Butlins Bognor Regis
Encyclopedia
Butlins Bognor Regis formerly Butlin's Bognor Regis or Southcoast World; is a holiday camp
located in the seaside resort
of Bognor Regis
, West Sussex
, England. It lies 55.5 miles (89 km) south southwest of London
. Butlin's
presence in the town began in 1932 with the opening of an amusement park, their operation soon expanded to take in a zoo as well. In 1960 Billy Butlin opened his first post-war mainland holiday camp, moving both the amusement park and zoo into the new camp. The camp survived a series of cuts in the early 1980s attracting further investment and again in the late 1990s when it was retained as one of only 3 camps still bearing the Butlin name. Today it continues to operate, and it has seen a raft of new construction as the company moves from chalet towards hotel based accommodation.
with his mother and stepfather, when he left school and went to work for Eatons department store
. One of the best aspects of working for the company was that he was able to visit their summer camp, which gave him his first taste of a real holiday, indeed a taste of what was to become a very big part of his life.
The onset of World War I
led to his leaving Eatons and enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
serving in Europe, but seeing little if any action.Dacre 1982, pp.43-45 After the war, Butlin made his way back to England where he used his last £5 (2011:£) to purchase a stall in his uncle Marshall Hill's travelling fair.
As a showman, Butlin quickly became successful, one stall became several, and several became his own travelling fair.Dacre 1982, p.72 Butlin soon had fixed sites as well as his travelling fair – the first was Olympia
in London
outside Bertram Mills
' Circus. In 1925 he opened a set of Stalls in Barry Island
, Wales
where he observed the way landladies in seaside resorts would (sometimes literally) push families out of the lodgings between meals, and began to nurture the idea of a holiday camp similar to that he had attended whilst an employee at Eatons.
In 1927 Butlin leased a piece of land from the Earl of Scarbrough
by the seaside town of Skegness
, where he set up an amusement park with hoopla stalls, a tower slide, haunted house ride and, an atmospheric railway.Scott 2001, p.11
. The shelter was a popular venue with the local press of the time reporting that patrons could "meet the elite" there.
The following year, Butlin opened a zoo
on the seafront. It opened on 5 July and contained brown, black and polar bears, hyenas, leopards, pelicans, kangaroos, and monkeys. The zoo had a snake pit as it's star attraction where Togo the snake king would regularly give shows. The site also For some time, the park in Bognor was run by Butlin's mother Bertha Butlin though she later left to run his park on Hayling Island
. Dacre 1982, pp.89
During World War II
, the park at Bognor was a cause for concern for Butlin. The park had always had a shooting range and during the late 1930s the targets were replaced with images of Hitler, Goering, Goebbels
, and Ribbentrop. After the Battle of Dunkirk
, Butlin became concerned that should the Germans invade the south coast, the first thing they might see was the gallery making Butlin into a target.Dacre 1982, pp.130 At the time, Hitler was himself seeking to emulate and supersede Butlin with an aim to make the Nazi party into the largest holiday company in the world. The plan would have seen a series of holiday camps based on Butlin's camp at Skegness, throughout the third reich - however only the Prora
camp, on the island of Rügen
, was completed.
Many local residents, disliked the new camp despite Butlin having created some 500 local jobs during the construction period, there were complaints that the site bore a resemblance to a Prison, and that the town would have been better off if the site had been used for new housing. During construction one of the works that was required was the straightening of a stream known as the Aldingbourne Rife
which formed a U shape onto the proposed site.Salzman, Hudson 1997, p. 163. However, due to a particularly wet winter the river burst it's banks and flooded the site, leaving it deep in mud. As well as the poor underfoot conditions, Butlin developed Gout
which hindered his mobility.Dacre 1982, p. 204. Those who worked on the site recalled vehicles becoming stuck due to the conditions, and mattresses in their plastic wrappings being used to form walkways throughout the camp.
On 2 July 1960, Billy Butlin opened his new holiday camp at Bognor. The cost of construction was £2.5 million and due to the flooding the camp was not ready on its opening date. Butlin offered his patrons the chance to be re-sited at the Clacton camp instead a however number of guests opted to stay and help, those who did received a free bottle of Champagne as a reward. Once opened, the camp quickly became popular, accommodating around 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors. Once opened, the camp became popular, accommodating around 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors.
At its peak, the camp saw 6,000 guests moving in every Saturday whilst the last 6,000 left the same day. The camp had 1,300 staff to look after the needs of the guests, including the famous Redcoats. When the camp opened, all guests were catered on either full or half board
basis, however in 1968 Butlin handed running of the company to his son Bobby Butlin who introduced self-catering accommodation as a means to reduce labour costs.Scott 2001, p. 6.
