I’ve got almost nothing but great memories of Butlins. We used to go every year when I was little. I think the sheer oddness of the look of the place, its utter apartness from everything else I saw in Scotland growing up gave me my love of folly architecture, though obviously that’s not something you think of as a child.
I’ve bought a few postcards on e-bay in recent years, as well as some other Butlins items. There’s some great family photos too that my dad took, but all that stuff’s back home so I can’t scan any of them at the moment. My oldest postcard is this one of the “Rope Railway over Gardens” (chairlifts to us), dated 22 August 1962, sent to a lady in Carlisle.
It notes “the place is lovely and clean, plenty of good food too” though I must admit the food is one thing I don’t have such good memories of myself.
My next oldest is this one of “The Princess Ballroom”. This part of the camp was closed to visitors by the time we started going, it was by then a semi-derelict building near the entrance gate where the two steam trains once sat. One afternoon though we sneaked in there with my Uncle Jimmy. I can still remember the forlorn sight of this abandoned giant pink sea shell. My Uncle started climbing the grand staircase which made such an alarming creaking and groaning sound we all rushed out of the building convinced the whole thing would collapse on our heads.
The classic cards though are from the John Hinde Studios, with their heavily saturated look (did the Firth of Clyde ever look so blue again?). This one was sent by my Auntie Agnes to my granny and she notes “we want for nothing, all our meals left on for us, it’s a big change”. She usually had to cook for six people at home, so I guess the was what she appreciated the most, no cooking or washing up.
The outdoor pool, captioned as “Heated” on the card was in fact bloody freezing all the year round and filled with dead beetles, great fun though.
This one of the “Boating Lake and Miniature Train” was sent by the splendidly named Mrs. Scotland in August 1978 who wrote THE WEATHER HAS BEE (sic) GLORIOUS EVERY DAY. JAMES AND THE GIRLS DO NOT WANT TO COME HOME.
This one of the “Quiet Lounge” was sent in the sixties (can’t make out the postmark quite) by “Mary” who cautiously wrote “Feel better about the camp now that we’ve settled in” but later mentions the terrible weather, “its pouring down this morning.”
Fun Fair and Heads of Ayr
The Beachcomber Bar, probably my favourite place in Butlins, though weren’t often allowed in (maybe that was part of the mystique). Full of cheeky tiki furnishings, the attraction for us kids were the spooky wooden idols and caiman lurking in the “river” (though of course we called them crocodiles). The highlight was spectacular tropical downpours accompanied by storm sounds, a volcano glowing and the lights going out on the distant tromp l’oeil island. Really magical stuff.
And finally, little Dammit winning the fancy dress contest. I’ve still got the certificate too, so I know this was shot on July 11 1969.