I Visit The SMALLEST Pontins In The UK!
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- I stay half board at the smallest Pontins in the UK. What is it like? I check out the accommodation food and what's on the park
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#Pontins #9.50holidays
Which Pontins is the BEST?
Pakefield
None of them!!
they all need bulldozing to the ground and i mean all the buildings and rebuilding from scratch
Wall Park was a good one
The one that closed down
Is there anything worse than existing as a bird, in an aviary, at a pontins?
When I worked at holiday camps in the sixties, the general manager and head chef always got "proper" accommodation, usually a bungalow on site. The rest of us got something resembling a war zone.
Lol, imagine sharing a chalet with Ted Bovis.
Does "the rest of us" include the customers?
We were signage contractors who travelled from the south coast to Prestatyn and Hemsby in 1971.
They gave us really nice chalets, as the camps weren't in season when we were there. We worked 18 hour days and then crashed out. I don't think we changed our clothes from one day to the next.
@XrpCookies
Well I think sharing a chalet with Ted Bovis would be hilarious! Or Gladys Pugh, so I could have a good flirt with her!
@@bigtone1348
I'm so sorry to hear you had to work an 18 hour day!
The European Union got us a so-called maximum working hours week, of 48 hours.
Fat lot of good that was, when people still had to work even TWELVE HOURS, which is far too long. At least you didn't have to travel in to work! I was a security guard, on night shift, and got stopped by the police, on my way home. For "weaving in and out, a bit", as they described my driving, because I was tired. They thought I was drunk. When I explained, they were sympathetic.
This new government say they are going to sort out a few things like this. WE'LL SEE.
£33 with 2 cooked meals a day is very good value in todays market, another excellent video Tim.
Absolutely
It doesn't look like good value at all though.
My partner and I stayed couple of years ago. And enjoyed it. Adults only weekend the food was good entertainment there great to see so many people enjoying themselves in the evening. And in the restaurant all eating together. If these places are not saved the ethos of people holidaying all together in a complex will be lost forever in the UK. We talked to some Brummies in the Bar great laugh. The way things are going a lot of family's will need these places because of the cost of living. Thanks Ruth south Wales 😁❤
The area you were staying in I believe is all standard rooms for guests. Most of the entertainers for the site stay in the houses close to the front of the park. The Club room me and my partner stayed in was over by the crazy golf course. For what you pay for, the park is pretty well kept, food is substantial, if not imaginative, and the staff will do their best for you if they are able.
Those rooms look like a budget 1960s roadside motel you once saw in Australia. The sort of thing you see in B movies.
Definitely looks nicer than most! Shame about the pool though,Maybe it could open again in the future cause that’s usually the thing most people look forward to!
Personally I think this one is the best. It's not perfect, certainly not but it does show potential, unlike the others, which are well past saving in my opinion. If this one is now free from the Pontins brand, they may be able to turn it into a great budget holiday park.
Love the vid as always Tim ❤
Giving me flashbacks to Sand Bay school trips, always raining sideways if I remember correctly!
I went there. I liked it as adults only. If any food was empty and you asked them for more, they were good about replenishing it. It was really good value for money for what you get. I used to take my plate of food and eat it in the beach bar.
All of our family stayed for a week, in this camp back in the 70s. This video brings back childhood memories, it was our favourite camp.❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤❤
Went here at least twice 50 per years ago. Sure ball room chairs and carpets exactly the same especially that pattern red one.
Last time prob 30 years ago with my kids but just for the day. You can't get a day pass to Pontins but you can blag security you want to come in to book then stay several hours. Sure when we went then there was a toll stop on the road into the village.
Was always about the beach there though. Tide goes out over a mile.
Tim another excellent video, you should be offered a highly paid top management position with one of the UK holiday parks owners or hotel chains, you have built up a fantastic knowledge and video archive of UK accommodation which would be invaluable in improving what can all too often be a below par customer experience.
lol ill bear that in mind
It's not exactly rocket science though, is it?
It could be a pontin's branch catering to adults only ,while the main branch caters for families ,some adults don't want to be around kids 24 /7 but want time for themselves if they are single or have already raised their own families .
Worked there in 1988 the best Sunday dinner I’ve ever had. It was an adult only camp so we unfortunately had someone die at least once a season. Great little camp that has many happy memories.
rip
good grief, going to Pontins and then snuffing it is a grim way to check out!
Surprised you only got one
Good condition. Nice grounds. Food school canteen style & quality. Did look like a 65-80 (not 18-30) resort where instead of jumping into each other’s beds they jump into each other’s walking frames. I am sure for the price it’s a good week away for pensioners on a budget. You could use it as cheap accommodation to tour and not actually eat here and still be ahead.
