Butlins Bognor Regis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Butlin’s Bognor Regis |
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| Location | Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK |
| Coordinates | 50°47′06″N 0°39′47″W / 50.7851°N 0.6631°W |
| Facilities | Amusement park, swimming pool |
| Established | 2 July 1960 |
Butlin's Bognor Regis is a popular holiday camp located in Bognor Regis, a lovely seaside resort in West Sussex, England. It's about 55 miles (89 km) southwest of London. Butlin's first came to Bognor in 1932 with an amusement park. Later, they even added a zoo!
In 1960, Billy Butlin opened his first big holiday camp after World War II. He moved both the amusement park and the zoo into this new, larger camp. The Bognor camp has stayed strong through the years. It received new investments in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, it is one of only three Butlin's resorts still open. The resort has also added many new buildings, including modern hotels, moving away from just chalets.
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The Story of Butlin's: How it All Began
Billy Butlin, the founder of Butlin's, had his first taste of a real holiday in 1914. He was living in Toronto, Canada, and working for a department store called Eatons. The best part of his job was visiting their summer camp. This experience sparked an idea that would change his life.
After serving in World War I, Billy Butlin returned to England. He used his last £5 to buy a stall at his uncle's travelling fair. Billy was very good at being a showman. Soon, he had many stalls and even his own travelling fair.
In 1925, he opened some stalls in Barry Island, Wales. Here, he noticed how strict landladies were with families staying in seaside lodgings. This made him think about creating a holiday camp, much like the one he had enjoyed at Eatons.
In 1927, Billy Butlin leased land in Skegness. He built an amusement park there with fun attractions like hoopla stalls, a tall slide, a haunted house, and a special railway ride.
Butlin's in Bognor: Early Days
In 1932, Billy Butlin saw a chance to open another amusement park in Bognor Regis. He bought land that used to be called Olympian Gardens. On this land, he built his new amusement park, calling it "Butlin's Recreation Shelter."
Billy had a special license to sell Dodgem cars in Europe. These popular cars were one of the first attractions at the shelter, along with one-armed bandits. The shelter quickly became a popular spot. Local newspapers even said it was a place where you could "meet the elite."
The next year, in 1933, Butlin opened a zoo right on the seafront. It had many animals, including brown, black, and polar bears, hyenas, leopards, pelicans, kangaroos, and monkeys. The zoo's main attraction was a snake pit, where "Togo the snake king" often performed shows. Billy's mother, Bertha Butlin, even managed the park in Bognor for a while.
Building the Butlin's Holiday Camp
In late 1959, Billy Butlin decided to build a large holiday camp in Bognor. He bought a 39-acre site at the east end of the promenade. Some local people were against the idea. So, Billy ran an advertisement promising to move his "unsightly" funfairs from the town centre to the new site. He also said he would spend more money advertising Bognor than any local hotelier.
Despite creating about 500 local jobs during construction, many residents still didn't like the new camp. Some thought it looked like a prison. During construction, a stream called the Aldingbourne Rife had to be straightened. But a very wet winter caused the river to flood the site, making it very muddy. Workers even used mattresses wrapped in plastic to create walkways!
On July 2, 1960, Billy Butlin officially opened his new holiday camp in Bognor. It cost £2.5 million to build. Because of the flooding, the camp wasn't fully ready on opening day. Butlin offered guests the chance to go to another camp, but many chose to stay and help out. Those who helped received a free bottle of Champagne! Once opened, the camp was a huge success, hosting about 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors.
At its busiest, the camp would see 6,000 guests arrive every Saturday, while another 6,000 left the same day. There were 1,300 staff members, including the famous Redcoats, to look after everyone. In 1968, Billy's son, Bobby Butlin, took over. He introduced self-catering rooms, which meant guests could cook their own meals.
Butlin's Bognor was updated throughout the 1980s. In 1987, it was renamed Southcoast World. This was after £16.5 million was spent on new rooms, a new indoor water park, and a new miniature steam railway.
In 1998, Butlin's Bognor had another big makeover. The name Southcoast World was dropped, and £45 million was invested. A huge Skyline Pavilion was added. This covered area meant guests could enjoy activities all year round, no matter the weather. The Skyline Pavilion included new shops, bars, restaurants, and entertainment areas. The Redcoat uniform was also redesigned, and a special resort police constable was added for safety. Pop star Ronan Keating relaunched the camp in May 1999. At this time, the company changed its name from Butlin's to Butlins. The resort was renamed Butlins Resort Bognor Regis, which it is still called today.
Butlins Resort Bognor Regis Today
Today, the resort welcomes over 385,000 visitors each year. About 300,000 stay overnight, and 85,000 visit for the day. Butlins Bognor Regis is one of the biggest employers in the area. It hires 850 staff members each year, including 35 Redcoats.
While some older attractions have been removed, the resort still has a swimming pool and a funfair. It offers many activities like rock climbing, fencing, and archery. Butlins also provides lots of entertainment. They work with popular brands like The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Thomas & Friends, and Bob the Builder to bring exciting shows and characters to the resort.
The site is now 60 acres in size. Butlins Bognor Regis has been a leader in adding hotel accommodation. Including the hotels, the camp has 4,800 beds for guests.
New Hotels at Butlins Bognor
In 2005, Butlins added the Shoreline Hotel to the resort. £10 million was spent on the hotel and its beautiful gardens. The hotel has a nautical theme, with big porthole windows and a ship-like front. It has four floors and 160 rooms.
The Shoreline Hotel was so successful that another hotel, the Ocean Hotel, opened in 2009. This one cost £20 million to build. In July 2012, Butlins opened its newest hotel, the Wave Hotel. This was the first Butlins hotel to offer self-catering apartments, where guests can cook their own meals. There are plans for three more hotels as part of the Bognor Regis Regeneration project.
Butlin's Bognor in Pop Culture
The Bognor camp has been featured in films. A scene from the movie The Beauty Jungle (1963) was filmed there. The honeymoon scenes in the film The Leather Boys (1964) also took place at Butlins Bognor Regis.
Many famous musical acts have performed at Bognor over the years. These include The Hollies, The Four Tops, Billy Ocean, The Osmonds, and Fats Domino. More recent acts like Atomic Kitten, Olly Murs, and Peter Andre have also played there.
Fun and Entertainment at Butlin's
The original Bognor Regis camp had all the classic Butlin's entertainment. This included the Butlin's Redcoats, a funfair, a ballroom, a boating lake, and tennis courts. There were also sports fields for fun races, table tennis, snooker tables, amusement arcades, a theatre, and shops.
Adventure Activities
Butlins Bognor Regis has developed "Ex More Adventures." These activities include a climbing wall, diving courses, horse riding, and Land Rover safaris. You can also try fly fishing, sea fishing, sailing, canoeing, and coasteering. Some of these activities are held at Exmoor National Park.
Live Shows and Musicals
Butlins Bognor Regis has hosted many exciting live shows and musicals at its Centre Stage. Some of these have included:
- The Mask Musical (1999)
- Casper The Musical (1999)
- Spider-Man The Musical (1999)
