Butlins Newspaper
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Butlins Newspaper
SEPTEMBER 2015 butlins.com 0330 100 9736 facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins News | competitions | entertainment | REPORTS | interviews Make yourself at home See the #summerofbutlins Save 25% on your 2016 break See pages 2 & 3 See page 8 See page 15 80 Delightful Years N ext year, Butlin’s will be celebrating its 80th birthday. What a party that’s going to be! To get in the mood, we caught up with Butlin’s archivist Roger Billington for a look back over our fascinating, fun-filled past. Time travel “The Butlin’s archive is the closest thing you’ll get to time travel,” says Roger. “It’s a window into the social history of the nation.” As well as original Redcoat outfits, brochures, busts of Billy Butlin, there are thousands of handwrien postcards from guests – each with their own individual story. Incredible And if he had to pick out one item? “One of the most interesting items I’ve found is an Ordnance Survey map from the second World War. Skegness resort was a naval base at the time and was bombed by the Germans. This map shows their exact flight path and the bombing sites. It’s an incredible thing to look at.” Looking forward To help preserve this important archive, we’ve teamed up with the History of Advertising Trust. As Roger explains: “We hope that for our 80th we’ll be able to showcase some of these wonderful artefacts. Looking further forward, this archive will help us keep this great British brand alive and stay true to Billy’s original idea in 1936 – a great break for every family.” Roger Billington Butlin’s Archivist Original Butlin’s artwork c1952 NEWS NEWS West Lakes Chalets, Butlin’s Minehead Billy Butlin at Butlin’s Minehead in 19xx Make yourself at home 3 SPECIAL PLACES TO STAY IN BUTLIN’S TODAY A PERFECT PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO RELAX AND HAVE FUN We all know the best places to stay are the ones where you feel most at home. That’s the thinking behind three exciting new developments at Butlin’s - the return of the Chalet, the Shoreline Hotel and our Seaside Apartments. 2 Space to relax Mumsnet approved In light of our 80th birthday next year, we asked Alicia Coghlan, Head of Accommodation Development, how Butlin’s accommodation has changed over the years: “Our guests’ expectations have changed massively, as well as fashions in interior design! One of the most striking new features is lots more space for families to relax together. You can really see this in our new Chalet village at Minehead and the latest Seaside Apartments.” To make sure our latest accommodation really does meet the needs of modern families, we’ve consulted experts. “We’ve worked closely with people like Mumsnet,” says Alicia. “They told us families want open plan living areas, board games, village greens, lovely views... somewhere they can unwind together.” Watch this space Butlin’s accommodation has come a long way since Billy Butlin’s day. But we still have some big plans in the pipeline. As Alicia says, “Watch this space!” Shoreline Hotel, Butlin’s Bognor Regis Lakeside Chalets, Butlin’s Minehead Adventures ahoy! The return of the Chalet Built around lakes and landscaped gardens, our new chalet village at Butlin’s Minehead has open plan living areas and lots of space to play outside too. facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins Taking inspiration from the sea, the newly refurbished Shoreline Hotel in Bognor Regis has been designed to let young imaginations run wild. youtube.com/butlins Seaside Apartments, Butlin’s Skegness Perfectly placed Seaside Apartments Our new Seaside Apartments in Skegness are great for lile legs, being situated just a short stroll away from Splash Waterworld, Skyline pavilion and the seaside. instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 3 NEWS NEWS DREAM. BELIEVE. ACHIEVE. Showstopping entertainment back for next year Diversity are back for 2016! We loved having Diversity with us in 2015 and so did all of you who came to see and dance with them. So we’re delighted the boys will be back in 2016 with a new live show and hugely popular dance academy. This year Diversity’s academies have been packed with the new generation of budding dancers. Ashley Banjo told us “Being able to teach and pass on our dance knowledge through these