Have you ever thought about doing centre parcs holiday resorts Tim? They would make a great video
yep have done a video coming soon :-)
@@WalkWithMeTim awesome :)
Enjoyed centre parca when I went it’s just so expensive
@@magicjack4076 but I suppose when you look at Pontins you are paying for quality and maintenance and upkeep at Centre Parcs. I know what I’d rather do: a holiday that’s a bit more expensive but enjoyable then feeling as if you are back at an army training camp.
The bowls on the gravel were 'French Boules'
I worked for BT. They had a big training school in Stone, Staffordshire. You would stay here for 3 or 4 weeks whilst being trained. This place felt very like it. Reasonable accommodation, all you can eat in the restaurant, cheap beer, and some entertainment. It was OK but I wouldn't want it as a holiday destination
BT is in yarnfield just outside of stone. I did my first ever dj gig at the BT club in the mid 90s
That's the one!
@@andyarmstrong1493 Just looked on Trip Advisor, it's still going as a conference centre, and assuming the pictures are recent enough, BT still use it. Loads of openreach vans parked up and the field of telegraph poles looks recent / well maintained. Had to laugh, they've obviously rebranded most of it but some of the rooms had signs in that exact 1990s 'BT' font!
I was going to say I thought we had a similar place near us in Bath until the 90s, Bailbrook College, but... it turns out it was only branded BT on the signs for the short time they owned IAR (Air Traffic Control), and the college never had anything to do with the phone side of BT. It passed onto Serco, who overspent on NATS and sold the building. It's had £10 million spent on it and now it's a luxury hotel - Tim?!
That is still a long commute
Tim, it was great to see you put a food review in this vlog, I loved it. P.S. Looking at the fish, there is no way it was Cod or Haddock. I would put my money on it being Vietnamese River Cobbler.
They said it was haddock when I visited
I went to Sand Bay around about 1970. It was a proper family holiday camp back then with children's entertainment throughout the day and a cabaret and bingo in the evening as well as Table Tennis tournaments, fancy dress competitions, football and netball not forgetting the Noddy train. The culture has changed so much since then and it does seem that, unless you're getting bladdered every night, it's not a proper holiday these days.
As a child of around 6 or 7 I remember going to a Pontins and they were fun weren't they? Something for all ages. Night time cabarets for the parents, and lots of children's play areas and clubs. I can still remember the bluecoat telling us all a secret password of "kippers and custard" ! and going on a treasure hunt which meant we walked and searched for hours. We slept very well from early evening as a result which was a relief to our parents. The chalets didn't have ensuite bathrooms though back then as you will probably remember, and we used to queue for toilets and bathrooms, but that was all part of the fun really and people chatted and made friends very easily. People seem far more materialistic these days, or complain of being bored. I can never remember feeling bored on our holidays.
@@Marigolded I remember the children's Uncle giving all of the kids a matchbox and then we had to see who could get the most different objects inside. I think I got about 5, I was rubbish, my sister got about 130. They always gave tins of toffee as prizes. We went with family friends so there were seven kids in our party. We won virtually everything and kept getting tins of toffee. My Mum had a word with them and they started giving us vouchers for the shop instead. I won the table tennis tournament and the fancy dress competition, my sister won the matchbox thing and the talent show, my Dad won the adult table tennis and tennis competitions and Mum won the women's. There were various other things we won but I can't remember them all. I know we had about 10 tins of toffees. I also remember they'd sing goodnight children at about 9 O'clock and all the kids would go back to the chalets to bed. They had a patrol that would check the chalets and if they heard any children crying they'd announce it in the main hall for the parents to go back to the chalet.
Was it always a pontins , it looks identical to Warner's in hayling island unless they was pontins originally.
This pontin's is much cleaner than other Pontins I have seen on this channel, although still out dated in places (a 90s-style crazy golf course),, but it is serviceable. great content Tim
thanks
I went on holiday here. managed to get an room for 4 for 4 days total £40 for £40 i cannot complain
6:42 You'll often find toilets stuck out from the wall where the previous toilet was a low level pan S' trap with exposed flush pipe in various colours. This has been replaced to a close coupled cistern design, rather than digging up the floor and moving the drain this is the next best thing.
I adore Sand Bay. Been there quite a few times. I rarely go into the Ballroom during the evenings as I much prefer the atmosphere in the Queen Vic. Quiz around 7:30, Fun and Games/Video racing around 9:00 and loads come in from the Ballroom for a couple of games of Hoy! Bingo around 10:30. Brilliant atmosphere, brilliant resort.
Hi Tim. It is the best one so far you have been to. You are right about the canteen it does get noisy and I find them echoy to.
