THE HISTORY OF HOLIDAY CAMPS

The idea of ordinary people ‘going away for a holiday’ was one which sprang largely from the growth of the railway system in this country in the 1840’s and 50’s - and was developed by visionaries such as the 9th Earl of Scarborough, who planned Skegness as a holiday town as early as 1877.

The first holiday camp appeared in 1894 on the Isle of Man -‘Cunningham’s Young Men’s Holiday Camp’, followed by one at Caister, Norfolk, in 1906, both offering tented accommodation. Given that most people didn’t earn very much at this time, the attraction of cheap outdoor camping holidays was obvious, and the scouting movement, launched by Baden Powell in 1907, accentuated this trend.

By 1908 the Isle of Man Camp even boasted shops, a concert hall, a bank, dining hall and heated indoor swimming pool! The motor trailer became a familiar sight on British roads in the 1920’s and 30’s, and farmers and landowners began providing camping
sites which could be rented by the day or week, some even coming with bungalow accommodation, cooking facilities and toilets.

Then, in the mid 1930’s, the railway companies got in on the act by providing static coaches which could be rented as seaside holiday accommodation - and it was only a step from there to the provision of larger commercial holiday camps, Potter’s appearing in Norfolk in 1924, followed by Harry Warner’s first venture at Hayling Island in 1932. Billy Butlin was the first to launch the concept
of the holiday camp in a gigantic way though, with his two camps at Skegness(1937) & Clacton (1938).

Holiday camps mushroomed after the2nd World War and, for 30 years or so,dominated the holiday scene in the UK. Some, like the Butlin complexes at Skegness and Filey, catered for up to 5,500 people at a time and, for an inclusive weekly charge, you would be provided with a cabin, 3 meals a day and all the sport and entertainment you could desire, many of Butlin’s ‘redcoats’ going on to become famous entertainers such as Cliff Richard and Jimmy Tarbuck.

This was the age portrayed by the TV programme Hi-De Hi, with Ted Bovis the camp comic, Peggy the chalet maid and resident ballroom dancing champions Barry and Yvonne Stewart-Hargreaves

With the growth of cheap foreign package holidays in the 1960’s and 70’s however, holiday camps declined, Clacton going out of business in 1983 for example, and today only a handful are left, moving gradually into the conference market.

It was fun whilst it lasted though wasn’t if? As for current postcard prices, these are mostly around £3 a card, though expect to pay up to £8 for pre- 1960s material, especially RP’s... Hi-De-Hi Campers!

Michael Goldsmith

But/ins Holiday Camp, Clacton-on-Sea courtesy National
Railway Museum (NRM Ref No 8 6/3 8/404)