There was no heating in any of the buildings and everyone complained about the cold. Billy Butlin bought some empty dustbins and punched holes in them. With a red light in the bottom to make them look like braziers fires, they were placed around the main buildings and everyone felt much warmer!
Clacton-on-Sea Camp was immediately over-booked,
Constant child supervision was available to all,
A vast Viennese Ballroom,
A Theatre where the stars included Gracie Fields, Florence Edmonds, Elsie and Doris Walters with Jack Warner and Will Fry starred.
A Boxing idol called Len Harvey sparred with a kangaroo.
All the sports were free and included the sporting dress kit to play them.
Tennis, bowls, table tennis, and billiards were all available as well as darts and dancing lessons by resident professional coaches.
Campers returned year after year, bringing their sons and daughters into the Butlin Family.picture
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The Badges used from 1936 to 1965 totalled about 1,750 and are now collectors items, each one for a different year and a different camp. The Beaver Club for Young children also had money boxes and other collectable items. The camps were divided into four houses which were encouraged to compete against each other for prizes at the end of the week in the various competitions such as swimming, boating and sack races. |
The army occupied Clacton on the following Monday and the Navy took over Skegness on the same day. Butlin had to pay back all the holiday makers booked for the rest of the season.
6,000 people were in the two camps at the time.
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