I Return To Butlins! - Has It Got Better? 

The Two Sides Of Butlin's Minehead! 👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NZ7Oxa2BZz4.html

You could forgive the state of the place if it was dirt cheap, but guaranteed during the summer months you'll be paying an arm and a leg.

Love it when Gabby goes with you , it gives a different view on things .Sometimes our other halves see things we don't notice .

I’ve never been to a Butlins . After watching this video I think I’ll keep it that way.

From working at Pontins for years, the sweaty smell is 100% the carpets. I do think some of the carpets in those Butlins venues must be around 25 years old!!!! We had ours replaced whilst I worked at Pontins and it only took a season to have them smelling again!!!

Caspar's reaction as you climbed out of the window is priceless. (11:04)

When my family stayed there we always used self-catering as it was cheaper. We used to only really have breakfast in our rooms but lunch and tea was in the restaurants. I went to skegness but i seem to remember one in Scotland one year. I guess as a child you don’t see the bad bits you just remember the fun bits.

In the 1980s this place was like back to the future. As a child, I was blown away. What, the hell happened? 🤦🏼💯

Have to say Casper in the car on his own made me smile , cherish tho memories bud as a dad to an 18 and 12 year old boys , they grow up so fast

If I stayed at Butlins I would be so so excited to get to the last day and to get home. Holiday accommodation should be a betterment or a similar luxury as your own home. Your wee boy seemed to enjoy himself which is all that matters.

What a lovely little family you are!

Hi Tim and family. The reason why everything is looking shabby is because the resort is open all year round. Back in the day, Butlins was only open 20 weeks in the year, so closed time was spent repainting and getting everything fresh for the new season. We used to go the first week of the season and the smell of paint was really strong. The chalets still had that damp smell though. All the tarmac in the fairground is because they demolished jumping jacks night club ( not really a night club. Just stayed open a bit later) last year, so they havent had much time for development yet.

Caspar steals the show he’s absolutely adorable 😊. My number one requirement for any restaurant or place for recreation is cleanliness and this place failed miserably. That kind of filth is what you expect to find in seedy motels. Even if a place is outdated if it’s clean that’s all that matters for me. I would never stay there in its current condition.

Looks like gabby had a fun teen years 😂 shocked how easy that window was to fully open from the outside!

Wow, these places aren't anything like they used to be, good or bad! I remember in the early 80s going on a school trip to Butlins in North Wales (long closed now) and it was pure vintage! Original chalets, toilet blocks, massive buildings with the theatres in them, tannoy, dining hall eating, organised activities....Thanks for showing us what they're like now - they still have a whiff of the old about them!😊 Cheers, Tim, Gaby and Casper!

When I booked Butlins Bognor I went with a hotel instead of the chalets, and the difference in quality is remarkable! It was a lovely stay, clean, sound proof, great view from the hotel balcony, room cleaning etc, so highly recommend for a (slightly less) cheap and cheerful holiday!

I first watched you when your channel was small during lockdown. I just want to say your videos are outstanding, loving the addition of Gabby and Casper. Such a natural, down to earth couple, and quite relatable too.

Loved Butlins in the 70's and 80's, as a kid. The lovely mouldy smell as you entered a chalet in the 70's and 80's, smelt, like an expensive perfume, because you knew you'd arrived in a magical place, full of fun and nothing else mattered. Health and safety is ridiculous now, people knew it was dangerous to climb out of a moving monorail, we didn't need signs to tell us that. I'd pay top dollar, to go back and experience the magical Butlins of yesteryear. If I was going to Skegness, I'd be wanting to stay in the cheapest accommodation, to just try to feel a bit of the 70's and 80's holiday vibe. A bit of rust and wear and tear isn't going to kill anyone.. An enjoyable video though.

I wouldn’t have been happy with those connecting rooms, not only because of the noise but they were only locked with star keys! I got a star key on my regular keys for work, and I assume others would too, not very secure, butlins really need to put regular key locks on those doors for security of their guests.

