Or : Hi-de Hi at Hunmanby!
Post WW2, "Holiday Camps" became big business. One of the entrepreneurs was Billy Butlin (above) who was joined by Fred (Book Early) Pontin ...
Many of Warner's holiday camps became part of a much upgraded Haven Holidays.
... and the 'vans were joined by a shop, catering and entertainment facilities.
But such joys faded into insignificant compared to what was happening next door.
Historically, Hunmanby Moor was an RAF training camp which dated back to 1911. Two Bleriot planes were based at "The Aerodrone", which was Hunmanby Sands!
... whence the fragile planes were manhandled down a path to the beach for take-off and back after landing.
But it is what became of the RAF camp after WW2 that is the core of this series of blogs. Billy bought it and developed the largest holiday camp in the western arm of our galaxy
Say hello to Butlins, Filey.
The bright colours, cheap prices and in-house entertainment formed the perfect antidote to post war austerity and an overall khaki and grey! These pictures, in no particular date order, give something of the flavour. Outdoor pool ...
... there was an indoor pool as well! A Cable car ...
There was a miniature railway round and across the lake ...
And big boss Billy had his own private chalet on the cliff top ...
... so when he paid his pastoral visits, he did not have to "slum it" in a chalet with the "hoi polloi". But you had to give the man credit; he did "holiday camps" very well. All entertainment as here ...
... so there would be no need to escape to Filey or Brid or Scarborough for a "night out" because every night at Butlins was a night out, usually in the Hawaiian (?) Ballroom.
Of course, all of this was a far cry from the camp run by Joe (Hi-de-Hi) Maplin ...
... thankfully fictitious! Although there were smaller such venues that were close!
One of Billy Bitlin's claims to fame was his promise that your week would cost no more than a week's wages - and that would include the train fare!
Which neatly leads into tomorrow's blog!
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DIRE WARNING DEPARTMENT
Seaton is being digitised by BT Connect. In theory, as at 1900 yesterday, the fbb landline phone should be working but now without the land line. The internet should not be working.
In practice the internet is working faultlessly but the land line is just whining pathetically and not taking or making calls.
So my equipment is getting it all wrong.
I have been warned that the system might get it right at some unpredictable time soon.
This may have an effect in blog publishing!
This WILL have an effect on blog publishing but no one knows what that effect will be.
Or when!
Isn't technology wonderful?
NO IT ISN'T!
Semaphore, anybody?
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Next Filey Ferroequinological blog : Fri 24 Oct
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