academies is incredible. We want to bring kids out of themselves and leave with an increased level of confidence.” LYNDSAY from Macclesfield on Tripadvisor.com During each academy session, the group is split into two groups so everyone gets more personal tuition from a member of Diversity. The guys make sure they move around the groups so everyone gets to meet and dance with all members of the dance troupe*. Aer spending 90 minutes learning a specially created routine, the group gets to perform it back to Diversity and their parents. One aendee told us “it was amazing to get to meet and perform with the boys from Diversity – it felt really special to perform in front of my family”. Another fan summed up his experience by saying it was a “wish come true”. “My family booked on the `Diversity weekend which was…definitely a weekend to remember [with] the boys dancing with their idols. My older son is a dancer and he said it was the best day of his life.” Climb aboard Aladdin’s magic carpet in our spectacular rock pantomime. LET US ENTERTAIN YOU Diversity breaks at Butlin’s from £79pp. To find out more about Diversity academies, visit butlins.com/diversity *Due to TV commitments, we can’t guarantee which members of diversity will appear on each Ashley Banjo at Butlin’s break. 4 Aladdin Rocks ON EVERY BREAK Diversity Academy at Butlin’s This is Us Celebrate the music of One Direction with our show ‘This is Us’ featuring all your favourite 1D tunes. Silent Cinema ON EVERY BREAK Pop your headphones on and become engrossed in a cinema experience like no other. Three things you might not know about our glorious entertainment heritage: Butlin’s has always been the home of top class family entertainment. That’s as true today as it always has been. In the early days, guests packed into our 3,000 seat Gaiety Theatres to enjoy West End shows, celebrity appearances and variety performances... Just the kind of shows people like to see now! facebook.com/butlins ON EVERY BREAK twier.com/butlins 1 The Gaiety Theatre was home to many famous faces, with comedians such as Bruce Forsyth, Frankie Howerd and Benny Hill all taking to the stage. And a certain Ringo Starr played three seasons at Butlin’s before joining The Beatles. 2 The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the opening of Butlin’s Pwllheli to packed crowds of classical music lovers, while the International Ballet Company graced the Butlin’s theatres on their tour. 3 The first professional performers at Butlin’s were magicians and ventriloquists, who wowed audiences with their illusions and tricks. youtube.com/butlins instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 5 feature feature ‘Just for Tots’ breaks at Butlin’s The Astonishing Family Science weekend at Butlin’s Keeping lile ones inspired Fusing science with fun! We’re on a mission to inspire the next generation of scientists who want to learn and experience more, as we help them understand that science is part of everyday life and not something that’s just reserved for lab coats and goggles! We talked to Adrian Fenton, Head of Education at the British Science Association, to find out how important it We’re fusing science with all the fun and entertainment that you’d expect from a Butlin’s break: our famous Splash Waterworld, traditional Fairground fun and modern family accommodation, all in one place beside the seaside! Astonishing Family Science weekend breaks from £60pp. Original production shot. London 2013. www.booments.com UPCOMING SCIENCE WEEKEND BREAKS SKEGNESS “Celebrating science at Butlin’s is the perfect opportunity for young people to discover the fun, relevance and excitement in exploring science. It’s a great example of the British Science Association’s vision; showing how science is a huge part of society and culture. Billy Butlin brought the dodgems to the UK in 1923 – and there can’t be more of an iconic funfair ride that shows how applying science can be enjoyable!” MINEHEAD The Science Museum, Aardman and Braniac (amongst many others) share our passion for inspiring young people and they’ll be coming along to our brand new Astonishing Family Science Weekend to run workshops where children can experience science in an interactive and engaging way that doesn’t feel like learning. Our ‘Just for Tots’ breaks are centred on keeping lile ones inspired, entertained and engaged – from