Gransnet forums

Travel

Did you go to a Butlins or Pontins holiday camp ?

(41 Posts)
Cabbie21 Fri 01-Jul-22 17:03:06

We went to Butlins once when our first child was small. She loved it, and I loved having no meals to cook and an easy life for a week, even if much of it was not to my taste.
The second time was a few years later, and I just couldn’t stand it.

MissAdventure Fri 01-Jul-22 17:01:51

We went in various camper vans to Cornwall, every year.
We loved it!

IwasaMaidofKent Fri 01-Jul-22 17:01:47

We went to Butlins in north Wales and Pontins on the Isle of Wight and I can remember the huts were just like sheds and the dinner wasin this massive hall in two sittings. It was rather cheesy when I look back now but I loved it as a child.

Zoejory Fri 01-Jul-22 17:00:47

No. My parents wouldn't have been keen. Lucky enough to go abroad for our holidays

MissAdventure Fri 01-Jul-22 16:57:07

Oh no.
It wasn't "our sort of thing", although I don't remember being asked.

I went in my 40s, and loved it!

AGAA4 Fri 01-Jul-22 16:52:36

We took our 18 month old son to Butlins. He caught measles there and was very ill. This was in the days before vaccination.

Pantglas2 Fri 01-Jul-22 16:18:41

We went on Sunday school and Dad’s works day trips annually to Butlins Pwllheli which seemed to take all day to get there! Don’t remember it ever raining - surely it must have?

Also did the Sheep Dog Trials midgey as my mother was from a farming family and my uncle usually entered and later judged internationals!

Kate1949 Fri 01-Jul-22 16:17:53

We never had a holiday as children but we took our daughter to Butlins, Pontins and another one. Warner's I think. This was in the '70s. She loved it as an only child and so did we. It was great fun.

ayse Fri 01-Jul-22 16:16:41

We went camping although I wanted to try it. Camping was an inexpensive holiday and suited my parents. Looking back, I probably had many more interesting experiences than going to a holiday camp.

Oldbat1 Fri 01-Jul-22 16:16:03

Went every year if there was a junior ballroom dancing competition- loved the competition but really enjoyed the swimming pool which had windows. Loved the amusements. Probably only lasted a long weekend but it was so enjoyable.

maddyone Fri 01-Jul-22 16:13:29

We never went to any of them.

midgey Fri 01-Jul-22 16:06:43

I always wanted to go to Butlins. Our holidays were centred around sheepdog trials!

kittylester Fri 01-Jul-22 16:05:21

We went to Butlins once but it was not quite my mother's thing. grin

A girlfriend and I went to Pontins in Jersey where I came 2nd in the 'bathing beauty' competition.

tanith Fri 01-Jul-22 16:02:11

We went to Pontins once but weren’t really impressed it wasn’t very clean although the children loved it. We did a lot of self catering Haven holidays which we really enjoyed but now even those holidays are costing an arm and a leg sadly out of the reach of many.

H1954 Fri 01-Jul-22 15:59:18

No, there wasn't the money in our house for holiday camp vacations. We had to make do with camping holidays for which much of the equipment was sourced from the local army surplus store, even the khaki tents! Oh happy days!

Floradora9 Fri 01-Jul-22 15:54:46

I have been reading Mervyn Bragg's autobiography " Back in The Day " and he tells how he and his mum would go to Butlins in Ayr . When they visited he just loved it the whole bundle of competitions , mass singing the shows at night . We took our children to that camp plus Pontins in Blackpool and Southport and we all enjoyed it . I think my most abiding memories are of the cheer that went up when one of the servers dropped a plate. They carried things like big cake racks stacked with full plates. There was no choice of food but we ate it . On arriving at one chalet we discovered that a light bulb was blown . We told the office and when we returned to our chalet there was a large dirty footpring on a bed where someone had stood to replace the light bulb. We demanded a new sheet . We arranged swimming lessons for my DS and at the end of the week he still could not swim but his little sister could. Our next door neighbours took the competition to heart and took fancy dress costumes with them . They also took their little girl's music for the talent competition and someone stole it . We never left our children alone in the chalets despite there being patrols to keep an eye on them, " baby crying in challet 33 " would come over the tannoy in the theatre. The fact that we did not leave them meant that our evening's entertainment was curtailed because they wanted to go to bed. They were happy days .