Memories of Working at Mosney in 1968 by Rita Higgins Back

I worked in Butlins Mosney in the beautiful summer of 1968 (a lifetime ago). The morning tune was "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. Every morning I would walk through the lovely rose filled gardens listening to this tune on my way to the dining room where I served the porridge or cornflakes to the waitresses who in turn served them to the campers. The lunch and dinner menus, of course, served lovely sweets which were put together by the pudding chef John Bird and his assistant Jackie. Jackie and his fiancee Mary, who was a waitress in the camp, were married in the the Butlins church that summer and had their reception in the grill restuarant. It was my job to cut up the cake into portions and wrap it in tin foil for the guests. It was a wonderful camp, very clean and everyone always seemed to be in a good mood.

I had gone to the camp with my friend Mary who lived near me in Finglas. When we arrived at the camp we just knew it would be great and we made some good friends. The entertainment was first class. Danny Cummins was a regular each week in Dan Lowery's. The Royalettes were fantastic on the Old time Music Nights. Each night in the Ballroom the last tune to be played was "I had the last Dance with you" by Englebert Humperdick. I could go on forever about the three months spent in Mosney. The memories will never leave me. I am 64 now but I will never forget that year in Mosney when I was 23 and had a great life ahead of me. There are so many people who I have never seen again since then, ie Richard who drove the van around the camp, A couple of redcoats who were headcases and were going to be doctors (they did the summer season to earn pocket money), Mary and Jackie, John Bird and so many staff whose names I cannot remember now, and of course all the lovely campers who arrived each week off the train from the four corners of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Unfortunatly you cannot turn back time but if I could I would turn it back to 1968 and pop down to Mosney Ireland for the summer season. Thank you Butlins for these great memories

Rita Higgins ( maiden name)