The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Butlins Holiday Camp Bognor Regis
Good morning campers! There's 'no leisure from pleasure' at this Bognor Regis Butlins camp in the 1960s.
From the collection of:
Overview
Campers enjoy the wacky games and parade in ladylike Miss She fashion competitions at a new holiday camp, opened at Bognor Regis in 1960 by rags-to-riches millionaire Billy Butlin. His latest technicolor playground packs in the entertainment, for children and adults alike. Families compete in a backwards 3-legged race and frantically paddle their sinking Sunday Mirror coracles in the pool, jollied along by the ever-present Redcoats.
Opened on 2nd July 1960 and boasting modern chalets on two stories, this first new post-war Butlins camp continued to provide faux luxury holidays on a budget. “Billy” Butlin, the holiday camp King, was firstly a showman, starting his career with the purchase of a hoop-la stall, but his keen business sense launched a multi-million-pound industry. Butlin was an active lobbyist for the Holidays with Pay Act (1938), his eye on the business potential rather than the social benefits for workers. As this rather wonderful amateur holiday film shows, the commercial spirit behind Butlins is alive and kicking in the 60s with cigarette advertisements on the wall and competitions sponsored by national newspapers.
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