Hey Tim,
Have you ever heard of the Aberconwy Resort & Spa? I did some repair work on the park a fair few years ago now, it’s a small park but has a Michelin recommended restaurant on site. I find that kind of funny to think. Keep up the videos, I love your work!
Hi Tim ! Wow this was a surprise much better than the others. Obviously needs attention but could be very nice . The ballroom was massive for the size of the park. Great location right by the sea loving these vlogs. Thanks for sharing with us love to you as always Tracey 💕 xxxx
thanks Tracey
i stay twice a year at sand bay for the rock n roll weekenders and I find it very good
Thanks much for the video and the walkaround, it's quite interesting to see this place - as an American, I've long been fascinated with the success and fall from grace of British holiday parks as it's something we really don't have the history of here on this side of the pond.
This place looked pretty nice overall - though, I'm not gonna lie, compared to a similar American concept like Great Wolf Lodge, Pontins pales badly in comparison. One is a proper family vacation resort, the other is something slightly higher than a community rec center and buffet restaurant. That's not a flex or an attack, just a statement of fact - the quality of places like GWL is a lot higher (though admittedly for a much higher cost than Pontins).
As you stated, 3 nights half board for £99, what are you going to expect? If you want an affordable cheap coastal break then it’s ideal, most seaside hotels are £99+ per night with no food included so you could forego the food and pop to a local eatery to support the local businesses.
That's a crazy place, it's like they're trying to keep a older place going. Did you notice some of the leather couches look like corner couches that aren't joined together.
Can someone tell me what's with all the stages and ballrooms? Like how much do they spend on chairs and sofas 😂
I've been there a couple of times for a skittles weekend, they still do them via the serious about events Web site, it's boules rather than bowls,not a bad site for a weekend.
A small entrance to Pontins there I'd say as the park looks quite big still from the video but I'd say definitely worth £99 for 3 nights for what you get even if it is a mid standards place at the most. 👍👌
Holiday camps always remind me of the '60's TV series The Prisoner.
I went to Butlins camps as a child and they were the best holidays imaginable. I went to Filey, Ayr, and Barry Island.
Love this and so happy you included the breakfast experience! Top video this
thanks
The clean parts gave me hope, and there were areas that exuded a feeling of being loved by certain members of staff, but the canteen was grim. I imagine most of the people who go there have been doing so for many years and meet up with some good friends. I imagine also the entertainment makes up for the lack of other facilities. How lovely to be so close to the beach though, and for the money worth it just to use as a base if touring around the rest of the area, even if you didn't eat there. I haven't been to a Pontins since 1970 (Prestatyn) when I was 7. It was a really good experience on the whole, again close to the beach, lovely entertainments staff looked after us while the parents enjoyed their holiday separately. Thanks Tim for showing us what these places are really like nowadays.
you are welcome
I've been to that beach. It's stunning. For a cheap get away and as a base it would be okay.
Although some of this park is palatial compared to some of the ones you visit that canteen was absolutely grim Tim but for the price it’s not too bad. Thanks as always for the tour.
yes looked cleaner but a bit boring
This didn't look too bad, perhaps they wanted to refurb to go with the name change. All right for a staycation weekend, groups probably from various social clubs on cheap deals.
Looking on Google, I think that the now closed (and demolished) Wall Park, Brixham was only just bigger that this one
What a pretty site.
I had to read that twice
“No cream left”
*audible sigh in frustration*
😂😂 a good piece of cake needs cream tbf
I laughed at the ‘Old school coat hangers.’ And you attempting to get a watered down orange drink. 😂😂
lol
That room is like a bedsit
4:03 "modern radiator". We had radiators identical to that in 1973. Did you shine a UV lamp around the room, especially the bed.
Great video Tim love the uk holiday camps stuff keep up the great work
thanks Marc
Nice observations Mr Schofield
Looks alright to be honest and it is just meant as a base
I’d love to get my hands on one of these places and get stuck into turning it around. It’s screaming for some attention to detail and someone having an interest in hospitality. Such a shame and waste.
Very informative video however the fact the pool isn't available is rather disappointing as if I was paying to have a holiday here, I'd like to be able to use the pool facilities.
As soon as I saw a pontins I was like I wonder if it is the one in Sandbay, cause whilst I have never stayed in it, I used to go on holiday to a caravan site right nearby, and sometimes my grandparents came and stayed at said pontins while we were on holiday.
Would you be able to visit blue stone in Tenby next please?
I did a vlog recently 2 weeks ago at Sand Bay, it is still a pontins site...
