"On the school run this morning, my three children and I were talking about images and experiences that give us the butterflies in the stomach feeling. My daughter said - "When we are driving down to Butlins in the summer holidays, we come to a sign near or past Watchet which says..BUTLINS and my stomach does somersaults". I loved it when she said that because I remember when my parents used to take my brother and I down to Minehead Butlins and when we saw that sign we used to scream in the car.."LOOK BUTLINS YEAHHHHHHHHH!!". My stomach was also doing somersaults. My father said it would bring tears of happiness to their eyes at our joy. It makes me cry as we pass that sign and I say.."look kiddies we are nearly there!"
I always say a huge thank you in my mind to Billy Butlin for creating such a fantastic place, a magical land of such fun and happiness. However much Butlins has had to change with the times it will always have the foundations of the glorious yesteryears - the warmth and sharing of a truly fabulous holiday experience to carry through to the next generations.
I do remember that there seemed to be flags swaying in the breeze on top of the front entrance building. If I'm not dreaming this image - it would be nice to see that as I think it resembled a sort of heyday feel. Butlins still retains a heyday and that should be shown with pride. Get those flags back up - if they were ever there in the first place that is!!!
One last thing - Am I too old to be a redcoat?"
Liz is correct, of course, there did used to be a row of flags along the front of each camp, a few of the ones which were at Minehead can be seen in this postcard.