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09-12-03, 10:16 AM
Pushbutton
Imagine - not only are you at BUTLINS, the best place in the entire world bar none (obviously), but it's also CHRISTMAS, the best time in the world bar none!
Never had the privilege myself but I'm sure someone out there did.
If you went to Butlins at Christmas please tell us all about it!
09-12-03, 09:08 PM
Jules
Went to Pwhelli in 1990 for the between Xmas and New Year Break, with my two wee boys. It rained and rained for the entire time we were there, and part of the camp flooded, actually one of the lines we were staying in, but we had a great, great time .... thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
10-12-03, 07:47 PM
Angelbabe
We spent christmas at skeggy last year and it was very good. The only problem we all were suffering with the stomach bug that was going about at the time.
Although it was very christmassy and we love butlins dearly we didnt feel that being at butlins for christmas had the same magic as been at home.
There was only a limited amount of redcoats on duty that break. Which is understandable they want to spend christmas with their families, We sadly wont do another christmas. I think the best break we ever had at butlins was the firework weekend we had an amazing time
10-12-03, 08:03 PM
Kerry
id love xmas at butlins but i dont think it would really feel like xmas bcoz u aint got family or home comforts to celebrate xmas propery
13-12-03, 11:03 AM
gabbo
I spent two christmas's at Butlins. one in 1990 when i worked in Minehead. Waking up on a cold christmas morning in a delapadated flatlet and then having to go to work, Chritmas lunch in the staff canteen...the worse christmas i ever had.
The second was in 1998 when we went back to minehead with my kids. It was the weekend before Christmas, It poured down the whole time, there was only about 500 campers, and we had a FANTASTIC time.
Thouroughly recomend it to anyone
25-04-04, 05:03 PM
Angel84
My mum always wanted to go away to Butlins for christmas when we were younger but we never wanted to (its the only time we would EVER say no to a Butlins holiday!) For me the magic of christmas is at home. I have been to Butlins for New Year though- and it was fantastic!
25-04-04, 08:27 PM
Rainbow
think i worked 3 xmas at skegness, definatly did 95 and think 96 and 97, it wasnt to bad being away from family as we were with friends we had worked with all summer long, the only problem working xmas was skegness was freezing, and we still had the same uniforms that we wore all summer, remember trying to walk from roman village to the otherside in the snow and red high heels, gave up in the end and put my trainers on to walk over.
07-05-04, 10:18 PM
Jintygirl
Sorry to bring back this thread in May, but I'm still catching up!
Went to Bognor, Christmas just gone - it was brilliant. I mean how many people can say that they went swimming on Christmas Day??? We had a severe financial problem - a direct debit I wasn't expecting swallowed most of our spending money on our second day! And I don't possess a credit card! This could have meant disaster, but we still had a great time - just made the most of what's still free! (And also did a VERY careful shop in Bognor - this included a cut price mini real Christmas tree (which we brought back - it's thriving on the balcony as I write!) and cut price mini decorations - we put this in the window and it looked lovely with our presents round it!) Of course we wouldn't have HAD a window if we hadn't been upgraded - the downside of that was no bath and a v. dodgy shower instead which drenched the bathroom whenever you used it!
My daughter spent a lot of time at the funfair, although of course some rides had to shut when it rained. (My daughter just pointed out that half the time the attendants DIDN'T shut rides when they probably should have done - more power to their elbows!) And, of course, as mentioned, many visits to Splash. As I've also mentioned elsewhere, my son was only 13 months at the time, so couldn't go on all the Noddy rides (he actually fell over on the lady bird ride, strapped in, so spent the whole ride looking at the roof of the skyline lol!) But loved the car ride. Was disappointed that not everything was geared towards Christmas - the Noddy show was still about a summer fete!
We'd gone half board, so that sorted most of the food, which wasn't at all bad, especially Christmas lunch itself AND NO WASHING-UP and we were able to swipe butter and jam to supplement our meagre lunches (and the odd bottle of perry, thanks to our wonderful waiter)!
We also had a bit of luck - I made sure that my daughter still had some spending money and she won one of those MASSIVE teddy bears on the 'pick a bag' thing - only of course we'd gone by train - we got some great looks walking back through Bognor to the station on leaving day - the three of us with me pushing the buggy with a suitcase and large black bag including a Christmas Tree balanced on it and my daughter carrying that massive bear!! (So many people said 'So you CAN win them, then') My daughter is also rather handy with grab machines - on the first day she won her brother a sizeable Noddy doll - when I took him to the nursery for my free one and a half hour's peace (we're still using the calendar he 'made' that evening) a member of the nursery staff said a colleague of hers had spent pounds trying to win one! She grabbed a small Tigger that day too!
