Holiday Camp Princesses - Contestants for the Butlins Beauty Pageant tour Minehead

Sir William Butlin or Sir Billy ran his holiday camps that he had stared in the 1920s as family orientated including nightly entertainment, variety shows and beauty pageants. He introduced the famous Redcoats, a red blazer worn by frontline staff at the holiday camps and their duties included entertaining.

Sir William Butlin started out in his uncle's travelling fair, by 1927 he opened a static fairground in Skegness, the first holiday camp Butlins opened in 1936 was in Ingoldmells. Followed by Clacton 1938, Filey 1945, Ayr & Pwlheli 1947, Mosney (Ireland) 1948, Bognor Regis 1960, Minehead 1962 and Barry Island 1966. Butlin also owned hotels including Blackpool, Saltdean and Cliftonville and two in the Bahamas, along with several other camps associated with the Butlins name.