Very enjoyable! I worked at Butlin's Minehead in 1982 as a musician in the Beachcomber bar. I didn't realise it then, but it was probably the happiest time of my life. Thanks for uploading.
thanks for a great set of images, i've been going to butlins minehead for the last 20 years and have seen the development over time. although nowadays it has lots of good facilities and entertainment, compared to previous years its so different, and in all honesty i miss the good old days with the monorail, country and western in the crazy horse and of course broadway. some areas of the site could be developed and improved on much more,maybe one day they'll bring back a few of the golden oldies!
Thank you for putting this together. Some of the happiest memories I have are from holidaying in Butlins Minehead in the 1970s. I fondly remember the cable cars, the monorail, the outdoor pool and fountains, the lakes and the funfair, all of which are now sadly gone. The thing that saddens me most is that I can't take my own children there to enjoy the same experiences that I had as what they have there now is just boring 😴
Fantastic, have just got back from Minehead and have been showing my 11 yr old son the changes, thanks for the memories. Even the music brought back memories.
Excellent trip down memory lane.. many thanks for taking the time to piece together all four episodes and share.. I spent a lot of my summer holidays during the late 60's at Minehead so a lot of the pictures are relevant.. from entering the 'mother an sun' competitions ;0) to spending evenings at the beachcomber bar waiting for the 'fake' thunderstorm to happen with the 'sky' then clearing and the birds starting to sing , its all coming back...
Things can't stay the same indefinitely but you can't help feeling the heart has been ripped out of minehead with the boating lake monorail swimming pool and fountain gone ,not to mention vibrant gardens of brightly coloured flower beds .To be replaced with tarmac and baron spaces of emptiness
Just wanted to say thank you. I have fond memories of Butlins Minehead in the 80's. Will have to visit when I'm next in that area to see everything thats changed.
Thanks for the comments, and I would have agreed with you when I made that video. Thankfully since then there have been massive improvements and in 2023 I'm very pleased to be able to say that Butlin's is BACK! If you haven't been for a while I strongly recommend you do. Minehead is the resort that is most unchanged. But at all three resorts the original Redcoat uniform is back, as is the original slogan, at Minehead there's new chalets that are modern versions of the original chicken sheds, and there's loads of nostalgic references everywhere across all resorts!
I still have memories of being stuck on a pedlow boat on that boating lake in the summer of 1978 and my late parents screaming at me to keep paddling to get to the shore...some great memories...thanks for taking the time to put the videos together...very sad that it is almost all gone how I remember it.
I have to echo comments left by others, firstly a thanks for doing these videos. I only ever stayed at Butlins once and it was Minehead in the early 70's. The Monorail, chairlift, train, boating lake and amusements/fun fair are all etched in my brain. I remember though that a lot of stuff seemed to be either broken or not quite right During our stay the indoor pool which had an underwater window to the outside was out of action after a crack was found in the glass. One evening we went to watch a movie and halfway through there was a power problem with the projector.....but to be honest...it was the 70's and stuff tended not to work that great. Where the family are standing feeding the ducks at 1:53 is almost the spot I fell into the lake trying to get out of a two-man canoe but the back slid away as I tried to step ashore.....I was wearing a nasty blue polyester tracksuit, the type that used to have stirrups under the foot. All that said, I enjoyed Butlins Minehead in the 70's more than I would enjoy what I see now. I realise kids want different stuff now but 70's Butlins was great but I don't think my parents would have agreed.
one thing I was listening out for was the morning wake up call, but alas it wasnt to be,,, I remember it being played in all the chalets ha ha 'good morning, good morning, good morning... its a lovely day today, get up, its fine the sun will always shine on a Butlins holiday...' great to be part of the Butlins history
I spent most summers here in the 80s as a child, then started going again in the last ten years with my own children, all them magical memorise I had in my head didn't match to what I saw when we returned as adults and I couldn't place where things use to be, now ive seen this video it all makes sense now. although its not the same anymore we still have a great time here as a family.