Butlin's Bognor was refurbished through the 1980s. In 1987, the camp was renamed Southcoast World following a £16.5 million spend on new and updated accommodation
, the addition of a new indoor water complex
and a new miniature steam railway
.
In 1998, as one of Butlin's three remaining locations, Bognor again underwent major refurbishment. The Southcoast World identity was dropped, and £45 million was invested in redevelopment. A Skyline Pavilion was added to the resort, providing a huge undercover area for year-round, weather-protected facilities. The Skyline Pavilion contained new shops, bars
, restaurant
s and entertainment
areas. The refurbishment also included further updates to the chalet accommodation, a redesign for the Redcoat uniform and the provision of a resort police constable
to improve security. The Camp was relaunched by pop star Ronan Keating
in May 1999. At the same time, the company dropped it's use of the possessive apostrophe changing from Butlin's to Butlins, after the refurbishment the resort was renamed as Butlins Resort Bognor Regis, as it remains to date.Prideaux 2009, p. 81.
Over the years many of the attractions have been removed However the resort still retains a swimming pool and funfair. Today it provides a range of activities such as rock climbing
, fencing
, and archery
. It also provides a wide range of entertainment, aided by the formation of strategic partnerships with popular brands, including The X Factor
, Britain's Got Talent
, Thomas & Friends, Brainiac: Science Abuse
, Guinness World Records
, Bob the Builder
, Pingu
and Angelina Ballerina
.
The site is now 60 acres in size, and has been at the forefront of a move towards hotel accommodation by the company. Including the hotels, the camp has 4,800 beds available.
windows, and a ship-like prow
, the four-floor hotel was designed with a slightly nautical feel. The hotel provides 160 rooms of three different grades, each including hi-tech equipment and luxurious furniture. Guests staying at the hotel can enjoy the sea views, room service
, modern bistro restaurant
and cocktail bar
, in addition to the regular Butlin's facilities. Autumn 2009 saw their latest hotel opened, named Ocean Hotel, upon which £20 million was spent. Another four hotels are being planned as part of Bognor Regis Regeneration.
starring Janette Scott
and Ian Hendry
. The film was produced by the Rank Organisation
,Diss 2006, p. 137-139. who would go on to own Butlin's Ltd its self from 1972 till 2000. Scott 2001, p. 8-9.
Musical acts to have played at Bognor include The Hollies
, The Four Tops, Billy Ocean
and Fats Domino
as well as recent acts such as Atomic Kitten
, Mis-Teeq
, and Peter Andre
Holiday camp
Holiday camp, in Britain, generally refers to a resort with a boundary that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities.As distinct from camping, accommodation typically consisted of chalets – small buildings arranged either individually or in blocks. Some had three or four storeys,...
located in the seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
of Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England. It lies 55.5 miles (89 km) south southwest of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Butlin's
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
presence in the town began in 1932 with the opening of an amusement park, their operation soon expanded to take in a zoo as well. In 1960 Billy Butlin opened his first post-war mainland holiday camp, moving both the amusement park and zoo into the new camp. The camp survived a series of cuts in the early 1980s attracting further investment and again in the late 1990s when it was retained as one of only 3 camps still bearing the Butlin name. Today it continues to operate, and it has seen a raft of new construction as the company moves from chalet towards hotel based accommodation.
Butlin History
In 1914, Billy Butlin was living in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with his mother and stepfather, when he left school and went to work for Eatons department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
. One of the best aspects of working for the company was that he was able to visit their summer camp, which gave him his first taste of a real holiday, indeed a taste of what was to become a very big part of his life.
The onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
led to his leaving Eatons and enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
serving in Europe, but seeing little if any action.Dacre 1982, pp.43-45 After the war, Butlin made his way back to England where he used his last £5 (2011:£) to purchase a stall in his uncle Marshall Hill's travelling fair.
As a showman, Butlin quickly became successful, one stall became several, and several became his own travelling fair.Dacre 1982, p.72 Butlin soon had fixed sites as well as his travelling fair – the first was Olympia
Olympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
outside Bertram Mills
Bertram Mills
Bertram Wagstaff Mills was a British circus owner who ran the Bertram Mills Circus. Originally from Paddington, London, his circus became famous in the UK for its Christmas shows at Olympia in West London...
' Circus. In 1925 he opened a set of Stalls in Barry Island
Barry Island
Barry Island may refer to:*Barry Island , Wales*Barry Island , Antarctica...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
where he observed the way landladies in seaside resorts would (sometimes literally) push families out of the lodgings between meals, and began to nurture the idea of a holiday camp similar to that he had attended whilst an employee at Eatons.
