27 February 2009

Brits Return to Butlins

Ah sweet nostalgia.

When I was a wee nipper - I badgered my parents to take me to Butlins. The haven of wonder, all inclusive all the fun you can consume.

And yes there is a Wikipedia article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butlins

Butlins itself somewhat lost its glamour when the Brits discovered the fleshpots of Europe and then learned that contrary to (then) popular lore the Wiley Oriental Gentlemen didn't really patrol the harbour of Calais.

Fast forward to today's sobering economic crisis and the lack of affordable holidays, and we see that the Brits wont be leaving their shores in such droves this year. Many of them will simply stay home - Staycation will creep into the vocabulary again. But for many the second year without a holiday away somewhere is just not tolerable. So they are packing their sandwiches and heading to Butlins.

And this isn't your grandfather's Butlins (or its arch competitor Pontins) either. Sure there are the Redcoats. But the ghost of Sir Billy and his son (also sadly deceased) do not haunt the remaining 3 "villages". Mother-in-law jokes have been banned but the nobbly knee contests remain. And the venerable Chalets are still there in some cases.

Ah sweet nostalgia....

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