60's and early 70's were the best happy childhood memories for me...as for now i wouldn't even entertain going there again, its drab lifeless buildings have ruined it and what about the lovely grass areas bordered by the roses..... replaced by concrete balls? Na not for me, i'll keep my treasured memories!
Thanks for posting. i went there as a kid in 1977 and we had a great time. Its almost totally unrecognisable now though. i think youve done a great job here. must have taken some doing. well done and thanks for a lovely trip down memory lane. ATVmidlands
Well done Andy P. for the effort you put into this i have just come back from a weekend at Butlins Minehead. The 1st time i'd been there for 20 years and your video has helped me remember what it was like then and when i went as a kid in the late 70's, i spent a lot of the weekend racking my brain as to what was where and you have cleared up a lot of it for me .Thank you
I personally love minehead Butlins . Love the crazy golf , the arcade , the fair, the restroughts ,and takeaway options. The entertainment they displays for us is amazing , the market is fascinating , although they could do adult clothes aswel.as kids clothes for selling within the Butlins shop lol , love water splashworld and the slides plus boat ride and Jacuzzi . And the water sprinklers also the wave machine that is provided in the splashword. It's nice to have an.opportunity to.do.some sport activity with friends such basketball , football , volleyball ect. Nice that they have small parks for the children to play in . And small children play areas aswel . . The red coats are still extremely kind and helpful nowadays as they were also.in the olden days . They have a nice icecream parlour still . Many pub places to visit . Yes it's sad that the ponds were destroyed , and that the fountain was replaced . I would have loved to play in the pond and splash in the fountain . Rowe a boat in the pond . Yes it's sad that the ballrooms are no longer there , But I except that can not be done in the 21st centruery. But there are many things that can still be very enjoyable to experience at the minehead Butlins . I believe Billy would have been very proud of how Butlins have kept open and busy during the years , how they fought really hard to.keep the last three Butlins alive . I believe Billy , would be proud of the updates of what they did in Butlins . Yes Billy would have been sad about the fountain and the pond s and the ballroom area , plus the bright flowery gardens ,.But he would have also in my.opinion appreatied Butlins looking towards the future of a new decade instead of living in the past . Also Butlins is considering in bringing back.a theatre in the near future aswel as as a beautiful delicate decorative garden .
I went there from 1970 till 75 and went back there this year totally different I remember monorail cable cars they used to leave u up there dinner times scary as 6 year old I loved Butlins then but can't say the same now good trip down memory lane
I enjoyed going to Butlins as a kid Barry'Minehead'Bognor you can't beat the 1970s and early 80s lots of fun loads to do lots of rides unlike todays Butlins it looks like a council estate with slot machines. R.I.P Butlins.
Thanks for posting these, I have vague but good memories of the place from my childhood,1998 being the most recent visit. Although it's understandable that all things evolve over time, I have to say that although the new shiny buildings are all fair and good, for me personally, it looks like half the place it used to be, all the things I remember fondly such as the monorail have gone. Does the water park still have the red, blue and yellow slides? Thanks again for posting these, top stuff..
I've not been since it has changed, so I won't judge until I have. But, what made butlins so special was how energetic it was. Everywhere you looked something was happening. You couldn't walk 5 minutes without being entertained by a staff member, or seeing something pleasant and fun. It seems like they've restricted that to certain areas of the park now. Butlins was probably some of the happiest memories of my childhood. I have a 3yo daughter, and want to take her to butlins for her first holiday. So, will see what I think of it then and, more importantly, what she thinks of it.
Huge nostalgia here. I went to Bultlins for several years as a kid 93-98. Shame to see the monorail and cable cars gone, they were so exciting as a kid, but now it health and safety gone mad. The red coats used to be eveerywehere and there used to be so much going on outside the samp. I returned with my kids in 2019 and sad to say it is money orientated now. Having to pay for so many extras. The nightlife pictures seem like there is so much going on and then it cuts to 2009 and it looks dead
As an 80s enthusiast who also loves Butlins (I've been going since the late 2000s) Im going to be so annoying on my families' Butlins trip this summer. My family will be sick of me going 'Did you know this used to be here?'
delighted to hear it! I'm guessing your kids are not old enough to remember Butlins as it was in the "then" photos, nor any of the songs in the video (except the skyline gang one!) In that case they must be keen on history but I'm just glad they enjoyed it, thanks!