breakfast to bedtime stories, each activity has been created with under fives in mind. But don’t just take our word for it… is for children to engage with science in a really fun way. BOGNORREGIS Just as Sir Billy Butlin was always keen to aract the biggest and brightest stars of their day, we’ve teamed up with the UK’s best science experts for our brand new break. ANDSCIENCEBREAKS Fri 18 September 2015 3 nts Fri 15 April 2016 3 nts Fri 10 June 2016 3 nts Fri 16 September 2016 3 nts © Aardman Animations Ltd 2015 Splash Waterworld Working closely with Mums, we’ve seen how important it is to structure days that fit in to lile one’s routines. On a ‘Just for Tots’ break every day has been carefully designed to do just that, with early dining times, ‘drop-in’ style activity sessions and repeated entertainment schedules. Our ‘Just for Tots’ breaks are the perfect opportunity for children to learn and try something new, which is why we’ve teamed up with Lile Tikes who are experts in play and learning. We caught up with Dr Maggie Redshaw, Lile Tikes resident play expert, to find out how important play is for children’s development. “Play is important to all of us (no maer how grown up we get), but it’s particularly essential for lile ones as they grow and develop. Being able to play and have fun is really vital if children are to develop happily and meet their full potential. In other words, play is a key element in supporting the development of children into well-rounded, able and effective grown-ups, just like Mum and Dad.” On every break, Lile Tikes Town has a collection of Cozy Coupes for your lile one to roam around on as well as playhouses, slides and trikes. The activities carry on throughout the rest of the break with Play-Doh activity sessions hosted by our team of Redcoats, swimming lessons and a cosy reading corner with Usbourne books to choose from. Lile Tikes Town at Butlin’s Bognor Regis Plan your ‘Just for Tots’ break next year from £52pp. Date Brainiac Science Museum Witness explosions and live experiments with Brainiac’s mischievous presenters as they take you on a trip through their weird and wonderful take on science. The Science Museum are packing their favourite experiments and demos into an explosive live show perfect for all ages. Aardman Aardman’s Animate it! live experience will encourage children to have a go at making their own animated movies. Find out more about the Astonishing Family Science Weekend break at butlins.com/science PLAN YOUR ‘JUST FOR TOTS’ BREAK 2015 Our ‘Just for Tots’ short breaks and perfect if you have lileones under 5. Use our handy planner opposite to book your next break! N.B. Every ‘Just for Tots’ break is 4 nights. 2016 Mon 14 September Mon 21 September Mon 28 September Mon 5 October Mon 2 November Mon 14 December 'Christmas Fantasy' Mon 14 March Mon 21 March Mon 11 April Mon 18 April Mon 2 May Mon 9 May Mon 16 May Mon 6 June Mon 13 June Mon 20 June Bognor Regis Minehead Skegness Splash Waterworld Breaks are also available from September - December 2016. See butlins.com for details. 6 facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins youtube.com/butlins instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 7 SUMMER Summer six weeks of summer, six weeks of memories #SUMMEROFButlins This summer we asked you to capture and share your images of your #summeroutlins and you haven’t disappointed. We dedicated each week to our favourite highlights of summer from the songs that get you moving to the tastes that remind you of summer holidays. We asked you to get involved by sending us your family pictures over six weeks – here’s some of our favourites… The Colours of Summer Join the conversation... Songs of summer JOANNE JAMES NEIL BALSTON AMANDA WHITE Love Skegness Butlin’s. The half board option is fab, always lots of choice even for our fussy 5yr old. Always lots to do and see. The shows are fantastic and the staff are always friendly!! #SummerofButlins We arrived yesterday at Minehead for our summer holiday, the sun might not be shining but that’s not going to stop us having lots of fun at #SummerofButlins #SummerofButlins THE BEST SUMMER EVER 8 GREAT BRITISH SUMMER The great outdoors THE TASTE OF SUMMER MARIA MEAGER CLAIRE KEMPSTER REENIE BOBS #SummerofButlins all of the family’s favourite place to go, we had the best time at Bognor Regis Butlin’s and we all