear. But yet there is a happy following of these places...
From the Watchdog report there was one thing that stuck out for me - most of the complaints were for the Devon park - there didnt seem to be as many for others.

It would be nice if some of the old camps were redeveloped into a touring only site, with a reasonable pitch fee, as there are some in nice areas of our countryside.

 

[HerinDoors]

Hi We are members of Queen Fan club, (not the queen, the rock group). Untill recently they have held their annual conventon at Pontins, mainly at Southport, then to North Wales, and finally to Breen. They have been doing this for 25 years, and was throughrally enjoyed by all. Unfortunatly the conditions of the accomidation Pontins provided initally was fine, but ended up extreemly poor. This was to the extent that I had to complain about dirty used cuttlry and pans, they still had dried greesy food from a previous occupier on them, and a dirty damp room. The fan club recieved so many complaints, that they have now taken their custom to another provider, who though smaller are clean , and allow us to take our own touring van, and home comforts. If Pontins had some money spent on it, and had upgraded with the times, they would still have plenty of visitors. ta Julia