Been good looking at past and present pics of everywhere. I look at the pics on Butlins memories quite a bit. Just one thing that bugged me is that the picture of the Skyline Gang in this part 4 is actually Bognors Skyline Gang and not Minehead's lol!!
Went there once (glorious weather) and spent every day at the outdoor pool, sitting in the sun until too hot then swimming in the pool until too cold. Went back the next year and the outdoor pool was GONE. They had put up this ugly tent (they called it the pavilion) in it's place, which contained nothing of interest; just shops and cafes. They had built a new outdoor pool but this was just a paddling pool for kiddies. Never been back since.
This is the saddest thing I've seen in years... As a kid I only ever went on Haven Holidays. I had no idea Butlins was this good! Nor how completely run down it has become :(
Great videos - was particularly interested to se the Skyline construction photo's. Where are these from? Great songs as well (especially vid two) Thanks for the vids!!!
Oh. Sorry I didn't know that. It's just an "official" photo of the Skyline Gang that is used for publicity and marketing purposes by Butlins and I was given a copy.
Shame things had to change,much better then the camp and the "campers" Just come back from a stay,first in many years, my how the cliental have changed. Now full of tracksuit/flip flop/legging/scraped back pony tail/tattoo wearing chavs of which a massive percentage were obese (fact and no wonder) stacking up the "food" as high as they could get it.No basic table manners or dinning room etiquette……even in premium dining. I am working class but i do feel there is now a lower working class (jeremy Kyle class perhaps ??)…it amazes me that they can afford to go as its not cheap to book or stay…..which leads me to the red coats hard selling merchandise at show time,they used to be there to entertain not sell?? Rant over for now.
the following link and I am looking forward for a while and then you will have referred redraft the letter I sent you a call at your how do you think of the day I haven't had the chance you have to go on
I've been going there since the 70s on and off but mostly on and as much as I and my son really enjoy it I'd be the first to admit that Billy butlin wouldn't be happy with the way it's run now? , good example to use is the table tennis , darts pool tables etc , in the 80s you handed over ya chalet key and basically played for free , nowadays it's around £3.80 for pool and however much for the rest?.It was designed to be a holiday for the working class family without much money but now that bunn leisure own it it's all about profit sadly.
eeeeeeeeee! brillian,t i worked here in 1985 on security(on the doors with my brother and mate from newcastle north east.(geordie land) fond memories indeed wish i could do it all again.lost a lot of contacts with people from holiday makers to staff. would love to do a get together/reconcilliation with so many missed friends. any ideas anyone out there?. ken
Cheapo tents instead of nice buildings, no flower beds. I understand buildings don't last forever but why not replace with buildings easy on the eye and keep the layout the same?
if billy butlin was alive now he would think what the hell have they done to butlins , he would turn in his grave now butlins changed over the years. rip billy
I worked at Butlins minehead 1984/85 as a summer season electrician.Was an absolutley brilliant time of my life❤
Very enjoyable! I worked at Butlin's Minehead in 1982 as a musician in the Beachcomber bar. I didn't realise it then, but it was probably the happiest time of my life. Thanks for uploading.
thanks for a great set of images, i've been going to butlins minehead for the last 20 years and have seen the development over time. although nowadays it has lots of good facilities and entertainment, compared to previous years its so different, and in all honesty i miss the good old days with the monorail, country and western in the crazy horse and of course broadway. some areas of the site could be developed and improved on much more,maybe one day they'll bring back a few of the golden oldies!
Great to see some memories from 2010 when I worked there including seeing some of my lighting in Skyline.