We unfortunately missed most of the Pantomime (oh no we didn't) as son was asleep and daughter wasn't bothered, but I caught a bit of it once son was awake and before he started creating merry hell at being strapped into his buggy.
Though he enjoyed meeting Father Christmas - and I thought the presents weren't bad - and we all enjoyed the Christmas Parade, particularly as it went past our chalet, followed by an excellent fireworks display.
I met some lovely people - on the first evening when I still had some money (!) I met a fantastic Welsh couple in the Swinging Shillelagh. Our neighbours in the dining hall were lovely too - a Dad just with his daughter, who made friends with my daughter, so they had fun in Reds every evening, while I took (free) walks with the buggy either along the seafront or up to the boating lake and back! And then took advantage of the tv in my chalet! I did catch some of the entertainment, when I felt like sitting in Centre Stage with a glass of water and a roll-up! And we enjoyed the Skyline stuff I thought they'd stopped doing - where they're all wearing the different coloured costumes - I surprisingly remembered a lot of the words! I know these memories are only 4 months old, but I'd forgotten how good it was!
Yes, there were things I would have preferred to be how they once were - particularly the non-working boating lake and the lack of table tennis, but I enjoyed wallowing in nostalgia (the map on the outside wall of the old reception building was a few years out of date and I was able to spot where some things are - didn't have the money to use the internet place they've opened, to log on here! And there were enough free things to make up for being skint!
But I would go again for Christmas. Since I lost my Dad it's not quite the same at home anyway, and he was the one who took me to Butlin's, so I felt more at home at Bognor!
Sorry if I've gone on a bit here but now I've typed it all, I'm a bit loathe not to post it!
07-05-04, 10:37 PM
Anonymous
Went to Butlins hotels two or three times for pre-Xmas Turkey & Tinsel breaks.
The atmosphere was amazing - Xmas decorations everywhere, party hats and crackers on the tables, Xmas dinner, waiters in fancy dress etc. It was like having Xmas day twice in a year when we had these breaks.
Plus the Butlins hotels were always super-heated. So even in Llandudno and Margate when the wind was so cold it froze your eyeballs when you went outside, it was always snug and warm in the hotel.
Also the rooms were quite smart, in the days before they had really started doing up the chalets inside in the camps.
They probably had more redcoats manning the hotel back then han in a regular Butlins centre these days!
Keith
08-05-04, 06:40 AM
Butlinsbadge
Went one new year accomadation Blo*dy Cold​
Pushbutton
Imagine - not only are you at BUTLINS, the best place in the entire world bar none (obviously), but it's also CHRISTMAS, the best time in the world bar none!
Never had the privilege myself but I'm sure someone out there did.
If you went to Butlins at Christmas please tell us all about it!
09-12-03, 09:08 PM
Jules
Went to Pwhelli in 1990 for the between Xmas and New Year Break, with my two wee boys. It rained and rained for the entire time we were there, and part of the camp flooded, actually one of the lines we were staying in, but we had a great, great time .... thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
10-12-03, 07:47 PM
Angelbabe
We spent christmas at skeggy last year and it was very good. The only problem we all were suffering with the stomach bug that was going about at the time.
Although it was very christmassy and we love butlins dearly we didnt feel that being at butlins for christmas had the same magic as been at home.
There was only a limited amount of redcoats on duty that break. Which is understandable they want to spend christmas with their families, We sadly wont do another christmas. I think the best break we ever had at butlins was the firework weekend we had an amazing time
10-12-03, 08:03 PM
Kerry
id love xmas at butlins but i dont think it would really feel like xmas bcoz u aint got family or home comforts to celebrate xmas propery
13-12-03, 11:03 AM
gabbo
I spent two christmas's at Butlins. one in 1990 when i worked in Minehead. Waking up on a cold christmas morning in a delapadated flatlet and then having to go to work, Chritmas lunch in the staff canteen...the worse christmas i ever had.
The second was in 1998 when we went back to minehead with my kids. It was the weekend before Christmas, It poured down the whole time, there was only about 500 campers, and we had a FANTASTIC time.
Thouroughly recomend it to anyone
25-04-04, 05:03 PM
Angel84
My mum always wanted to go away to Butlins for christmas when we were younger but we never wanted to (its the only time we would EVER say no to a Butlins holiday!) For me the magic of christmas is at home. I have been to Butlins for New Year though- and it was fantastic!
25-04-04, 08:27 PM
Rainbow
think i worked 3 xmas at skegness, definatly did 95 and think 96 and 97, it wasnt to bad being away from family as we were with friends we had worked with all summer long, the only problem working xmas was skegness was freezing, and we still had the same uniforms that we wore all summer, remember trying to walk from roman village to the otherside in the snow and red high heels, gave up in the end and put my trainers on to walk over.
