The Great British Seaside Holiday is under threat. Or more specifically, Pontins is, with the holiday park company announcing the closure of its Southport site just hours after hosting a New Year’s Eve party. A few weeks ago, the company’s Camber Sands and Prestatyn parks were also permanently closed. These events mark a dismal exit for the once thriving British holiday icon, which in its heyday boasted 30 parks across the country. Now only two are in use.
Founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin, a stockbroker turned entrepreneur, Pontins offered smaller and often cheaper alternatives to its rival Butlins. The first camp was a converted US army base at Brean Sands in Somerset; within a decade, locations would spring up everywhere from Brixham in Devon to Blackpool in Lancashire.
Pontins became synonymous with the classic British seaside holiday: bracing weather, bare cabins and lively entertainment provided by “Bluecoats”. For many families, the company provided a rare, reasonably priced opportunity to get away from it all. It also launched the careers of many British light entertainers, including Bradley Walsh, Shane Richie, Brian Conley, Dave Benson Phillips and Lee Mack.
After the heyday of the sixties and seventies came the decline. Pontins was sold to Coral, the gambling conglomerate. Further sell-offs and mergers followed, before it was rescued from administration by Britannia Hotels in 2011. A modernization plan was implemented, but apparently this was not enough. It seems we’d rather spend our money on cheap flights to the Mediterranean or staying at fancy campsites than on the company’s kitschy seaside holiday parks (see below).
Despite many positive reviews on TripAdvisor (particularly about Pontins staff), criticism of the Camber Sands site in the months before its closure was scathing. One punter described the park as “prisoner of war camps in old movies”. Another wrote: “This is the worst caravan we have ever stayed in and we will never return.”
And it seems the headache hasn’t completely gone away, as locals describe their confusion and concern over how the parks will be repurposed, with some fearing they will be used to house asylum seekers (a theory that the Ministry of the Interior has denied). It’s all quite shameful for such a long-standing and once successful British company.
Now that the future of Pontins is uncertain, we would like to hear your memories of the holiday parks. Perhaps you visited as a child, or recently with your own children? Were you happy with the retro entertainment, or did you long for something more modern? If you’ve been more than once, how has the brand changed? Leave your comments below.
Pontins on the edge: where 21st century Brits spend their holidays instead
Butlins
The seaside resorts predate Pontins by a decade and were operated in a similar manner for most of the 20th century. Now Butlins has undergone a hip rebranding. No longer a vision of cold chalets and knobbly knees, the resorts at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness have been refreshed and significantly more expensive. However, its family-friendly origins have not been abandoned. Mid-day activities include Peppa Pig-themed live shows and performances by Stephen Mulhern.
How to do that: A three-night stay at Butlins Minehead during the May half term (May 24-27) starts at £257 for two adults and two children (or £64.25 pp).
Premier Inn
The hotel giant has become the best of the bunch when it comes to budget stays. It is regularly praised for its clean, accessible and reasonably priced rooms. Flexibility is also key, with the easy check-in and simple decor regularly cited by superfans. Meanwhile, ‘bean barrier’ plates, designed to stop breakfast seepage, have a cult following.
How to do that: A three-night stay at the York City Premier Inn, from May 24 to 27, starts from £408 for two adults and two children (or £102pp).
Hipcamp
Camping holidays are back. It’s been a golden few years for under-canvas holidays, with booking sites reportedly busier than ever. Childhood memories of fathers trying to light a fire in the pouring rain are forgotten, and Brits are heading out, armed with gas heaters and blow-up mattresses, to sleep in the great outdoors. In fact, campsites now routinely sell out all summer long, so it pays to organize and reserve a campsite well in advance.
How to do that: Hipcamp, as the name suggests, lists some of the cooler locations in Britain. A stay from May 24 to 27 at Dernwood Farm, in Waldron, East Sussex, starts at £120 for two adults and two children (or £30pp).
Canopy and stars
Perhaps the prospect of arriving at an empty field, with kids and equipment in tow, is quite daunting. Instead, head to Canopy and Stars for quirky glamping options in Britain. You’ll get bonus points from the kids if you choose a treehouse or yurt, and many properties also have hot tubs – great for once they’ve gone to bed.
How to do that: The Just Sheared “safari bungalow”, at Drover’s Rest in Herefordshire, is both luxurious and outdoorsy. Equipped with wood-burning stoves, outdoor barbecue sets and plenty of farm animals, it is the ideal place for an unforgettable family holiday. Stays between May 24 and 27 start at £660 (or £165pp).
Costa del Sol
The point is that a British break is no longer the savior it once was. Pontins and co were once a necessity, but the advent of budget airlines – and cheap packages – means the Costa del Sol has been one of the most cost-effective ways to holiday for decades.
How to do that: If you’re traveling with Jet2, a stay from May 24 to 31 at the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm starts from £2,716 (£679 pp). The price includes return flights, coach transfers, four carry-on bags and four checked bags, plus breakfast.