In 1927 Butlin leased a piece of land from the Earl of Scarbrough
Earl of Scarbrough
Earl of Scarbrough is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1690 for Richard Lumley, 2nd Viscount Lumley. He is best remembered as one of the Immortal Seven who invited William of Orange to invade England and depose his father-in-law James II...
by the seaside town of Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
, where he set up an amusement park with hoopla stalls, a tower slide, haunted house ride and, an atmospheric railway.Scott 2001, p.11
Butlin's in Bognor
In 1932, Butlin saw an opportunity to create a similar amusement park in Bognor Regis to the one he had in Skegness. Butlin purchased land on the corner of Lennox Street and the Esplanade, which had previously been the Olympian Gardens. Butlin constructed his amusement park on the land and called it "Butlin's Recreation Shelter". In 1928, Butlin had secured an exclusive license to sell Dodgem cars in Europe,Scott 2001, p. 6. and these were one of the first attractions in the shelter along with one-armed banditsSlot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
. The shelter was a popular venue with the local press of the time reporting that patrons could "meet the elite" there.
The following year, Butlin opened a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
on the seafront. It opened on 5 July and contained brown, black and polar bears, hyenas, leopards, pelicans, kangaroos, and monkeys. The zoo had a snake pit as it's star attraction where Togo the snake king would regularly give shows. The site also For some time, the park in Bognor was run by Butlin's mother Bertha Butlin though she later left to run his park on Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
. Dacre 1982, pp.89
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the park at Bognor was a cause for concern for Butlin. The park had always had a shooting range and during the late 1930s the targets were replaced with images of Hitler, Goering, Goebbels
Goebbels
Goebbels, alternatively Göbbels, is a common surname in the western areas of Germany. It is probably derived from the Old Low German word gibbler, meaning brewer...
, and Ribbentrop. After the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
, Butlin became concerned that should the Germans invade the south coast, the first thing they might see was the gallery making Butlin into a target.Dacre 1982, pp.130 At the time, Hitler was himself seeking to emulate and supersede Butlin with an aim to make the Nazi party into the largest holiday company in the world. The plan would have seen a series of holiday camps based on Butlin's camp at Skegness, throughout the third reich - however only the Prora
Prora
Prora is a beach resort on the island of Rügen, Germany, known especially for its colossal Nazi-planned touristic structures. The massive building complex was built between 1936 and 1939 as a Kraft durch Freude project. The eight buildings are identical, and while they were planned as a holiday...
camp, on the island of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
, was completed.
Butlin's Holiday Camp
In the late 1959 Butlin was looking to open another camp in the town and reached a deal with Bognor Regis town council to purchase a 39 acre site at the east end of the promenade. The agreement was met with local opposition (as some of his previous camps had), so Butlin ran an advert in the local press advising that he would remove his "unsightly" fun fairs from the middle of promenade, if he was allowed to move them to his new site. Further to this, he commented that he would be willing to spend more on advertising the town than any of the local hoteliers had.Many local residents, disliked the new camp despite Butlin having created some 500 local jobs during the construction period, there were complaints that the site bore a resemblance to a Prison, and that the town would have been better off if the site had been used for new housing. During construction one of the works that was required was the straightening of a stream known as the Aldingbourne Rife
Aldingbourne
Aldingbourne is a village and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 3,612 . It is about five miles north of Bognor Regis and six miles east of Chichester....
which formed a U shape onto the proposed site.Salzman, Hudson 1997, p. 163. However, due to a particularly wet winter the river burst it's banks and flooded the site, leaving it deep in mud. As well as the poor underfoot conditions, Butlin developed Gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
which hindered his mobility.Dacre 1982, p. 204. Those who worked on the site recalled vehicles becoming stuck due to the conditions, and mattresses in their plastic wrappings being used to form walkways throughout the camp.
On 2 July 1960, Billy Butlin opened his new holiday camp at Bognor. The cost of construction was £2.5 million and due to the flooding the camp was not ready on its opening date. Butlin offered his patrons the chance to be re-sited at the Clacton camp instead a however number of guests opted to stay and help, those who did received a free bottle of Champagne as a reward. Once opened, the camp quickly became popular, accommodating around 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors. Once opened, the camp became popular, accommodating around 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors.
At its peak, the camp saw 6,000 guests moving in every Saturday whilst the last 6,000 left the same day. The camp had 1,300 staff to look after the needs of the guests, including the famous Redcoats. When the camp opened, all guests were catered on either full or half board
Room and board
Room and board describes a situation where, in exchange for money, labor or other considerations, a person is provided with a place to live as well as meals on a comprehensive basis...
basis, however in 1968 Butlin handed running of the company to his son Bobby Butlin who introduced self-catering accommodation as a means to reduce labour costs.Scott 2001, p. 6.