07-05-04, 10:18 PM
Jintygirl
Sorry to bring back this thread in May, but I'm still catching up!
Went to Bognor, Christmas just gone - it was brilliant. I mean how many people can say that they went swimming on Christmas Day??? We had a severe financial problem - a direct debit I wasn't expecting swallowed most of our spending money on our second day! And I don't possess a credit card! This could have meant disaster, but we still had a great time - just made the most of what's still free! (And also did a VERY careful shop in Bognor - this included a cut price mini real Christmas tree (which we brought back - it's thriving on the balcony as I write!) and cut price mini decorations - we put this in the window and it looked lovely with our presents round it!) Of course we wouldn't have HAD a window if we hadn't been upgraded - the downside of that was no bath and a v. dodgy shower instead which drenched the bathroom whenever you used it!
My daughter spent a lot of time at the funfair, although of course some rides had to shut when it rained. (My daughter just pointed out that half the time the attendants DIDN'T shut rides when they probably should have done - more power to their elbows!) And, of course, as mentioned, many visits to Splash. As I've also mentioned elsewhere, my son was only 13 months at the time, so couldn't go on all the Noddy rides (he actually fell over on the lady bird ride, strapped in, so spent the whole ride looking at the roof of the skyline lol!) But loved the car ride. Was disappointed that not everything was geared towards Christmas - the Noddy show was still about a summer fete!
We'd gone half board, so that sorted most of the food, which wasn't at all bad, especially Christmas lunch itself AND NO WASHING-UP and we were able to swipe butter and jam to supplement our meagre lunches (and the odd bottle of perry, thanks to our wonderful waiter)!
We also had a bit of luck - I made sure that my daughter still had some spending money and she won one of those MASSIVE teddy bears on the 'pick a bag' thing - only of course we'd gone by train - we got some great looks walking back through Bognor to the station on leaving day - the three of us with me pushing the buggy with a suitcase and large black bag including a Christmas Tree balanced on it and my daughter carrying that massive bear!! (So many people said 'So you CAN win them, then') My daughter is also rather handy with grab machines - on the first day she won her brother a sizeable Noddy doll - when I took him to the nursery for my free one and a half hour's peace (we're still using the calendar he 'made' that evening) a member of the nursery staff said a colleague of hers had spent pounds trying to win one! She grabbed a small Tigger that day too!
We unfortunately missed most of the Pantomime (oh no we didn't) as son was asleep and daughter wasn't bothered, but I caught a bit of it once son was awake and before he started creating merry hell at being strapped into his buggy.
Though he enjoyed meeting Father Christmas - and I thought the presents weren't bad - and we all enjoyed the Christmas Parade, particularly as it went past our chalet, followed by an excellent fireworks display.
I met some lovely people - on the first evening when I still had some money (!) I met a fantastic Welsh couple in the Swinging Shillelagh. Our neighbours in the dining hall were lovely too - a Dad just with his daughter, who made friends with my daughter, so they had fun in Reds every evening, while I took (free) walks with the buggy either along the seafront or up to the boating lake and back! And then took advantage of the tv in my chalet! I did catch some of the entertainment, when I felt like sitting in Centre Stage with a glass of water and a roll-up! And we enjoyed the Skyline stuff I thought they'd stopped doing - where they're all wearing the different coloured costumes - I surprisingly remembered a lot of the words! I know these memories are only 4 months old, but I'd forgotten how good it was!
Yes, there were things I would have preferred to be how they once were - particularly the non-working boating lake and the lack of table tennis, but I enjoyed wallowing in nostalgia (the map on the outside wall of the old reception building was a few years out of date and I was able to spot where some things are - didn't have the money to use the internet place they've opened, to log on here! And there were enough free things to make up for being skint!
But I would go again for Christmas. Since I lost my Dad it's not quite the same at home anyway, and he was the one who took me to Butlin's, so I felt more at home at Bognor!
Sorry if I've gone on a bit here but now I've typed it all, I'm a bit loathe not to post it!
07-05-04, 10:37 PM
Anonymous
Went to Butlins hotels two or three times for pre-Xmas Turkey & Tinsel breaks.
The atmosphere was amazing - Xmas decorations everywhere, party hats and crackers on the tables, Xmas dinner, waiters in fancy dress etc. It was like having Xmas day twice in a year when we had these breaks.
Plus the Butlins hotels were always super-heated. So even in Llandudno and Margate when the wind was so cold it froze your eyeballs when you went outside, it was always snug and warm in the hotel.
Also the rooms were quite smart, in the days before they had really started doing up the chalets inside in the camps.
They probably had more redcoats manning the hotel back then han in a regular Butlins centre these days!
Keith
08-05-04, 06:40 AM
Butlinsbadge
Went one new year accomadation Blo*dy Cold​