cannot wait to come back. This is my son Jake, who loves swimming at Butlin’s and had fun waving hello at the photographer under the water. #SummerofButlins My 5 year old son on Minehead beach early this summer! Such an amazing holiday destination! We love Butlin’s xxxx #SummerofButlins a true blue sky, a giant ice cream, rainbow the dog and the best holiday ever! Thanks Skegness! See you next year! facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins youtube.com/butlins instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 9 You say you say So many things to do and see Over the past three years we’ve continued to develop each of our seaside resorts, from a new Splash Waterworld at Skegness to a new Fairground at Minehead. Just like Billy, we love to hear what our guests have to say about our new activities and entertainment… ‘The Fairground was brilliant and we thoroughly enjoyed the rides especially the Waltzers – my 6 year old Granddaughter was so pleased she was the height to go on them!’ Fairground Butlin’s Minehead SUSYSY Eat together, eat well A lot has changed since the dining halls of Butlin’s early days but one thing has remained the same – we’ve always believed that families should eat well, and eat together. Our new restaurants like The Diner and Firehouse are designed with those same values but for today’s family. Here’s what you had to say… ‘The Diner was our favourite place to eat. The top dog is certainly a challenge to eat! Try it, I dare you!’ Firehouse Butlin’s Skegness LEEV Tripadvisor Tripadvisor FAIRGROUNDATMINEHEAD THEDINERATBOGNOR REGISANDMINEHEAD Fairground Butlin’s Minehead ‘The Fairground, playgrounds and other activities were all great. We spent a lot of time in the Lile Stars Fairground and they were always clean, tidy and had really friendly staff.’ ‘We have two children aged 2 and 7 and found loads of activities for both…the Fairground was excellent and really well supervised.’ FINDYL Tripadvisor ‘@Butlins loving the singing waitresses and waiters in the diner at Bognor Regis. Made a bunch of kids very very happy.’ ‘@Butlins just had an amazing meal at the Firehouse Grill. Lovely staff, food and the venue – by far the best place we’ve eaten in a long time #bestfood’ LUCYBURNAGE Twier CERIMIDDLETON LEEV Twier Tripadvisor Splash Waterworld Butlin’s Skegness SPLASHWATERWORLD ATSKEGNESS The Diner Butlin’s Bognor Regis Splash Waterworld Butlin’s Skegness THEFIREHOUSEAT MINEHEADANDSKEGNESS ‘We spent a lot of time in Splash Waterworld with no problems at all and no queues. We loved the River Rapids. It’s great - kids and adults feel very safe, you can just let yourself go and enjoy the adrenaline!’ ‘The service at Firehouse was excellent, and the food was good quality and tasty with decent vegetarian options.’ PAULOVANK The Diner Butlin’s Minehead Tripadvisor YMCHOCOLATEMMM Firehouse Butlin’s Minehead Tripadvisor N O OW PE N Splash Waterworld Butlin’s Skegness ‘One of the best things for us was Splash Waterworld! This is fabulous and so much fun for the whole family with loads of slides and pools that you can use.’ ‘Splash Waterworld was great, we loved the fact that we could let the kids play but still have an area to sit around the pool.’ FELICITYMORTON MELJAYHAMER Tripadvisor Tripadvisor 10 BRITISHMADEICE-CREAM ATALLTHREERESORTS facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins youtube.com/butlins instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 11 2015 breaks 2015 breaks Still to come this year... The most wonderful time of the year During the festive period our lile helpers transform our resorts into wonderful winter wonderlands with pantomimes, Christmas themed activities and lots of festive cheer. Frightfully fun Billy’s Show at all resorts Butlin’s 2015 break SKEGNESS All treats and no tricks this October half term Festive breaks start from £69pp MINEHEAD 2015 BREAK PLANNER BOGNORREGIS The fun doesn’t stop aer summer – we’ve got some great family breaks still to come this year. December 11 2015 – 3 January 2016 Festive Live Show at all resorts TERM-TIME 23 October – 2 November 2015 Calling all guys and ghouls – we have some fiendishly good goings on planned for this October half term. Our shows and activities get a Halloween makeover - create a spooky masterpiece in our pumpkin carving classes, watch out for things that go bump in the night on our trick