i remember butlins really well me and my family went every year sometimes twice a year, we stayed in the chalets to begin with then moved to the caravans when they arrived, my mum had me my sis and big brother enter all the compititions, we have many photos i need to get downloaded. wish i had the money i would rebuild butlins to what it was but for now the memories are great will never forget
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I remember going to Skegness Butlins theme park in 66 as wee boy then looked like something in Disney world too me fab time as i recall mind you i was only 3 then lol
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From: German/French/Swiss border town on the River Rhein
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Butlin's in Ayr was where I watched my sister and the team she played for; WestThorn United, (previously named Glasgow Gay Ladies FC till I pointed out to her trainer/manager that the name needed changing) win the Scottish final to represent Scotland against England in the first ever Ladies International football match in Bellevue, Manchester. (around 1970) It was sponsored by Butlin's Holiday Camps and Hughie Green's "Opportunity Knocks" TV show.
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"Destiny is a good thing to accept when it's going your way. When it isn't, don't call it destiny; call it injustice, treachery, or simple bad luck.” ― Joseph Heller, God Knows
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From: Canada
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I spent a week at Butlin's Ayr in July 1961, with my cousin and a friend, cost us 15 pounds for the week. The resident band was a then unknown Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who I believe went on to have a hit record? had a great week, I think there was a sort of cable car that took you up to the dance hall if memory serves.
Most of my childhood holidays were spent in resorts on the Clyde, in fact nearly always at Ayr. We started the main part of our journey at Waterloo Street bus station where if we were early enough we could claim the front seat upstairs on the big red double-decker. It took so long to get there! We stopped at all the little villages. In later times, I lived in the south west of Glasgow, and found I could get to Ayr by car in 30 minutes. The upper deck had an aisle along the right hand side, and the seats were benches for four raised on a platform. If we came just as the bus was leaving, the family had to split up and sit with strangers.
We never went to a hotel, and only once when just my mother and I were on holiday did we have bed and breakfast. Usually what happened was this. My mother would look in the small ads in the paper, where people would offer to rent out a room in their house for a set period during the holiday season. My dad nearly always had two weeks off at the Glasgow Fair. What you got was pot luck!
Once, our "hostess" worked at Butlin's holiday camp at the Heads of Ayr. She gave us all the information about going as day visitors and somehow arranged for us to eat in the staff canteen. Since her children were roughly the same ages as my brother and me we had one of the best holidays I can remember.
Another one that was memorable took place in accommodation where we had to eat with our backs against the door to stop the children of the house coming into our room, which was really their room. During the day while we were out, they raided our room for food.
I don't need to tell you about all the seaside attractions. The cartoon does it for me. Please click on it to get the really big picture. The only thing I would like to add is the seaside mission. Those workers tried so hard. I remember the choruses, the competitions, the games - but I was never really a convert.
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From: North Yorkshire
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Hi sweeney - why dont you become a member? I would like you to post this in my thread 'Beside the Sea' along with any photo's and links you have. You need to join our wee 'band' in order to take full advantage of the boards - thx for the contribution all the same
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From: glasgow
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i remember going to butlins in ayr for a weeks holiday during the summer holidays during the summer of 1990, i was 11
bliddy timmet mallet song, itsy bitsy was played non stop
glen micheal's cartoon carvelcade played live at the cinema, and how he and his dog spent the some days with us kids going around the camp site with the red coats
the chuckle brothers appeared live at the cinema hall ( how i cringe now, that i actually went to see them)
the grumbleweeds played live, and all i can remember is i thought it was funny is them prances about the stage with no clothes except a box covering their bits and bum,, only for them to flash their bum at every one
the only time as a kid u can stay out late without your parents worrying, lol
and finally being in the red coats club of 11 to 15 year olds,, and waiting til we got to boat pond, and us kids grabbing the male red and throwing him into the pond, and watching him crawl out dirty, while the female redcoat laughed like a hiyana!
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From: Glasgow, east end
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Great little link! Ta, very much. Brings back wonderful memories of Ayr back in the 70`s. Do you too think they were the best times? Before all that 80`s "let`s try and 2nd guess what the youth of today really want" bull? Tradgey is, kids today will never know what they missed. Never! Keeping it simple. That was the beauty of Butlins. Simple but varied. I think kids today, up to about 10, would love to be able to go there as it was. Do you?
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