Butlin's Bognor was refurbished through the 1980s. In 1987, the camp was renamed Southcoast World following a £16.5 million spend on new and updated accommodation
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
, the addition of a new indoor water complex
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and a new miniature steam railway
Rail transport modelling
Railway modelling or model railroading is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale...
.
In 1998, as one of Butlin's three remaining locations, Bognor again underwent major refurbishment. The Southcoast World identity was dropped, and £45 million was invested in redevelopment. A Skyline Pavilion was added to the resort, providing a huge undercover area for year-round, weather-protected facilities. The Skyline Pavilion contained new shops, bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
areas. The refurbishment also included further updates to the chalet accommodation, a redesign for the Redcoat uniform and the provision of a resort police constable
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
to improve security. The Camp was relaunched by pop star Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
in May 1999. At the same time, the company dropped it's use of the possessive apostrophe changing from Butlin's to Butlins, after the refurbishment the resort was renamed as Butlins Resort Bognor Regis, as it remains to date.Prideaux 2009, p. 81.
Butlins Resort Bognor Regis
Today the resort caters for over 385,000 visitors per year with 300,000 being resident and 85,000 visiting for the day. The resort is one of the largest employers in the Skegness area, and currently employs 850 staff each year, 35 of which make up the Redcoat team.Over the years many of the attractions have been removed However the resort still retains a swimming pool and funfair. Today it provides a range of activities such as rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, and archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. It also provides a wide range of entertainment, aided by the formation of strategic partnerships with popular brands, including The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
, Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
, Thomas & Friends, Brainiac: Science Abuse
Brainiac: Science Abuse
Brainiac: Science Abuse is a British entertainment TV show with a science motif. Numerous experiments are carried out in each show, often to verify whether common conceptions are true or simply to create impressive explosions...
, Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
, Pingu
Pingu
Pingu is a British-Swiss stop-motion claymated television series created by Otmar Gutmann. The series was produced by The Pygos Group and Trickfilmstudio for Swiss television. The show is about a family of anthropomorphic penguins at the South Pole. The main character is the family's son and title...
and Angelina Ballerina
Angelina Ballerina
Angelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse, created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, who is featured in a popular series of children's books...
.
The site is now 60 acres in size, and has been at the forefront of a move towards hotel accommodation by the company. Including the hotels, the camp has 4,800 beds available.
Shoreline and Ocean Hotels
In 2005, further work was undertaken to update the resort with the introduction of the Shoreline Hotel. £10 million was spent on the hotel and its surrounding landscaped gardens. With big portholePorthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
windows, and a ship-like prow
Prow
thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...
, the four-floor hotel was designed with a slightly nautical feel. The hotel provides 160 rooms of three different grades, each including hi-tech equipment and luxurious furniture. Guests staying at the hotel can enjoy the sea views, room service
Room service
Room service is an accommodation available at many hotels, whose employees bring food or other items to guests in their rooms.Room service may also refer to:- Music :...
, modern bistro restaurant
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
and cocktail bar
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
, in addition to the regular Butlin's facilities. Autumn 2009 saw their latest hotel opened, named Ocean Hotel, upon which £20 million was spent. Another four hotels are being planned as part of Bognor Regis Regeneration.
Influence
In 1963 the camp was the setting for the film, The Beauty JungleThe Beauty Jungle
-Plot:While on a seaside holiday a young typist is persuaded by a local journalist to enter a beauty contest. When she wins, she decides to give up her previous career and life and take up entering the contests full-time.-Cast:*Ian Hendry as Don Mackenzie...
starring Janette Scott
Janette Scott
Thora Janette Scott is an English actress. She was born in Morecambe, England. She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird. She started her acting career as a child actress, known as Janette Scott, and became a popular leading lady...
and Ian Hendry
Ian Hendry
Ian Hendry was an English film and television actor. He is best known for his work on several British TV series of the early 1960s such as The Avengers, and for his roles in 1970s films such as Get Carter .-Career:Hendry was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and educated at Culford School...
. The film was produced by the Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
,Diss 2006, p. 137-139. who would go on to own Butlin's Ltd its self from 1972 till 2000. Scott 2001, p. 8-9.
Musical acts to have played at Bognor include The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
, The Four Tops, Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
and Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
as well as recent acts such as Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost...
, Mis-Teeq
Mis-Teeq
Mis-Teeq are a British R&B girl group, comprising singers Alesha Dixon, Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington. Originally a quartet which included Zena McNally, the group was formed in 1999 and released three major studio albums and seven consecutive UK top ten singles, including international hits...
, and Peter Andre
Peter André
Peter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...