What a throwback to a previous era of holidaymaking.

Love Casper and his little sandals his outfits are so cute!!!

So glad to see you with a sponsor - you deserve it! Me and my partner love your videos. We had our baby boy about 12 hours before you and Gabby had Thumps so it’s always surreal to see him on camera as he is so like our little one! I took Teddy to Butlins for a day trip a couple of weeks ago in Minehead and it only cost £13 for a day ticket and then we stayed in a B&B - it was a lovely way to do it and very inexpensive! Definitely got £13 worth of fun!

I spent a few days as a kid to Butlin's in Skagness around 1991 and it remains one of my best childhood memories. I didn't appreciate having aphids all over my ice-cream as we explored the beach. It's certainly changed since 1991, except for the bungalows.

Shocks me how they’re allowed to stay open when the rooms are this bad! 🤢 I wouldn’t even stay here if I was paid! 😂

I've been to Skeggie last two years and will be there in a few weeks. It's not the nicest, we've had our gripes with the accommodation, but you get what you pay for and the most important thing is my Daughter loves the place so the tiredness of the place is an afterthought. I wouldn't pay the holiday prices but it's value at term time is not to be sniffed at for a family of 4.

That's the problem with half upgrades. The difference between the old and new parts is even more stark. Great video, as always! :D

I used to work for the butlins site a year ago cleaning the rooms you stayed in and yes. The rooms usually get sprayed as they leave. The kettles get limescale cleaned every 3 months now also keep in mind the room could be better but one chalet like that times it by 5, 6 some days. Its not an easy job even for minimum wage kinda crappy honestly

I am not impressed but thanks for being brave enough to stay.Thanks Tim , Gabby n Casper 🥰🤗

So wonderful to see you, Gaby and Casper out and about at Butlins! Casper's loving it! That little fella has a smile that melts everyone's heart.. ❤ Great vid, as always. Thanks, Tim 👍👏

I’ve not long come back from Bognor and I could see a huge change. Accommodation was being refurbished and looked really clean. The park in general looked really clean. I have already booked up to go twice more this year

Not been there for 20 years but used to love it. Looking really tired in places now. First time we went in the 90's the monorail was definitely working and we went on it to get from our chalet to the centre😊

14:35 That smell is just the wood bricked flooring behind you or at least the wax used to maintain it. it was used in pretty much every school PE Gym back in the day. We associate that smell with feet because a lot of the time we were bare foot and as an adolescent absorbing information, mistakenly cross linked the two to form a core memory by just by coincidence.

If they are so fully booked as they state, then surely have the restaurant open every day!

I loved the monorail no seat belts had to go up lots of steps to get on it , we used to sing top of our voices to the songs that were playd over the speakers

You pay for what you get! I totally rate your opinions however we stay in the gold 3x a year and have a great time!! It’s spotless so definitely more time put into those who pay more which I think everyone should be treated fairly! X

I worked at Skeggy back in the early 1980s in the summers. I used to work in Accounts doing the wages and working with cashiers (looking after the revenues). In those days, there were over 2,500 staff. Around 100 of them, were maintenance workers, who kept everything painted and clean. The rot set in in the mid-1970s when Rank bought Butlin’s from Billy Butlin’s widow. Over time they ran it into the ground, then there was a big investment. However, it looks like they’re running it into the ground again.