or treat trail or head to the Skyline Pavilion for a Monster Ball. October half term breaks start from £95pp Term-time breaks September – November 2015 Our autumn term time breaks are perfect for those fortunate enough to get away whilst the big kids are at school. Our resorts may be a lile quieter but we still go all out with a show stopping entertainment and activities program. With both midweek and weekend breaks running until November, you can create some great family memories for a great price. Mon 14 September 4 nts Fri 18 September Science weekend 3 nts Mon 21 September 4 nts Mon 28 September 4 nts Fri 2 October 3 nts Mon 5 October 4 nts Mon 12 October 4 nts Fri 16 October 3 nts Festive breaks perfect for under fives Mon 19 October 4 nts 14 – 18 December Father Christmas at all resorts Frosty’s Snow Dome at all resorts Can you remember how magical Christmas was growing up? Imagine whisking your lile one away to a winter wonderland where everything’s been tailor made for tots. OCTOBERHALFTERM Term-time breaks start from £48pp Fri 23 October 3 nts Mon 26 October 4 nts Mon 30 October Halloween & Fireworks 3 nts ‘Just for Tots’ Christmas Fantasy breaks start from £65pp CHRISTMASFANTASY Fri 11 December 3 nts Mon 14 December Just for Tots 4 nts Fri 18 December 3 nts CHRISTMASANDNEWYEAR West Lakes Chalets, Butlin’s Minehead 12 Weds 23 December 4 nts Sun 27 December 3 nts Weds 30 December 4 nts 7 night breaks also available Festive arts & cras at all resorts facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins youtube.com/butlins instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 13 WWE LIVE ADVERT 2016 Family Family WWE Live at Butlin’s Minehead Arena Dean Ambrose Height: 6’4” Weight: 225 lbs. From: Cincinnati, Ohio Signature Move: Dirty Deeds Career Highlights: United States Champion What made you want to become a WWE Superstar? Is there a particular moment when you realised this was your future? There isn’t a particular moment that I remember thinking, “now I want to be a pro wrestler.” As long as I can remember this is the only thing I saw myself doing. To me I was a WWE Superstar 10 years before I ever got a chance to become one. When I was 11 years old I thought I was a pro wrestler. I just never got a chance to be in the ring. Is there anyone in particular you looked up to, related to or gave you the belief you could be a WWE Superstar? I always had it in my head that I could do this. I never had any doubts that I can’t do this or won’t do this. I knew I would be good at it. I don’t really know why or how I just kind of had a feeling or premonition or knew from a previous life. I always knew I could do it. Is there a moment in particular in your career where you almost had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming? There has been so many of them; staring across the ring at guys like The Undertaker or Roddy Piper or Dusty Rhodes., guys that are legendary cartoon 14 character figures that you read about in the magazines when you were a kid and now you’re standing across the ring from them. It’s so surreal. Just to be on the stage and in the ring live on Monday Night Raw or to be at WrestleMania. It’s funny as it all becomes so regular. Now it’s my daily life. I’m given a chance to perform in front of the WWE Universe every night and seeing the world, the whole experience. Just the fact that I get paid to wrestle and I don’t have to go to a real job in the morning. That’s trippy enough! Has anyone on the NXT roster caught your eye that you are looking forward to working with in the future? Anyone we should be looking out for? My favourite NXT guys are Big Cass and Enzo. They are so funny and so entertaining and natural. There are a lot of good wrestlers in the world but natural good fun entertainers are the greatest. They are just constantly on 24/7 they can make me laugh all day everyday in real life. They just never turn it off. That’s going to translate well into television. If you can work your way into my heart, you are going to do well in WWE. The energy you bring to your performances is electric. Can you talk about your workout and why you are able to perform at such a high standard week in and week out? For me it’s endurance and durability. Certain bodies can take a pounding. I have been doing this for a lot of years so high reps, low run and long bike rides are things