Thank you for putting this together. Some of the happiest memories I have are from holidaying in Butlins Minehead in the 1970s. I fondly remember the cable cars, the monorail, the outdoor pool and fountains, the lakes and the funfair, all of which are now sadly gone. The thing that saddens me most is that I can't take my own children there to enjoy the same experiences that I had as what they have there now is just boring 😴
Fantastic, have just got back from Minehead and have been showing my 11 yr old son the changes, thanks for the memories. Even the music brought back memories.
Excellent trip down memory lane.. many thanks for taking the time to piece together all four episodes and share..
I spent a lot of my summer holidays during the late 60's at Minehead so a lot of the pictures are relevant.. from entering the 'mother an sun' competitions ;0) to spending evenings at the beachcomber bar waiting for the 'fake' thunderstorm to happen with the 'sky' then clearing and the birds starting to sing , its all coming back...
I too remember the beachcomber bar thunderstorm. Last time I went was 1989. Not sure I want to go back.
Things can't stay the same indefinitely but you can't help feeling the heart has been ripped out of minehead with the boating lake monorail swimming pool and fountain gone ,not to mention vibrant gardens of brightly coloured flower beds .To be replaced with tarmac and baron spaces of emptiness
Just wanted to say thank you. I have fond memories of Butlins Minehead in the 80's. Will have to visit when I'm next in that area to see everything thats changed.
It's changed very much for the better since I made that video. You'll love it!
Thanks for the video 😢 times have changed and things have moved on it’s really sad I wish Butlins stayed the same. I like this video 👍
Thanks for the comments, and I would have agreed with you when I made that video.
Thankfully since then there have been massive improvements and in 2023 I'm very pleased to be able to say that Butlin's is BACK!
If you haven't been for a while I strongly recommend you do. Minehead is the resort that is most unchanged.
But at all three resorts the original Redcoat uniform is back, as is the original slogan, at Minehead there's new chalets that are modern versions of the original chicken sheds, and there's loads of nostalgic references everywhere across all resorts!
I still have memories of being stuck on a pedlow boat on that boating lake in the summer of 1978 and my late parents screaming at me to keep paddling to get to the shore...some great memories...thanks for taking the time to put the videos together...very sad that it is almost all gone how I remember it.
I have to echo comments left by others, firstly a thanks for doing these videos. I only ever stayed at Butlins once and it was Minehead in the early 70's. The Monorail, chairlift, train, boating lake and amusements/fun fair are all etched in my brain. I remember though that a lot of stuff seemed to be either broken or not quite right During our stay the indoor pool which had an underwater window to the outside was out of action after a crack was found in the glass. One evening we went to watch a movie and halfway through there was a power problem with the projector.....but to be honest...it was the 70's and stuff tended not to work that great.
Where the family are standing feeding the ducks at 1:53 is almost the spot I fell into the lake trying to get out of a two-man canoe but the back slid away as I tried to step ashore.....I was wearing a nasty blue polyester tracksuit, the type that used to have stirrups under the foot. All that said, I enjoyed Butlins Minehead in the 70's more than I would enjoy what I see now. I realise kids want different stuff now but 70's Butlins was great but I don't think my parents would have agreed.
Omg im only 12 and ive been going for ever and it has changed so much. I love the music that goes with it.
one thing I was listening out for was the morning wake up call, but alas it wasnt to be,,, I remember it being played in all the chalets ha ha 'good morning, good morning, good morning... its a lovely day today, get up, its fine the sun will always shine on a Butlins holiday...' great to be part of the Butlins history
I spent most summers here in the 80s as a child, then started going again in the last ten years with my own children, all them magical memorise I had in my head didn't match to what I saw when we returned as adults and I couldn't place where things use to be, now ive seen this video it all makes sense now. although its not the same anymore we still have a great time here as a family.
60's and early 70's were the best happy childhood memories for me...as for now i wouldn't even entertain going there again, its drab lifeless buildings have ruined it and what about the lovely grass areas bordered by the roses..... replaced by concrete balls? Na not for me, i'll keep my treasured memories!
Thanks for posting. i went there as a kid in 1977 and we had a great time. Its almost totally unrecognisable now though. i think youve done a great job here. must have taken some doing. well done and thanks for a lovely trip down memory lane.
