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1937

Billy Butlin launched his Holiday Camps as a Public Company. It was over subscribed and he retained 590,000 shares and made £123,000 to re-invest. He became Managing Director and "The Boss".

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The Butlin's Elizabethan Chalet

Each chalet was going to cost about £10 to build,
and would be ten foot by ten foot in size,
standing in its own 'grounds' surrounded by flower borders.

Each one would have its own electricity and cold running water and, because Billy Butlin believed that people went on holiday to escape from their drab surroundings and grey buildings, the exterior walls would be painted different colours; pastel pink, blue or yellow.
The idea was that chalets would be basic but homely. The walls were made cheaply, out of chicken-wire attached to wooden frames and then filled with cement.
There would be curtains at the windows, made from fabric with little yachts printed on it, and inside the Camper would find a three sided wooden cupboard made from match-boxing fixed to the wall, with a curtain across the front, where they could hang their clothes.
The bed would have blue candlewick cover, with the already famous letter 'B' embroidered on it, as well as on the pink and blue sheets and blankets. On the floor there was a small rug covering the varnished wooden boards.
There was a wash basin, with only one tap for cold water, and next to it a square hole where another could be fitted, a forty watt light bulb, and a small mirror, with a notice next to it forbidding the use of stoves or spirit lamps.
On the outside of the door was a slot for a card with the campers name on it.
Each camper had just one key to the chalet, others had to be purchased. These keys acted as identity cards, for admission to entertainment's and other venues within the camp and were confiscated when people left the camp to prevent others using the facilities.
The Butlin's camp was built to accommodate a thousand holiday makers, in 600 chalets, which like all the other buildings were designed by Bill Butlin. He drew the plans on the back of a cigarette packet.
At the end of each line of chalets there was a block of about twenty baths, which had both hot and cold running water, and lavatories, which were labelled 'Lads' and 'Lassies'.
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Radio Butlin

consisted of a number of loudspeakers connected to a central control room
which were initially on poles in the chalet rows and other main buildings.
They were later located above the door inside each chalet.
They were used to wake up campers with a 'Wakey-Wakey' call,
half an hour before Breakfast in the morning and the "Last Post"
would be played before the camp shutdown each night.

They were also used for announcements of the full timetable for campers
entertainment, Breakfast, Dinner and Lunch sittings
(up to three sittings in order to cater for all the campers).

Each Camper had a designated table at each sitting with their name on a stand in the middle.
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