Latest news with #Butlin
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Abandoned UK Butlin's resort once wrecked by tornado is now huge holiday park
Tourists 'ran in terror' after a 90mph tornado flattened a popular Butlin's resort, uprooting trees from the ground and ripping roofs from chalets. Now, the site looks completely different Roofs were 'ripped like paper' from this once-thriving Butlin's resort that has now taken on a completely new breath of life. Back in 1947, a 150-acre stretch of rolling farmland - sandwiched in between mountains and sea - was transformed into a Red Coat holiday camp, after previously being used as a training centre for the Admiralty and Merchant Navy during World War Two. Located in Pwllheli, in Wales, it had the capacity to welcome a whopping 8,000 visitors at any one time, and even boasted its own miniature railway that whizzed holidaymakers from the centre of the complex over to the beach. Like any classic Butlin's site, the resort boasted a huge outdoor swimming pool with a five-tier water feature, along with a boating lake, ballroom, tennis courts, cosy cabins, and thrilling fun fair rides. In 1987, it is believed the camp bought the Vekoma Boomerang, a stomach-churning roller coaster that consisted of six loops (three of which went backward). When it came to entertainment, the Pwllheli site also did not disappoint. "Ringo Starr appeared at the camp during his pre-Beatles era," reports Butlin's Memories. "His group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, appeared for a 13-week engagement in 1960. The booking was due to start on June 4, but Ringo declined due to his impending marriage. In the end, the marriage was cancelled so he could go to Butlin's." However, on August 14, 1989, the site was wrecked by a freak tornado that sparked carnage in the seaside town. According to North Wales Live, tourists 'ran in terror' as 90mph winds ripped roofs from lodges, chucked boats into the air, and uprooted trees from the ground. "I remember I'd just come back in from having tea. It had been a gorgeous day, the sun had been shining all day long," Ian Bond, who was at the camp when the tornado hit, said. "We went back into our chalets, then all of a sudden there was this huge bang and a crash. Then it went really quiet." Ian explained how when he looked outside, all he could see was 'grey dust everywhere' before the terrifying twister became visible. "It came up over the headland near where the cable cars used to be, and up over the boating lake. It literally split all the trees and you could see the path where it had been," he added. "Then it came towards the chalets. We ran back inside and then it hit us. It ripped everything to pieces. When it passed, we looked up and the roof of the chalets were just gone, ripped off." With the majority of the camp flattened, and more than 35,000 forced to cut their holiday short, the tornado caused an estimated damage of £2 million. A £30 million investment scheme was announced a year later, and the site rebranded as Starcoast World - boasting a new subtropical water-world known as StarSplash. But by the end of 1997, the Pwllheli camp was transferred to Haven Holidays - and the survivIng Butlin's features were bulldozed. Chalets were replaced with static caravans, and the funfair and miniature railway were removed. Now, the area is home to the Hafan-y-Mor Holiday Park, which was given an AA 5 Platinum Star award last year. The popular Haven site features an adventure village, water park and pool, as well as four-lane slide and flume. Visitors can now opt to stay in Caravans, Lodges, or Apartments - with three-night stays costing as little as £49.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
I went to Butlin's for a week of non-stop entertainment
'Our True Intent is All for Your Delight' runs the phrase. It's one which, nicked from A Midsummer Night's Dream, has popped up on Butlin's adverts throughout the years but which now - at least as far as I could see - only appears on the wall of the Splash swimming pool complex at the Bognor Regis site. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... After five manic, hectic and ultimately wonderful days there, you can see why the slogan still runs true today, even though we are miles from the original days of knobbly knees competitions. After an exhausting half-term away, we needed to lie down in a darkened room for a bit, but that's not a criticism; in fact quite the opposite. We only live an hour away from Bognor so we're almost on home turf but not over-familiar with the area. But to be honest, that site could be a ten-minute walk down the road as far as the kids were concerned - they were not in town for sightseeing and in our five days didn't even leave the front gate. There simply weren't enough hours in the day to do everything we wanted to do - and again, that's no criticism. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Eddie, eight, and Rosanna, five, at Butlin's in Bognor Regis | Tom Morton/NationalWorld So where to start? Well, the headline for the summer is - again - the Masked Singer Live shows, in which anyone watching can indulge their Saturday night January TV fantasies and shout 'Take It Off!' at a real celebrity. No spoilers here, but the two who were unmasked when we were there were genuine household names - and were nicely pitched between difficult and guessable. It's a great laugh, and the hour-long show flashes past. The other attraction is - again Saturday night telly-based - meeting actual real-life Gladiators. This time it's not a spoiler to say that we had our picture taken with Sabre and Fire. Beware though - it's such a popular event, even though it's just a meet and greet and not a show, that the queue is enormous, so be prepared for a wait of up to 90 minutes. Tom Morton and his family meet Sabre and Fire from Gladiators | Tom Morton/NationalWorld While those two top the bill, our favourite show of the week was Electric Wonderland, who we had seen in an earlier incarnation as Electric City a couple of years ago. If you've seen Blackout on Britain's Got Talent, you'll know where they are coming from; very accomplished dancers but with neon lighting on their black bodysuits that allows intricate and pleasing patterns, witty visual jokes and dazzling effects to be staged. It's the kind of performance you could watch for hours. The start of Electric Wonderland's show | Tom Morton/NationalWorld Other shows we saw were the panto - Snow White and her Magnificent Friends - which saw Muddles and his mother bring the house down, and Animals and Mythical Beasts, a strange but charming mash-up of environmentalism, comedy, super-size puppetry and storytelling, which was also a hit. There was also Danny and Mick from CBBC with their bungled magic tricks, and SBX Extreme Playgrounds, with street stars showcasing basketball, street dance, football and beatboxing skills - all of which wowed an eight-year-old - and the in-house show, Iconic, which was a musical trip around the world. That was probably the only bum note, as the concept didn't really work, although the guest Kenyan dance troupe given a slot in each half were sensational. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just reading that back seems exhausting, and we haven't even covered the two things that topped the kids' favourites list. Firstly, the swimming pool. It's been a favourite for a couple of years now, and for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure, imagine a swimming pool, but designed by a (skilled) child, for children. It's very difficult to do actual swimming - instead you spend your time on a variety of slides, including a raft run, an enclosed chute called Adrenaline, and two traditional whizz-alongs called the Stick of Rock and the Racers. There's also the rapids - which are more fun the lighter you are, as the five-year-old almost hit warp speed in one section, plus fountains, a helter skelter, and hot tubs. It's easily two hours, if not more, of fun - we went twice and both times emerged wrinkled as prunes from the long time spent in the water. The racer slides at Splash Bognor, the swimming pool at Butlin's Bognor Regis And new to us was PlayXperience. This has been a while in the making as it was being built when we were last here in 2023, but goodness me it has some kit inside it, a range of traditional games but all updated with oodles of tech included. We had a crack at three of the rooms. Tech Putt is basically crazy golf - we were in Neon, which is as you'd expect dark with bright lights, and there are also Vegas and Music-themed versions. Tech Putt Neon at Butlin's Bognor Regis | Butlin's Yes, it was great playing golf in a darkened room, and the course was pitched (pun intended) so even the five-year-old could get round quite easily. For all the fact that it looks amazing, the thing that wowed me was that each player's ball was tagged to them, and somehow the system counted your shots; it didn't matter who went first, and there was no annoying mini pencil and tiny piece of card on which to scrawl numbers. Honestly, a huge improvement in modern life. I'll keep that and internet banking, but anything else invented after 2004 can get in the bin. The VR-cade in Bognor Butlin's PlayXperience centre | Butlin's VR-cade was even more mindblowing, especially to me as someone who has not kept up with computer games and has not often worn a VR headset. We played shoot'em-ups where you got the shock of your life when you turned around to confront a hideous alien behind you, driving simulators, and best of all, rides and rollercoasters where your heart was in your mouth even though you knew full well that your seat was only tilting by a few degrees and you were not going to be catapulted across the room. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tom Morton and his family in the Laser Tag arena at Butlin's Bognor Regis's PlayXperience centre | Tom Morton/NationalWorld And our final trip to PlayXperience was to Laser Tag. Somehow I have gone through life without ever playing this, but after 45 minutes I'm converted. Brilliant fun, very sweaty, but utterly exhilarating. Summer holiday prices Here's what's on offer over the summer break Summer Holiday break from £541 (£136 per person) Butlin's offers a four-night Summer Holiday break featuring Stephen Mulhern staying in a two bedroom Comfort Room from £541 on 21 July 2025. Price is based on a family of four sharing and includes live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides, brand-new Skyline Gang Soft Play and access to PLAYXPERIENCE. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per child (6-14), per day and £6.95 per child (2-5). To find out more or to book go to Summer Holiday break from £659 (£165 per person) Butlin's offers a four-night Summer Holiday break featuring Stephen Mulhern staying in a two bedroom Wave Hotel room from £659 on 21 July 2025. Price is based on a family of four sharing and includes live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides, brand-new Skyline Gang Soft Play and access to PLAYXPERIENCE. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per child (6-14), per day and £6.95 per child (2-5). To find out more or to book go to Rosanna and Eddie with Billy the Bear | Tom Morton/NationalWorld Mix into this fairground rides, bowling, the new soft play and some pottery painting, and it's obvious why the eight-year-old said that he felt half-term had lasted for ages. That's what happens when you pack in that many activities into five days; so much so that you don't even go to the beach when it is but a pebble's throw away. We were, indeed, Delighted.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
I went to Butlin's for a week of non-stop entertainment
'Our True Intent is All for Your Delight' runs the phrase. It's one which, nicked from A Midsummer Night's Dream, has popped up on Butlin's adverts throughout the years but which now - at least as far as I could see - only appears on the wall of the Splash swimming pool complex at the Bognor Regis site. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... After five manic, hectic and ultimately wonderful days there, you can see why the slogan still runs true today, even though we are miles from the original days of knobbly knees competitions. After an exhausting half-term away, we needed to lie down in a darkened room for a bit, but that's not a criticism; in fact quite the opposite. We only live an hour away from Bognor so we're almost on home turf but not over-familiar with the area. But to be honest, that site could be a ten-minute walk down the road as far as the kids were concerned - they were not in town for sightseeing and in our five days didn't even leave the front gate. There simply weren't enough hours in the day to do everything we wanted to do - and again, that's no criticism. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Eddie, eight, and Rosanna, five, at Butlin's in Bognor Regis | Tom Morton/NationalWorld So where to start? Well, the headline for the summer is - again - the Masked Singer Live shows, in which anyone watching can indulge their Saturday night January TV fantasies and shout 'Take It Off!' at a real celebrity. No spoilers here, but the two who were unmasked when we were there were genuine household names - and were nicely pitched between difficult and guessable. It's a great laugh, and the hour-long show flashes past. The other attraction is - again Saturday night telly-based - meeting actual real-life Gladiators. This time it's not a spoiler to say that we had our picture taken with Sabre and Fire. Beware though - it's such a popular event, even though it's just a meet and greet and not a show, that the queue is enormous, so be prepared for a wait of up to 90 minutes. Tom Morton and his family meet Sabre and Fire from Gladiators | Tom Morton/NationalWorld While those two top the bill, our favourite show of the week was Electric Wonderland, who we had seen in an earlier incarnation as Electric City a couple of years ago. If you've seen Blackout on Britain's Got Talent, you'll know where they are coming from; very accomplished dancers but with neon lighting on their black bodysuits that allows intricate and pleasing patterns, witty visual jokes and dazzling effects to be staged. It's the kind of performance you could watch for hours. The start of Electric Wonderland's show | Tom Morton/NationalWorld Other shows we saw were the panto - Snow White and her Magnificent Friends - which saw Muddles and his mother bring the house down, and Animals and Mythical Beasts, a strange but charming mash-up of environmentalism, comedy, super-size puppetry and storytelling, which was also a hit. There was also Danny and Mick from CBBC with their bungled magic tricks, and SBX Extreme Playgrounds, with street stars showcasing basketball, street dance, football and beatboxing skills - all of which wowed an eight-year-old - and the in-house show, Iconic, which was a musical trip around the world. That was probably the only bum note, as the concept didn't really work, although the guest Kenyan dance troupe given a slot in each half were sensational. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just reading that back seems exhausting, and we haven't even covered the two things that topped the kids' favourites list. Firstly, the swimming pool. It's been a favourite for a couple of years now, and for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure, imagine a swimming pool, but designed by a (skilled) child, for children. It's very difficult to do actual swimming - instead you spend your time on a variety of slides, including a raft run, an enclosed chute called Adrenaline, and two traditional whizz-alongs called the Stick of Rock and the Racers. There's also the rapids - which are more fun the lighter you are, as the five-year-old almost hit warp speed in one section, plus fountains, a helter skelter, and hot tubs. It's easily two hours, if not more, of fun - we went twice and both times emerged wrinkled as prunes from the long time spent in the water. The racer slides at Splash Bognor, the swimming pool at Butlin's Bognor Regis And new to us was PlayXperience. This has been a while in the making as it was being built when we were last here in 2023, but goodness me it has some kit inside it, a range of traditional games but all updated with oodles of tech included. We had a crack at three of the rooms. Tech Putt is basically crazy golf - we were in Neon, which is as you'd expect dark with bright lights, and there are also Vegas and Music-themed versions. Tech Putt Neon at Butlin's Bognor Regis | Butlin's Yes, it was great playing golf in a darkened room, and the course was pitched (pun intended) so even the five-year-old could get round quite easily. For all the fact that it looks amazing, the thing that wowed me was that each player's ball was tagged to them, and somehow the system counted your shots; it didn't matter who went first, and there was no annoying mini pencil and tiny piece of card on which to scrawl numbers. Honestly, a huge improvement in modern life. I'll keep that and internet banking, but anything else invented after 2004 can get in the bin. The VR-cade in Bognor Butlin's PlayXperience centre | Butlin's VR-cade was even more mindblowing, especially to me as someone who has not kept up with computer games and has not often worn a VR headset. We played shoot'em-ups where you got the shock of your life when you turned around to confront a hideous alien behind you, driving simulators, and best of all, rides and rollercoasters where your heart was in your mouth even though you knew full well that your seat was only tilting by a few degrees and you were not going to be catapulted across the room. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tom Morton and his family in the Laser Tag arena at Butlin's Bognor Regis's PlayXperience centre | Tom Morton/NationalWorld And our final trip to PlayXperience was to Laser Tag. Somehow I have gone through life without ever playing this, but after 45 minutes I'm converted. Brilliant fun, very sweaty, but utterly exhilarating. Summer holiday prices Here's what's on offer over the summer break Summer Holiday break from £541 (£136 per person) Butlin's offers a four-night Summer Holiday break featuring Stephen Mulhern staying in a two bedroom Comfort Room from £541 on 21 July 2025. Price is based on a family of four sharing and includes live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides, brand-new Skyline Gang Soft Play and access to PLAYXPERIENCE. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per child (6-14), per day and £6.95 per child (2-5). To find out more or to book go to Summer Holiday break from £659 (£165 per person) Butlin's offers a four-night Summer Holiday break featuring Stephen Mulhern staying in a two bedroom Wave Hotel room from £659 on 21 July 2025. Price is based on a family of four sharing and includes live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides, brand-new Skyline Gang Soft Play and access to PLAYXPERIENCE. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per child (6-14), per day and £6.95 per child (2-5). To find out more or to book go to Rosanna and Eddie with Billy the Bear | Tom Morton/NationalWorld
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Butlin's launches new mega sale with four-night stays for £9.75 each per night
ANYONE looking for a bargain family getaway should book with Butlin's now - as it's launched a huge sale. The Big Butlin's sale has savings of up to 40 per cent on term-time getaways and half term holidays in 2025 and 2026. 7 Butlin's has launched a huge sale with savings on summer and term-time breaks Credit: Butlins 7 There's lots of entertainment - including immersive gaming experiences Credit: Butlins Butlin's is even offering stays across all three resorts in Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness from £9.75pp a night. This is for the four-night family stay with Showtime Term-Time Midweek breaks, which costs £39 overall. On every Butlin's site, there is so much to do to keep children, and adults entertained. Along with accommodation and access to the pool, there are also live performances with celebrity headliners. Included in the price is soft play and unlimited goes on the fairground rides. At the Bognor Regis site, there's a new £1.8million soft play centre and playgrounds. On the West Sussex site, there's a state-of-the-art indoor activity centre PLAYXPERIENCE. Inside is nine immersive gaming experiences, including a galactic-themed Laser Tag and four different themed Escape Rooms. And in Minehead and Skegness, there are £2.5million SKYPARKs with climbing towers, slides and they even light