ATVmidlands
Well done Andy P. for the effort you put into this i have just come back from a weekend at Butlins Minehead. The 1st time i'd been there for 20 years and your video has helped me remember what it was like then and when i went as a kid in the late 70's, i spent a lot of the weekend racking my brain as to what was where and you have cleared up a lot of it for me .Thank you
I personally love minehead Butlins . Love the crazy golf , the arcade , the fair, the restroughts ,and takeaway options. The entertainment they displays for us is amazing , the market is fascinating , although they could do adult clothes aswel.as kids clothes for selling within the Butlins shop lol , love water splashworld and the slides plus boat ride and Jacuzzi . And the water sprinklers also the wave machine that is provided in the splashword.
It's nice to have an.opportunity to.do.some sport activity with friends such basketball , football , volleyball ect.
Nice that they have small parks for the children to play in . And small children play areas aswel .
. The red coats are still extremely kind and helpful nowadays as they were also.in the olden days .
They have a nice icecream parlour still . Many pub places to visit .
Yes it's sad that the ponds were destroyed , and that the fountain was replaced . I would have loved to play in the pond and splash in the fountain . Rowe a boat in the pond . Yes it's sad that the ballrooms are no longer there , But I except that can not be done in the 21st centruery.
But there are many things that can still be very enjoyable to experience at the minehead Butlins .
I believe Billy would have been very proud of how Butlins have kept open and busy during the years , how they fought really hard to.keep the last three Butlins alive . I believe Billy , would be proud of the updates of what they did in Butlins .
Yes Billy would have been sad about the fountain and the pond s and the ballroom area , plus the bright flowery gardens ,.But he would have also in my.opinion appreatied Butlins looking towards the future of a new decade instead of living in the past .
Also Butlins is considering in bringing back.a theatre in the near future aswel as as a beautiful delicate decorative garden .
This is brilliant ! Fantastic. Going back in a few weeks. Many Thanks.
Great montage. So much history. Shame to see the dead monorail in Vid 3.
I went there from 1970 till 75 and went back there this year totally different I remember monorail cable cars they used to leave u up there dinner times scary as 6 year old I loved Butlins then but can't say the same now good trip down memory lane
Push button Click! Loved that tune and had the 7" as a kid....
I enjoyed going to Butlins as a kid Barry'Minehead'Bognor you can't beat the 1970s and early 80s lots of fun loads to do lots of rides unlike todays Butlins it looks like a council estate with slot machines. R.I.P Butlins.
Fantastic videos 👌🏽 happy memories. Why did they ever change it 😔
Thanks for posting these, I have vague but good memories of the place from my childhood,1998 being the most recent visit. Although it's understandable that all things evolve over time, I have to say that although the new shiny buildings are all fair and good, for me personally, it looks like half the place it used to be, all the things I remember fondly such as the monorail have gone. Does the water park still have the red, blue and yellow slides? Thanks again for posting these, top stuff..
have been going since 2004 it is good to see this how it used to be have been going every year since going in may cant wait
I've not been since it has changed, so I won't judge until I have. But, what made butlins so special was how energetic it was. Everywhere you looked something was happening. You couldn't walk 5 minutes without being entertained by a staff member, or seeing something pleasant and fun. It seems like they've restricted that to certain areas of the park now. Butlins was probably some of the happiest memories of my childhood.
I have a 3yo daughter, and want to take her to butlins for her first holiday. So, will see what I think of it then and, more importantly, what she thinks of it.
I remember that fountain and boating lake from 1966 and the indoor swimming pool with the plants hanging from the ceiling. Shame they are gone.
Huge nostalgia here. I went to Bultlins for several years as a kid 93-98. Shame to see the monorail and cable cars gone, they were so exciting as a kid, but now it health and safety gone mad. The red coats used to be eveerywehere and there used to be so much going on outside the samp. I returned with my kids in 2019 and sad to say it is money orientated now. Having to pay for so many extras. The nightlife pictures seem like there is so much going on and then it cuts to 2009 and it looks dead
The tents ruined butlins .