My family are there right now . After check in they struggled for two hours to get customer service to fix the door on the chalet as it was stuck . Once inside they found ants everywhere, all over the bath etc They explained they could not possibly stay there and they were told you either stay there or sleep outside . The party consists of 2 adults , 2 children and a baby . One of the party is disabled and paid the premium for allocated parking . There was none and told by staff it’s a free for all . They have no choice but to go home . I’ve since found other reviews that list a number of failings in this place . Not fit for business it seems

Back in my younger years we went to Minehead for a holiday, they had a monorail which you could jump on as many times as you liked if I remember correctly it used to stop over the swimming pool, there was no seat belts or doors on it , I thoroughly enjoyed going on it

I’m glad you’ve done this video , we’re booked to go here in July for a week , we paid £270 which I didn’t think was too bad for peek summer times , but after seeing your video from last year we were kinda dreading it , we can look past the flakey paint I suppose and as long as the kids enjoy themselves we don’t mind

I was also there last week. I enjoyed it and the staff were great but there was so much stuff that just shouldn't have been the way it was

Just about any seaside hotel or holiday park will battle the humidity and moisture. Any kind of stucco and plastering will just absorb that moisture and begin to crumble. Untreated woodwork with do the same. The wood will expand and contract with the moisture and paint will crack and peel. It's a maintenance nightmare with metal rusting as well. Most places just put a coat of paint and think it's fixed.

So pleased you go to these butlins...so i don`t have to. Bit like my school exams...an improvement, but must try harder.

Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t be seen dead in that place. However, I admire your positivity.

End of the day you just cant beat going abroad, its in a different league every way possible, the landscapes and scenery, the buildings, the beaches and of course the weather. People can say what they want but thats fact, abroad is better! Went to skeggy butlins as a child 30years ago, must admit the accommodation hardly looks to of changed! Haha

I remember going to Butlins Pwllheli as a kid in the 90's, and I remember there was so much to do and going on. Now these resorts all look very lackluster which is a shame. The beach looks lovely, and it looks like all the entertainers are pretty good though. Thanks for checking it out for us!

Stayed at Butlins Skegness when I was 6 or 7 in the early seventies. The family all rode the monorail and survived. Perfectly safe. Everybody ate in the communal dining room and the food was basic but good. There were things that weren't included in the price but v few. A good experience for a 6 year old including the entertainment

BOGNOR BUTLINS NIGHTMARE! Me, my husband and our 5 year old daughter stayed in the butlins in Bognor Regis last summer. We checked in and immediately upon entering the room we noticed it had the strongest smell of vomit, it was vile! It was the bin that smelt the strongest but the whole room stunk of it. We rung guest services who said they were at max capacity so couldn’t move us to a different room but they would send a cleaner round with a can of aerosol odour spray to give the room a good spray down to get it smelling fresher. We had a similar issue to you, I am asthmatic and one of my main triggers is aerosol sprays! After telling them this they said they would call us back in 10 mins with a new solution. They eventually (40 mins later) called us back with a new room for us! So much for being at full capacity! So we went to one of the hotels on site and got our new key card for our new room only to walk all the way to the other side of the park to find the room they had swapped us to had a family of 5 in! Absolutely horrifying opening up a hotel door to find a room full of people staring back! So of course we called guest services back and at first they did nothing but insist that it was an empty room, and even asked my husband if we were pranking them! They finally agreed to sort us a new room out AGAIN, It took HOURS to resolve by this point we had eaten dinner and watched an evening show still just rolling our suitcases behind us everywhere we went! We hadn’t heard anything back and with guest services closing at 9pm my husband called them back at 10 to 9 in one final attempt to get us a new room sorted, he insisted that if nothing was sorted out in the next 5 minutes we’d be driving back home and requesting our money back, and FINALLY they gave us our third new room, which thankfully was not occupied this time 😆 we checked in at 3 o’clock and weren’t in a suitable room until 10 😅 longest start to a holiday ever!!

I love how damning you guys are by just looking at things - all hoteliers take note!

This threw me right back to the 90s.. some of those accommodations I still remember. Thank you for taking us back to Skegness!

As a fellow asthmatic I can understand why you were worried about the hair. Chemicals and cleaning products can shut my airway in seconds,so I wonder how I would manage at a holiday park? And what happened to bingo calling? It used to be a laidback affaire calling the numbers,not an excuse for hysteria!

Great tour! The play park looks great! As someone without kids it looks like the kind of place that should be open later on for the adults to play! 😂 Thumps was sp cute when you came through the window!

