The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Minehead Butlins' Beauty Pageant Contestants
Holiday Camp Princesses - Contestants for the Butlins Beauty Pageant tour Minehead
In partnership with:
Overview
Sir William Butlin or Sir Billy ran his holiday camps that he had stared in the 1920s as family orientated including nightly entertainment, variety shows and beauty pageants. He introduced the famous Redcoats, a red blazer worn by frontline staff at the holiday camps and their duties included entertaining.
Sir William Butlin started out in his uncle's travelling fair, by 1927 he opened a static fairground in Skegness, the first holiday camp Butlins opened in 1936 was in Ingoldmells. Followed by Clacton 1938, Filey 1945, Ayr & Pwlheli 1947, Mosney (Ireland) 1948, Bognor Regis 1960, Minehead 1962 and Barry Island 1966. Butlin also owned hotels including Blackpool, Saltdean and Cliftonville and two in the Bahamas, along with several other camps associated with the Butlins name.
Related
Watch for free
Wish You Were Here at Butlins Minehead Wish You Were Here at Butlins Minehead
News 1966 6 mins Location: Minehead
Clive Gunnell takes Mrs Sotherton on a convincing tour of Butlins Minehead.
Watch for free
Butlin's opens at Minehead Butlin's opens at Minehead
News 1962 3 mins Silent Location: Minehead
Billy Butlin expands his empire by opening a new resort at Minehead.
Watch for free
Minehead - 1932 - Osborne Personal Film Minehead - 1932 - Osborne Personal Film
Amateur film 1932 45 mins Silent Location: Minehead
A Somerset holiday with prolific amateur cinematographers the Tigg family
Watch for free
Shire horses' Competition in Minehead Shire horses' Competition in Minehead
Current affairs 1978 1 mins Silent Location: Minehead
Shire horses compete and farmers compare furrows
Watch for free
Horse Ploughing Competition Horse Ploughing Competition
Current affairs 1963 1 mins Silent Location: Minehead
Competition for trailing heavy horse drawn equipment enthuses ploughmen
Watch for free
Cheddar Cheddar
Travelogue 1916 1 mins Silent Location: Cheddar Gorge
Pure tranquillity in rural Somerset, a world away from the war raging on the continent.
Watch for free
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
Watch for free
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
Watch for free
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Watch for free
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Watch for free
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Watch for free
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.