The skylines saved butlins
tanx so much happy days 1978 working there
As an 80s enthusiast who also loves Butlins (I've been going since the late 2000s) Im going to be so annoying on my families' Butlins trip this summer. My family will be sick of me going 'Did you know this used to be here?'
Imagine how annoyed they'd be if like me you'd been since the early 80s!
delighted to hear it! I'm guessing your kids are not old enough to remember Butlins as it was in the "then" photos, nor any of the songs in the video (except the skyline gang one!) In that case they must be keen on history but I'm just glad they enjoyed it, thanks!
Been good looking at past and present pics of everywhere. I look at the pics on Butlins memories quite a bit.
Just one thing that bugged me is that the picture of the Skyline Gang in this part 4 is actually Bognors Skyline Gang and not Minehead's lol!!
Went there once (glorious weather) and spent every day at the outdoor pool, sitting in the sun until too hot then swimming in the pool until too cold. Went back the next year and the outdoor pool was GONE. They had put up this ugly tent (they called it the pavilion) in it's place, which contained nothing of interest; just shops and cafes. They had built a new outdoor pool but this was just a paddling pool for kiddies. Never been back since.
Why on earth would you get rid of the boating lake ! I had hours of fun on it !
This is the saddest thing I've seen in years... As a kid I only ever went on Haven Holidays. I had no idea Butlins was this good! Nor how completely run down it has become :(
Great videos - was particularly interested to se the Skyline construction photo's. Where are these from?
Great songs as well (especially vid two) Thanks for the vids!!!
Oh. Sorry I didn't know that. It's just an "official" photo of the Skyline Gang that is used for publicity and marketing purposes by Butlins and I was given a copy.
loved it !!! thanks x btw wheres that monorail in the ground ? from 09 ?
Shame things had to change,much better then the camp and the "campers" Just come back from a stay,first in many years, my how the cliental have changed. Now full of tracksuit/flip flop/legging/scraped back pony tail/tattoo wearing chavs of which a massive percentage were obese (fact and no wonder) stacking up the "food" as high as they could get it.No basic table manners or dinning room etiquette……even in premium dining. I am working class but i do feel there is now a lower working class (jeremy Kyle class perhaps ??)…it amazes me that they can afford to go as its not cheap to book or stay…..which leads me to the red coats hard selling merchandise at show time,they used to be there to entertain not sell?? Rant over for now.
the following link and I am looking forward for a while and then you will have referred redraft the letter I sent you a call at your how do you think of the day I haven't had the chance you have to go on
1884 I was 10 and entered contest trying to be shakin Stevens miss those years were the best
I do remember 1967
At 5:11 that guy looks like one of my high school teachers.
I've been going there since the 70s on and off but mostly on and as much as I and my son really enjoy it I'd be the first to admit that Billy butlin wouldn't be happy with the way it's run now? , good example to use is the table tennis , darts pool tables etc , in the 80s you handed over ya chalet key and basically played for free , nowadays it's around £3.80 for pool and however much for the rest?.It was designed to be a holiday for the working class family without much money but now that bunn leisure own it it's all about profit sadly.
eeeeeeeeee! brillian,t i worked here in 1985 on security(on the doors with my brother and mate from newcastle north east.(geordie land)
fond memories indeed wish i could do it all again.lost a lot of contacts with people from holiday makers to staff.
would love to do a get together/reconcilliation with so many missed friends.
any ideas anyone out there?.
ken
Cheapo tents instead of nice buildings, no flower beds. I understand buildings don't last forever but why not replace with buildings easy on the eye and keep the layout the same?
Pictures, never do it Justice.
I meant 1984
It used to be so pretty, now it's just a concrete jungle :(
Stranger thing's
if billy butlin was alive now he would think what the hell have they done to butlins , he would turn in his grave now butlins changed over the years. rip billy
If he was alive today he wouldn't turn in his grave lol
Sir Billy would be proud of what butlins had become