I watched this video about ten times when it first came out because I hadn’t been to skeggy for a while and I’m going again this year in three weeks and I have returned to watch it again. Your an absolute legend 👍🏻😊

Oh dear things haven't got that better used to go to Skegness alot but never Butlins haven't been in 20 years or more.

A shame that the room was not that clean, but you can see that they are trying. Casper was so sweet in his little car 😊 I think it would be a tough holiday if it rained all the time you were there, but the sun made it better. All in all for £99 I didn't think it was too bad, but any more than that then no.

Worked there for six months back in the ninetys Tim on maintenance. Could tell you stories that would make you run for the hills..😱

Last time I was here would have been 2006/7 and it was clean and in a better state of repair, I always stayed in silver accommodation as could never get their gold accommodation on account of it always being booked. Our accommodation always had a lounge with sofas, tv etc.., kitchen, dining area and two separate bedrooms so was much bigger than what you showed in this video. Looking at it now, it seems they still have all the original carpets, furniture etc..hence in need of a complete refurb. Sad to see but I wont be rushing back anytime soon!!!

I am just leaving butlins Skegness now, honestly if the weather holds out and you have children between sort it 4 and 12 they will absolutely love it here.

32:02 Made me chuckle.. 🥂 Thumps is such a happy little man.. 🤗 really loved the vid..

Staying in the same area of Butlins, looks like the room we are in has been refurbished. The outside walkways have been painted and the ceilings are brand new, with new lighting! Since we were last here last year they’ve done a lot and you can tell they are investing, which is always good to see. Skypark is great, although two areas of it are already broken (sectioned off) and a small part of the Red tower section fell off this evening, appeared to be a telescope of some sort, nobody was injured as it fell on to the netting, hopefully, it will last as it looks fantastic.

Tim , you and the fam were very brave to stay there. I wouldn't let my baby in that place for anything. You can see the dust and dirt hanging from the ceilings. That air is horrid for anyone. But dang , little Casper was riding the heck out of that car. All by himself. I can't wait for him to get big enough to enjoy all the places that you and Gabby go. You guys are such a nice little family, it does my heart good to see you having fun together.

Used to love the monorail as a kid.Was great fun, spent many a good day riding the monorail, Also had the chair lifts which went over the top of Butlins which gave you good views. Was so much fun, there use to be a narrow gauge railway at one end of the camp near the chair lift station, and everything was free, which was great.

Enjoyable video, it’s great that you are doing these visits as a family with Casper. Thank you Tim and Gabby.

Was on the train refreshing your RU-vid page so much! So excited to watch this with my mam! She used to go to butlins as a child so she loves watching these 🧡

It’s a good thing we all like different holidays, some people look as if they’re having fun

The wife & I have been staying there for the past three years. We use it as a base and spend the days in Skegness and Ingoldmels. We are not too bothered about the entertainment but will go if it looks OK. We also pay for premier dining which has been very good in the past. We stay in the Seaside Appartments with a balcony. Our last visit was May 2023 and we were so disappointed with the overall look of the place. The beers had changed (I am a very fussy drinker) and the food was terrible compared to previous years. Unfortunately we will not be visiting again.

I worked at Butlins for 3 years 'Minehead' you want to see the state of the staff accommodation. What you stayed in was 5*

I worked as a senior technical services manager in a large council and the issue of ongoing maintenance verses rebuild was a constant thing. organisations find it easy to build a new favcility but difficult to mantain the ones they've got at a high standard. Cleanliness is a huge giveaway as to the overall well being of a facility and the people in chrge of cleaning need to be on the ball 100%. i had 1 cleaning supervisor who was a terror when it came ot checking how clean places were being kept and she got results from her teams. She set high standards and wouldn't budge them, those who didn't like it quit and new folk started and within a short time everyone shared her vision. The same is true for wider maintenance, keep stuff painted and clean and gardens well tended and bright and people will like it, keep the toilet facilities spotless and don't use airfreshner to hide smells that shouldn't be there. If it stinks it's not clean if it looks dirty it is.

