What's Happened To Butlins Skegness! 

Pay extra for go kart's WTF get stuffed

I hope there's any good butlins because of my dream

Butlins Bognor Is absolutely brilliant

I always take my kids haven sights which are brilliant but finding there entertainment to young for them so was looking at Butlins Minehead have u ever been there ? If not please go for me b4 next year 🤣🤣

It’s a shame really, butlins use to be the place to go in the 90s, I’ve only ever been to Bognor. Prob 30 times as a kid. Was going to take my kids there but think I’ll swerve it to be honest lol what happened to the chuckle brothers peddle car things they use to have. Does anyone know is Bognor still has that massive giant in the lake where you could hire peddle boats out?

wow

The Butlins Pwllheli was similar when we were kids back in the 60's; Mini train or chairlift out to the beach, and a swimming pool with windows you could watch while in the cafe. It was also my first job when I left school at 18. The main entertainment centre burnt down while I was there! ( Ken Dodd was playing there. They opened up an older theatre and it was filled with people in pyjamas and Ken came on and gave an impromptu performance to keep them amused while the fire raged. )

If you ask me they've had their day like shopping malls on the High Street. Time to wave goodbye and move on.

What’s happened to Butlins? Cheap flights to Spain where one has guaranteed sun for your 7 or 14 nights all inclusive . And I do think sadly this sort of place has had its day.

I remember all those things at butlins too. I first went in 1981.

I loved that Spa. So quiet and the only time I treated myself to a treatment. That arcade is ridiculous.

Used to be called the beach club

@@laurabaker81 I agree with you I usually never won anything thing there but I'd they were to remove it instead of making it I would have lost £14 because I won a blooper plushie lol

no clue why they changed it to an arcade, butlins looks so depressing these days it’s sad.

the reviews are some of the best on trip advisor

How can fully-booked camps be heartbreaking? I booked two Bognor weekends several months in advance for the act I see. One out of season with corona-19 restrictions, and a later one in the summer, and only just found an affordable chalet for the June one despite booking last year.

@@mikenewbold1699 It's their right. What I object to are the fake reviews left by the friends and relatives of the business owners or that are bought by them.

butlins has been in this condition for the past 10 years, its nothing to do with the pandemic

@@omgdisfunny4852 Why worry about it? They sell out all year round. Bognor's fine and Skegness was when I was last there.

agree

They went up in 1998 didn't they? I remember going to minehead when it 1st went up. It was great to see but miss the good old days of the outside pool. That was deeper than new one. I didn't like what they done to the entertainment venues either as they took dance floors away. They put dance floor back eventually in Reds but I think they've carpet down again. Probably since covid.

@@louisetrinder551 This is correct

I couldn’t possibly comment on the Minehead and Skegness sites. But, the Bognor Regis site is planning on “Getting rid” of the skyline pavilion!… I went too butlins a few months after it’s grand opening after the pavilion was first built and it was seriously impressive!…. Yet after going back within the past year, it’s absolutely disgusting. All green, leaky everywhere and just an eye sore. As for all the attractions…. Exactly the same (if not actually worse) than back in the 90’s! For that kind of money. I’d recommend booking pretty much ANYWHERE else! Everything is rotting, rusty and just aged. It’s a real shame as Butlins used too be “The spot!” 😔

Chttte tye

that's why a lot of houses in the uk are not made from wood lol

the rides at the skegness one used to be so good and then they just became really childlike and less thrilling

@@colacubes1692 Agreed. I know that Butlins is in a way aimed at children (however it can definitely be enjoyed by people of any age), but I feel like they sometimes aim things like rides a bit too much towards younger children. In my experience having very few options, with little thrill for older children and adults. Although that looks like it may be changing at Skegness after seeing pictures (on their official Instagram) of the new rides they're planning on adding

I love skegness x

I hope they sort out the accommodations too

@@WalkWithMeTim Hopefully. If they do and once they've got all these new plans finished, I'd love to visit and I think others will be encouraged to do the same

about time

Money money money. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🚙

I would take a matinance job with acomadation

Bourne Leisure made big investment in the camps. They were given new water parks, Bognor got three hotels and Minehead the lakeside apartments. It drove out most of their local employees after 2004 in favour of recruiting from Eastern Europe. It was staff ethnic cleansing. I haven't stayed at Minehead for a good few years and my recent stays have been at Butlin's - where there are no issues with maintenance. I knew others who followed the same '80s act as me, and they all favoured the Skegness camp. It had none of this disrepair then.