up at night. Showtime Term-Time Midweek breaks are suitable for families with kids that are five and under - and start from £10 per person. I tried the new Gladiators event at Butlin's with some of the TV stars… and my kids were obsessed 7 There are lots of pools and activities for children Credit: Butlins 7 The sites have big and very colourful adventure playgrounds Credit: Butlins There's lots of entertainment - including appearances from TV characters like Peppa Pig and Mister Maker. Butlin's own Skyline Gang will make an appearance too. The face of Saturday night TV, Stephen Mulhern will be making an appearance in the brand-new show, Out of this World. He's celebrating 25 years in showbiz with a special show full of illusions and games for the audience to enjoy. Another show to enjoy over the summer is The Masked Singer Live. Cricket, Dippy Egg, Piranha and Owl will be joining the live shows, which will be hosted by special guest presenters. A three-night summer break in Minehead during July, featuring performances from Stephen Mulhern, cost from £188 (£47 per person). Guests can catch the Masked Singer show for the final time in 2025 during October Half Term, when the resorts get a spooky makeover to celebrate Halloween. 7 The Butlin's resorts get a makeover during Halloween and Christmas Credit: Butlins 7 Christmas breaks start from £11 per person Credit: Butlins During the spooky season, there will be late-night Scareground and monster-themed arts and crafts - Halloween breaks start from £168. Without wishing the rest of the year away, guests can also book for a Christmas break starting from from £41 (£11 per person). All three resorts transform into festive wonderlands with Christmas trees galore and a jam-packed schedule of festive shows and activities. Of course, there will also be a special appearance from Father Christmas. And breaks during the New Year cost from £416 (£104 per person). One Sun Travel writer recently tried out the Butlin's all-inclusive holidays where food and drink is free - she even said it was better value than a Spanish resort. And one Travel Writer has been visiting Butlin's for 40 years – here's how it's changed for better and worse.
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Butlin's launches new mega sale with four-night stays for £9.75 each per night
ANYONE looking for a bargain family getaway should book with Butlin's now - as it's launched a huge sale. The Big 7 Butlin's has launched a huge sale with savings on summer and term-time breaks Credit: Butlins 7 There's lots of entertainment - including immersive gaming experiences Credit: Butlins This is for the four-night family stay with Showtime Term-Time Midweek breaks, which costs £39 overall. On every Butlin's site, there is so much to do to keep children, and adults entertained. Along with accommodation and access to the pool , there are also live performances with celebrity headliners. Read More on Butlin's Included in the price is soft play and unlimited goes on the fairground rides. At the On the West Sussex site, there's a state-of-the-art indoor activity centre Inside is nine immersive gaming experiences, including a galactic-themed Laser Tag and four different themed Escape Rooms. Most read in Family And in Minehead and Skegness, there are £2.5million Showtime Term-Time Midweek breaks are suitable for families with kids that are five and under - and start from £10 per person. I tried the new Gladiators event at Butlin's with some of the TV stars… and my kids were obsessed 7 There are lots of pools and activities for children Credit: Butlins 7 The sites have big and very colourful adventure playgrounds Credit: Butlins There's lots of entertainment - including appearances from TV characters like Peppa Pig and Mister Maker. Butlin's own Skyline Gang will make an appearance too. The face of Saturday night TV, He's celebrating 25 years in showbiz with a special show full of illusions and games for the audience to enjoy. Another show to enjoy over the summer is The Masked Singer Live. Cricket, Dippy Egg, Piranha and Owl will be joining the live shows, which will be hosted by special guest presenters. A three-night summer break in Minehead during July, featuring performances from Stephen Mulhern, cost from £188 (£47 per person). Guests can catch the 7 The Butlin's resorts get a makeover during Halloween and Christmas Credit: Butlins 7 Christmas breaks start from £11 per person Credit: Butlins During the spooky season, there will be late-night Scareground and monster-themed arts and crafts - Without wishing the rest of the year away, guests can also book for a Christmas break starting from from £41 (£11 per person). All three resorts transform into festive wonderlands with Christmas trees galore and a jam-packed schedule of festive shows and activities. Of course, there will also be a special appearance from Father Christmas. And breaks during the New Year cost from £416 (£104 per person). One Sun Travel writer recently tried out the Butlin's all-inclusive holidays where food and drink is free - she even said it was better value than a Spanish resort. And one 7 Book now with Butlin's to save on your next family holiday Credit: Alamy
