Butlins Minehead Then & Now Part 1 of 4

During a recent visit to Butlins Minehead I took along lots of old photos of the camp and attempted to recreate them as accurately as possible.

Turn annotations on for a description of each photo along with approximate dates they were taken.

Most of the older photos are from www.butlinsmemories.com, along with some from my own small collection and elsewhere on the internet.

All Butlins logos, advertising, and images of Billy Bear and the Skyline Gang are trademarks of Bourne Leisure Ltd.

Special thanks to:
"Lumpkin" for supplying the "Hi-de-Hi" theme vocals

The team at Butlins Minehead

Kevin Francis at www.butlinsmemories.com

and to Davina Lee begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Peter Ellis, Andre Hyde, Paul Bessant, Damon Kimpton, and Shaun Pashley who all provided original Butlins photographs.

If you are the original owner of any of the photos and would like me to include your name in the end credits, or would prefer your photos not to be included, please contact me through Youtube and I will happily make any necessary changes.

This video is provided in good faith and at no charge for the benefit of all those who have an interest in Butlins and its wonderful history.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• butlins
• minehead
• then
• now
• history
• changes
• nostalgia
• holiday
• camp
• photos
• monorail
• chairlifts
• fun

[BarryCroucher]

What an amazing piece of work. Thank you so much. I met my wife to be in 1986 and went many times with our children, so there are lots of great memories here !

[bloobloo2]

@BarryCroucher Glad you like it Barry!

[nealthedude]

I stayed at the Skegness site in the 1970s and it was like a wonderland. Not anymore. It's ruined! It's all plain, car parks, grass, buildings that look like industrial warehouses and that big white thing that looks like a tent. The accomodation just looks like ordinary housing. It dosen't look like a holiday resort at all. It's just like an industrial town and nothing to do.

[bloobloo2]

@nealthedude

Sad but pretty much true at Skegness. Have you been to Minehead lately? It's not as good as it used to be but it's still much better than Skegness.

[watsername]

Thanks to this i have finally placed my then and now memory! (I think..) (pre skyline) was what is now Treasures a sweet shop in the mid 1990's? I just have a memory of buying flying saucers and watching the slush puppy machiene at the end of a shooping alley but I'm pretty sure it wasnt the other old shopping alley that is now closed...

[bloobloo2]

@watsername

What is now Treasures was part of the "Rothmans" walkaround shop, along with Spar and Toybox. So one big shop has been split into three smaller ones. The great things is that the Rothmans Walkaround shop sold sweets, souvinirs, toys, and a few basic groceries. In other words, even though the walkaround shop has been split into 3 and has new names, it still sells essentially the same things it always did!

[bloobloo2]

@tuffty76 Not for those with a real interest in Butlins history it's not!

[marcusbondi]

Great video! Why oh why did they 'bland' it down so much? Surely there would now be a market for Butlin's 'nostalgia' holidays!

[HawardCloseProducts]

GR8 VID, BUT LOL IS THAT THE SAME DONKEY! (looks like it XD)

[eddyfinkful]

@nealthedude My memories of Butlins Skegness, goes back some sixty years! We were met, at the train station,by an open backed lorry, for the suitcase & men & boys rode on the lorry,, & an old coach, for the ladies! I was about four or five, Im 66 on 26th,&, today, was asked to play Fred Quilley, in Hi Di Hi, in an amature production, in May 2012!

[dills488]

There's So many thing's I Remember when i was 7, Now i'm 25 with my Daughter & all the Things that i Know she'd love have Disappeared :-(.

[watsername]

@bloobloo2 Ah yes that makes sence. :) I think i got some wizzy world armbands from there once.would make sence being so close to the old outdoor pool. :)

[nealthedude]

@bloobloo2 No, I only ever went to Skegness. I hear that at least Minehead is still recognisable as Butlin's though, unlike Skegness which the current owners tore to bits in the name of progress!

[nealthedude]

@kandiisuicide It's not just that though. They have bulldozed the lot so it's beyond recognision to what it used to be, especially at Skegness. You would have thought with it being Billy Butlin's first camp they would have retained more of how he set it up. The layout was much better how it was. In terms of entertainments, there was much more before, and all for free. Now you have to pay extra for many things.

[kandiisuicide]

@nealthedude Can I just say I strongly disagree, there is plenty to do so long as you take advantage of what is on offer, such as the spa complex and many other attractions.