@@WalkWithMeTim we stayed last week and the room was filthy, they came and rectified it luckily, the full fairground is being refurbished and 4 new rides are being added . I also believe the skyline pavilion tent needs replacing in a few years aswell , they are also adding a brand new giant park.

Interesting points 😎 thanks Bridgette

We have been going for Many years with our 2 eldest & now our 2 youngest, & have stayed in both caravans & chalets, but the chalets only perhaps 3 or 4 times (& not the economy ones) but I have to say, that the caravans Far exceed the chalets in regards to quality of accommodation. We have became good friends with the owners of the caravans we stay in & they provide (amongst other things) a washing machine, dishwasher, TV in all rooms (lounge is a smart TV), games console, WI-FI, Google nest (similar to Alexa) coffee machine, & a Welcome hamper (with even a bags of sweets each for the kids) and All this for Less than what Butlins charge for the chalets!

yes agree but come on butlins

oh did she! wow

Nope

😎

Same here, Butlins was amazing late seventies to eighties, unrecognisable now to what it was, now it's just a commercial machine.

@@philbartlett395 if only we could go back in time

@@philbartlett395 absolutely agree with you there 💯 I remember Butlins Filey very well I did visit a few times as a day visitor as during the late 70s and the mid 80s my late parents did have 2 static caravans on primrose Valley next door it’s my humble opinion that if the late Sir Billy Butlin saw the decay and lack of care of his camps which he was so rightly proud of he would probably turn in his grave but at least to be fair his camps are not as neglected as Pontins

@@janeokeeffe5297 funny you should say that, my memories of Butlins from my childhood are magical, if they happen to invent a time machine and you could go anywhere anytime they could keep Disneyland and all the exotic holiday destinations, I would go to Butlins Minehead circa 1980, absolute bliss.

They sold Butlins in Ireland years ago .. unfortunately the new owners turn it into a refugee camp for processing ..

haven is much better I think

Ah but you have those glorious national parks sir, they are a site to be behold and have been lucky enough to camp in a couple of them.

Back in the 70’s Butlins & Pontins another holiday park were the place to be , they are near beaches and all had outdoor swimming pools a fun fair , club house with bar , bands and disco even a Miss Butlins / Pontins competition , my cousin came 2nd once 👍🏻 These holiday parks are of that era and it seems now almost everything is for children which is fine to keep young children entertained but not a lot for adults with older children which is why they probably stopped going !

agree :-)

?

@@WalkWithMeTim he's comparing it to prison

Looking at the bad state it's in, everything should be free. Bourne has totally neglected it. Now it will give the whole Skegness destination a bad name. What a shame, it needs to close down. Height of the season top prices and hardly anyone visiting.

😂🤣

On the scrounge for a free day pass ??

thanks Hazel

yes but they still charge the prices they should at least keep the paint up lol

@@WalkWithMeTim completely agree 👍

Butlins is ultimately owned by American venture capitalists Blackstone who have assets of nearly 45billion under their control so the fact that Butlins still exists is probably more to do with Blackstone's willingness to sit on broken assets than anything else. The last major investment in Butlins was over a decade ago which is a generation in hospitality time. What Butlins needs is someone to love it again as much as we do 🙂

@@harkinsclark1417 it has to be an investment of some sort if they've kept said assets. No business would sit on such a thing unless they intend to asset strip. That could be seen as financial suicide I guess. However, what Tim has shown is mere neglect since covid other than the unwillingness to invest... 👍

@@thebard9786 The company accounts for last year are due shortly, for the last few years the auditor has banked on customer loyalty as a catalyst for future growth, be interesting to see if they repeat that statement this year. Unfortunately company accounts don't separate maintenance from investment but Tim's video footage speaks volumes