When we stayed at Butlin's bognor , there were butlers who gave us vouchers for evening dinners,

Honestly mate I’ve just come back from an 80’s weekend there ( stayed in seahorse court) and I always come away thinking the same …..there’s no way this accommodation is fit for families paying top money. It’s just about good enough for the weekenders as the attitude is completely different as it literally is just a place to sleep. These rooms get absolutely trashed by some people, especially how many weekenders are on all year round. Absolutely love the weekenders but would never consider taking my lad unless I was staying in a caravan.

Thanks Tim and Gabby and Casper great video looks fun for the children always look forward to the next Yvonne 😊

Yes!! Remember taking many rides on the old monorail back in the 80's - 90's, no seat belt but never bothered me as a kid but no chance would I get in it now if it was still operational! Also remember the cable cars or (chairlift) as some may remember it! Top vid!! 🙏👌👍👍👍

Those rads are rank... if this is the best voted Butlins... I dread to think what state the others would be like.

We took our son to Butlins when he was 2 similar to Caspers age and it was ok but once was enough x thanks Tim 🎉 38:38

This is our room and we ARE breaking into it!

What a great video, and what a fantastic little family you are. Casper is having a great childhood with what you do with him. It’s a shame some parts look run down and not kept very well. Maybe butlins should stop being all year round and close through the winter so they can do it up, re paint and clean it up ready for the new year, which is probably how it was ran before. Great video! Btw my mum went on holiday there when she was a kid. Will show her this video soon to see how much it’s changed since then.

I wish you can make trips with Tim, Gabby and Caspar! I really appreciate it!☺

Love it when Caby joins you! She is so full of fun!

My dad recommended your channel to me and I have to say I really enjoy it. As a new mum to a 6 week year old girl you have me excited to give her memories like I had with the old school British caravan holidays that I had when I was little ☺️💕 I have her dad convinced too and it’s what we’re thinking of for our first family break when she’s a little older. Your content has a really good mix and I loved your Canary Islands series and the Dubai one as well as the water park ones. Amazing work on the camera angles, drone shots and overall editing too. Keep up the good work and safe travels in the future ☺️👏🏻

My mum and Dad went there in 1965 and it looks like most of the accomodation hasn't been updated since then!

Some years ago when a friend and I shared a room at Butlins Minehead for an 80's weekend. One night I could hear a couple at it next door I'm sure you know what I mean. So yes the walls are pretty thin.

they would have lost a lot of money due to Covid and will still be catching up. I went to Butlins 10 years in a row with my daughter and stopped around 2017 when she was older. Always a great time.

I think the most redeeming feature there is the Beach, looks superb!!

It's a shame that places like this didn't use the down time during covid to do some basic maintenance. They were paying staff regardless, so they might as well have got them in to do some basic things like sanding down and painting.

I like the way you say this must be the master when your camera was already set up in there 🤣🤣

I stayed there in 1976 when it got infested with Ladybirds, staff were scooping them out of the pool. Shame the Mono rail was scrapped & the Ski lift. Stopped in old style Chalet no. P6. identical to the one you featured. No sink or bathroom, only a communal one & had to que up for a bath. No showers back in the day. But we had a great time. I drove past it 3 weeks ago & it looks shabby from the road. Not the same now But would book for a week. I worked at Pontins, Southport & Prestatyn in 97. did summer season with a band. Butlins is a palace compared to them, & Haven camps weren't too bad.

