A Personal Account of Skegness by Vicki Back

We went as a family to Butlins Skegness in the 70s - I remember it as if it were yesterday. My sister and I thought it was amazing as it was the only time we had any proper freedom because the camp was safe and you couldn't escape. We used to stay in the self catering chalets which were over the other side of the road, you needed a pass to get through the tunnel. We would spend the day on the Roller Skating or on the fair. We thought the fair was amazing because it was Free!!! I remember being on the race Horse ride at the far end of the fair and going on over and over again until I felt ill. We used to travel around on the Monorail this was fantastic we thought it was amazing it took you all over the site and it was high up so you could see everything. I also remember the Chairlifts for some reason the chairlifts didn't last much longer after that year? I remember my mum being terrified of heights and clinging to the sides of the carriage.

We would spend most evenings in the Princess ballroom with the Red Coats doing silly games and dancing. We also used to go into a pub which was like a jungle I cant remember the name now but I know the next year we went it had burnt down! We made lots of new friends mainly from Nottingham and Leicester Area but one particular friend I made was Tanya from Sheffield, see photo below - we spent a lot of time together on holiday with our families and would meet up the next year, I have lost touch with her now which is really sad as I would love to see her again. That's her in the fetching Red suit!

Everyone was so friendly and happy it seems like those types of holidays don't exist any more and in August we had hot weather imagine that!

We did take our son to Butlins for the day a couple of years ago and although the set up was the same it didn't have the same feel it did when we were children, it was all fast food restaurants and ways to get more and more money from families which is a shame. I believe the heyday of Butlins was the 60s and 70s, if only we could get those times back again!