Thanks Guys

My mum ran Rory’s fan club and she met all the Beatles - had tea with John Lennon and Cynthia - she was genuinely upset re what happened to Rory and his mum...

wow

I was there as a visitor when you were working there Paulene, same age too. I was born in 1945 and come from Liverpool so I knew all the bands on the scene in that era. Dated Paul's bro Mike.

but still needs a paint lol

lol

Same here Carl the Fun Fair then was a Fun Fair I remember the Monorail and Chairlifts even roller-coasters now there's about 5 rides and they call it a Fun Fair, everybody used to complain about the dodgy cold chalets with paper thin walls, I remember at Bognor,Minehead, Ayr and Filey(God rest its soul)the BRILLIANT games rooms 50 Snooker tables at each camp that's correct (fifty snooker tables) pool and table tennis tables and the Best thing of all it was all FREEEEEEEE or you had to give was your chalet key.Butlins had definitely lost its way over the years way to expensive for a working class family and looking at some of these apartments looks a bloody RIP-OFF.....

@@Ian-lm7mn they used to have a big wheel too

The fair was great when it had a proper place on site (where the gold apartments are now). Now, as Tim said, it just feels dumped there at the front.

Same. I remember gointo the 1 in wales. Seeing those colourful dragonflies for the first time. They were everywhere, thousands of them, we called them helicopters. I remember a guy put something round my neck when i was playing streets of rage on the arcade. Remember i blacked out and thought i just pucnched the guy once. Turns out i pasted him in a blind rage and my parents hid me in the corner as staff were looking around for me. Good times haha

Carrion Rodts

It's all a past time now really since the modern day is aimed at staying at home, i miss the days of lazer quest, fun bay 1 and even the cinema

You are welcome yes it's a shame but investment is coming

@@WalkWithMeTim ah that’s good to know

:-)

It wasn’t even that nice in 2010,but just getting worse.

I used to work on this shithole years ago in one of the restaurants, but I always split int the soup, enjoy it jackasses :D

yes noted

I don't know when you visited Minehead Butlins but I'm 57 and still recall staying there in the summer, with my parents, as a child. I. too, remember the chair lifts, and the monorail that (in my day) used to take a 'figure-of-eight' path above the outdoor pool and paddling pools (the latter with circular cascades), plus an indoor pool with artificial vines and parrots overhead and underwater side windows through which swimmers could be observed from a lounge below! There was also a boating lake, and two real, retired, steam engines near the front boundary. Other amenities included a full-sized cinema, the 'Gaiety Theatre' (with displays for 'baby crying' reports from the nightly patrols), and several bars (including the 'Beachcomber' and the more traditional 'Pig & Whistle'). Funnily enough, I also remember minor things like vacuum-operated, cartoon designed waste bins around the site, machines that dispensed milk cartons from a tilting compartment at the base (a novelty for a child in the days when house deliveries of milk in bottles was the norm), and beautifully maintained rose beds. The Redcoats, too, were immaculately turned out in white trousers and (obviously) red blazers. In fact, everything was extremely well maintained and spotlessly clean. As the saying goes, 'those were the days'. (I'm now returning to my rocking chair to enjoy a Werther's Original and an afternoon nap!!)

I go to the Bognor Regis one and it’s getting worse as well sadly

that's what was great about these parks seeing the similar faces

@@WalkWithMeTim yeah exactly, there’s a few people who work in the fair who’ve been there years too but I don’t recognise any of the redcoats anymore. When I was a kid I knew them every year. I don’t even think they walk around as much as they used to, then again I’m not really looking around for them like I used to

@@rubiemay I hate Bognor one there’s were loads of ants in our room we had to leave early.

@@WalkWithMeTim 100%! The best part for me is going to see some of the redcoats and other staff. I know one who's known me since I was 3 as she'd play with me in the soft play area. I'm now 21 and she still says hello whenever she can.