The only original features at Butlins in skegness are the original chalet, the carousel, the building that is now called the beachcomber Inn , the building currently housing the lost property, the building where the Gold apartments check in is based and the amusements building next to the go kart track. The building where the laser tag is located also houses the staff canteen and staff laundry with just 6 maybe 7 washing machines to share between 300+ staff that live on site. The staff accommodation is basically a room with a bed and chest of drawers and tiny bathroom to share between 2 staff members. There's no way to prepare food so if you got hungry, you had to buy horrible canteen food or pay over the odds for food from any of the various fast food places onsite meaning the vast majority of your wages would go straight back Butlins pocket

Another great video, Tim. Most of the accommodation is new to me, because I haven't been back to Butlins Skegness since I worked there in 1987. We used to come back from town and catch the monorail all the way down to the bottom end of the camp, where the boating lake ended and where our staff accommodation was back then. What is currently staff accommodation used to be some of the cheaper holidaymakers' chalets back in the day. I agree with the other poster, when the camps used to close down at the end of the season, a lot of us would stay on to deep clean, paint, fit new kitchens. There's no excuse for dirt though.

Hi Tim was brilliant to see your Gabby and Casper with you and caspers face when he was in that car he was proper enjoying himself.

Met my first love there when I was 14 years old..met in 1998 at butlins...amazing memories..was awesome.. we now have a son together who's 16 year old wanting to be an aero space engineer in the R.A.F.. we are not dating anymore but still friends..I asked my ex to write her number on the back of a cigarette papers ..called her and was so nervous when I got home..1 week later I moved to Lincoln age 14..for 11 years lol..some friends who came to butlins have left us..some settled down with kids etc..how time flies..I'm 40 in 2 weeks lol ..Best wishes all ❤

I would defo recommend Butlins, we always pay a little extra on the accommodation for a deluxe suite, doesn't cost much extra but well worth it. We also bought the VIP passes last time to gain early access into the venues which was only £10pp during our stay. Overal Butlins for the price is definitely value for money and the kids will love it.

Love the honesty and detail of your videos!Again your wardrobe rocks!T shirt with rolled up sleeves is so flattering especially with light denim!cool!Always love polo shirts …so attractive ! Appreciate what a great family man you are! Your family is so very encouraging to watch! Your devoted fan from America

Always loved going to Skeggy, as kids we loved the monorail, they also had cable cars and I think over the years me and my family have stayed in all the different types of chalets , its never really changed, there was always grotty bits, we always loved the outdoor pools and the canoe lake, I see thats gone too now, had some really happy family holidays at Skeggy.

We took our kids to Skegness Butlins in the 1990s and found it similarly filthy. The chalets were closed at that time and it was all static caravans. The first van we were allocated stank. There were fag ends in the beds, the gas fire had a pure yellow flame and gave us all headaches, and the shower was so dirty we wouldn't use it. They moved us next day, but the second caravan wasn't much better. Plus sides, the kids loved the entertainment, the food was reasonable, and the funfair looked much better than it is now. I wrote to them on our return, pointing out the state of things and their response was pretty much, "We moved you after you complained, what more do you expect?" The same year we went to Spain for Christmas & New Year, and that holiday was around £200 cheaper.

Love your channel Tim and gabby and rest of your family .so friendly and down ti earth .feel like you have a friend showing you around . It allso gives people who cant afford to go anyway a good view of what places are like .😊

I don't know how they've got the nerve to charge people to stay there. Looks like a full on health hazard. I think you're very brave to stay there.

I have been there, years ago, best things about it now, was Caspers walk about's and Gabbys impressions. I gathered she wasen't impressed. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

In respect to butlins, its a seaside resort so paint strips a lot faster due to salt air. Yea cleaning does need improving there but a little improving here and there needed

The sad part is that Butlins could be so much more and make more money for their owners if they put money in maintenance. Since COVID, UK holidays have gone up in demand, this is the perfect time to impress new and old holiday makers that pay a visit.

I think the deal with the chairs outside the rooms at Pontins may not be the guests, but a signal from the staff to the cleaning crew what rooms have been booked and need to be cleaned.

nice that you captured Casper’s change from uncertain to liking what he’s experiencing to not wanting to get off without noticing it