that help my heart and lungs and make me be able to last a long time in the ring. I don’t really need to get bigger or stronger, This year, Butlin’s is hosting WWE World Tour at our Minehead Arena. We caught up with WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose (who’ll be at Butlin’s in November) to find out what it’s like to be one of the biggest Superstars in WWE... L L A OFF breaks well that would be great, but I try to stay as strong as possible but I am not expecting to wake up tomorrow and be able to bench 500lbs. Stuff like really long bike rides and high reps at the gym, old school stuff like squats and push-ups, sprints and running. It’s old school but it works. inALL accommodation As a former member of The Shield you saw huge success in your debut year. What did it feel like to have a following from the very beginning? I think it was weird at the start. We built such a good reputation amongst fans about our work ethic. A big part of The Shield was being a great work force. You are a fan favourite across the whole world. Why is it that the WWE Universe has been able to connect with you on such a high level? I don’t know. It’s the first time I have ever really had a lot of people behind me or connect with me. It is a lile bit of a strange thing. I am trying to figure it out as I go along. I just go out there and be the most authentic version of me every single night and work to the best of my ability every single night. I was never really a privileged guy so I had to work hard for everything I have and I put all my heart into it. Dean Ambrose will be joining WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and even more Superstars this November at Butlin’s Minehead, to find out more visit BUTLINSCOM/WWE 25% off is a per booking discount and applies to new bookings only for 2016 family breaks, showing how much you can typically save off the full brochure price. Off ers exclude Brass Bands at Skegness on 15-18 January 2016. All offers end Tuesday 29 September 2015. All offers are subject to promotional availability, may be withdrawn at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer or internet code except the 5% Premier Club loyalty discount. For full terms and conditions see current Butlin’s brochure. Butlin’s Skyline Limited, 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. Registered in England No. 04011665. facebook.com/butlins twier.com/butlins youtube.com/butlins instagram.com/officialbutlins pinterest.com/butlinsresorts 15 Join the conversation Get social with #Butlins You may use just one social media site, it may be several. Either way you’re sure to find us! We love helping families make memories that will stay with them for many years to come – and we love sharing those memories will all our other guests too! The Butlin’s social media channels are the perfect place to do that. Butlin’s has six different social channels where you can share your families fun with us – so whether you’re tweeting your thoughts, sharing a great picture on Instagram or uploading a video to Youtube, tag us and use #Butlins so that we don’t miss anything. And if you’re not already following us, now’s the time to do it as we regularly make announcements, share great content and even run competitions with plenty of fantastic prizes for you and your children to win. There are members of the Butlin’s team monitoring our social channels throughout the day, we’re here to help if you have a question or comment. We pass all your feedback on so be sure to let us know if any of our big hearted team makes your stay with us extra special! #butlins /butlins /butlins /officialbutlins /butlinsresorts /butlins /+butlins Read all about it! ‘JUSTFORTOTS’–THE PERFECTBEDTIME STORY If you’d like to go behind the scenes at Butlin’s our Blog is the place to go. You’ll find news, reviews and lots of exclusive competitions. Visit blog.butlins.com to find out more. Here’s some of our recent stories, all the latest ones are online now... Ahead of our Butlin’s Just For Tots breaks we wanted to find out how UK parents really feel about bedtime. BUTLIN’SAREBACKAT GOODWOODREVIVAL For the 4th year in a row, Butlin’s are back at Goodwood Revival and we couldn’t be more excited! THECOLOURSOF SUMMERBUTLIN’S COLOURHUNT! This week we’re celebrating the Colours of Summer with a Butlin’s colour hunt! Visit blog.butlins.com B3758