Same here

I used to work on this shithole years ago in one of the restaurants, but I always split int the soup, enjoy it jackasses :D

lol

As a local I wouldnt call skegness winters unforgiving, we barely get any frost or temperatures below zero, the wind isn't as bad as it is up north, its just a case of negligence on the owners part, the paint is horrible the amusement rides shappy and the walls dreary it can't be justified by its location or scale.

@@Azorek-zb2lc erm, what’s Skegness’ motto again? Skegness is so bracing. Given due to the fact it gets hit with cold northerly winds!

@@Azorek-zb2lc as a local myself I would call them quite chilly myself. I feel like as a polish man you would probably be more built for the cold than I however

@@gl00wwyy-95 no way its you!

@@Azorek-zb2lc who would have known

The fair is getting a revamp but not good on the dodgem sitting like that

wow, you should have said hello! good to hear John

Kinda sounds like you work for butlins if not you should work in their complaints department 😂

I used to work on this shithole years ago in one of the restaurants, but I always split int the soup, enjoy it jackasses :D

wow I look forward to returning :-)

@@WalkWithMeTim yeah we will be going back, fingers crossed I'll bump into you. ' : )

Thanks for posting this! This video put me off booking but might wait a few months before booking x

I used to work on this shithole years ago in one of the restaurants, but I always split int the soup, enjoy it jackasses :D

:-)

thanks, Christine

you are welcome thanks for watching

agree

HOW much? !!!!! 😳 lol, I'd rather have a week in a tent!

noted

Went there 2 weeks ago,it's AWESOME

Very new my dad fitted the carpets in them

@@adamaston1460 I remember they were really nice when they first opened. Nothing like you'd expect from Butlins. Really high quality finish inside and out. Shocking to see them in this state

@@moneyprofessional yes mate especially what was there before my nan and grandad used to clean the old ones they were contracted the new 1s made it look so much better I can’t believe how bad they are now my friends still work there

yes agree the wood will be next on most of them

Interesting!

I went there in about 1960. Great memories.

was it not good?

@@WalkWithMeTim unfortunately not, there’s a lot of behind the scenes that is unknown to guests

@sammy the bass you would be correct

@@clyth41 not really, just tell a truthful account of what it’s like 👍

@@TheeDumpSquad Enlighten us, how boging was it?

Who would put their staff in accommodation like this! Shocking place is a dump

Alot different

I remember the movie theatre. Watched fly away home there.

Not sure how much you paid for your Butlins trip, but I have just got back from a 7 night Butlins trip and the cost was only £740 in a seaside apartment. A gold caravan from haven is £1419. You must be getting a big discount.

I hear they are upgrading the fair

@@WalkWithMeTim I really hope they do.

Thats the issue, most of the european staff went home in the first lockdown & stayed there, all the ents team had to muck in when they reopened, that was on top of their contracted work.

Pay people a decent wage and they might get people to work there

The truth is there are plenty of unemployed single English people who believe cleaning work is beneath them. I've worked in plenty of low paid jobs. I've always found it preferable to staying at home and vegetating all-day.

don't think its that bad lol

@@WalkWithMeTim I do have a tendency to exaggerate from time to time. It's a shame seeing it look like it does though. Seems like it wouldn't take too much work to restore the place to its former glory.

thanks Steve

love hearing these stories

make sense now thanks

😎

Thanks for the info

You forgot to include the tax, electric, water, gas the other staff etc. £12m is peanuts. Especially if a few painters and cleaners cost £300k.

Tbh that sounds like 300k they don’t have. Basic operating costs alone like gas heating etc for all those buildings must be well into the millions. Also 30k a year you wouldn’t get much of a decorator tbh. Definitely more they could do, hire a maintenance man a couple days a week or something but it must be hard to make any money from these places these days.

yes and when u pay a lot of money

well i can tell you with 100% honest truth i have worked at many butlins as an installer of coldrooms and it is disgusting out the back where food is cooked and the state of the back of house. If you think out front is bad you should see out where "all the magic happens lol". Its vile

lets hope so

I know they are doing some work

@@joshSpencerUK I agree with you there mate I just came back from there last wicked I had a great time cudnt ask for more for the kids the shows was good same as the food I am a butlins fan

yes its very expensive

yikes

thanks Simon

agree