Im from weston my mum used to work in the rose garden cafe
Some of the other rooms are staff rooms etc and not for guests
This pontins you are at has a lot of complaints about the rooms .it looks like they might have sold it , the last problem they had the roof caved in .and they closed down for major repairs
Live close to there always wondered how bad it was
This looked surprisingly decent. I think the vending machines were empty because it's off season?
its main season lol
It’s still down as a Pontins on their website 😊
Wow it's a cheap break away.The restaurant looked like a cafeteria not my cup of tea.
The best thing was the ballroom.
The wardrobe thing was just a common sense thing as did my head in too.
Would I go here no cos swimming pool was shut.
33 quid a night, half board is not bad, I've paid £80 a night for less - but it's a bit like a retirement park by the sea - branding seems a bit off perhaps they're trying to make it more upmarket
This is still a pontins as the name is still sandbay but got holiday Village on the end of it. Just been on pontins website to check
Sometimes I just feel like going to pontins for a laugh to see how bad it is myself 🤣🤣
Any videos from Tunisia in the pipeline Tim? We could do with some blue sky scenery as we head through autumn 🤞🏻😎
not Tunisia but a couple of popular islands in the Atlantic ;-)
I suppose you gets what you pays for. The place is obviously only part way through renovation but they could treat the reception carpet to a steam clean. An interesting visit. Thanks.
2:19 Surely whoever put that sign must have been aware of the grammatical error? It baffles me that so many native English speakers are unable to differentiate between "you're" and "your".
I always get an urge to visit Pontins after watching these great videos.
You should!
@@WalkWithMeTim the problem seems to be though they're not very accessable if using public transport to get there
Why? 😂
Depends where you live. There are trains and coaches to Weston and the local bus stop is right outside
I'm confused is this a Pontins park or not? I can't work out why you keep querying the pontins branding?
Bro said things for the kids bruva that’s a sign to watch out for the rabbits lol
I see you finally made it !!
Looks like pensioners paradise at meal times.
does a bit
Hi, those leather sofas do look out of place. Good video, really in depth of the place.
Thankyou for sharing.
it's impossible for your double bed in this chalet to be 2 single beds pushed together as they are not long enough when looking at them width ways
that's what I did say lol
Tim is it mainly still older people there visiting as when I went before my kids it was mainly older generation there.
Seriously old school catering there, my nephew gets much better school dinners and schools don't have huge budgets per person either. Unless the pool was open and the entertainment was my thing, I think I'd get bored.
Been to this pontins a lot going again twice more this year to me it is the best of all the pontins because there are no kids
Why’s it so empty. And there’s no young kids around I remember when I went in the 90s. Was loads of families with kids
Cleanest one you’ve been too by far Tim
👍
defo
Hi Tim!
Those bathrooms need a shower for me that's a deal breaker. After a good long hot soak there is nothing better than a refreshing shower to was away the days grime and sorrows. Ahh blissful.
This place looked very dirty to me as well as being very dated and run down. Again another holiday park with poor food and none functional amenities. Maybe it deserves a second visit to see if there are any signs of improvement. Not that I will be holding my breath.
Personally my score would be a 4/10 with much room for improvement.
Yet another great video Tim. Giving the public a good view of things and the chance to make well informed decisions. Although on this one I think you may have been a little bit too generous. However people can use their eyes to make their choice. Crack on fella, your doing a grand job.
🇬🇧👍😎👍🇬🇧
seems like if i was to go to a pontins it would be this one!
They do have odd accommodation very strange.
The question is did u stay the whole 3 nights and get the full experience 😁
nope
This is actually the cleanest pontins of the lot and not actually bad at all.
Agree
looking forward to it 👍
Pontins was really fun to go too when I was younger but the years go by it's got worse
Pontins rent out those bungalows to people that have Dogs. I enquired the other day at another park and all accommodation apart from those is pet free, so nice to see a few options for Dog Owners :)
Super Videos..
LOL at the sit up Tim! Time to diversify and start reviewing Gyms as well! ;)
lol
Did I miss it or does that bathroom not have a showerhead?
Hi fiona I enjoyed the day into your life love fran xxxx
? Fiona
Hello Tim
hello
Where is everyone? The place looks deserted apart from the restaurant which looks a bit grim 🤢. Great video though 👍
Yikes! that was so depressing. Can't imagine anyone wanting to go here for a holiday.😕
Yet they do
Tim, I loved the caravan review, would be great to see a best / worst rated caravan park, I have two young children so caravans are my best option at the minute, we usually go to Primrose Valley in Filey but would be nice to see some other parks, plus love the worst rated stuff 🤮😂
Another really interesting vlog, great to see these places first hand, who owns it now ? And why leave the Pontins signs up?
Not sure .. 😕