Butlin's. To many, the name conjures up quaint, old-fashioned vacations in obscure corners of the United Kingdom in wind, rain, and occasional sunshine. The butt of jokes for decades, the Butlin's Holiday Camp was a place the poor relation went, where for a few shillings a week you could be fed, watered, and entertained practically under the same roof. But to dismiss Butlin's as a wet weekend would be to ignore one of Britain's most hallowed holiday institutions.
A stay at Butlin's was once one of the most popular getaway options in the Britain. The company's founder, Billy Butlin, recognized the need for safe, affordable, and fun-filled holidays for ordinary British families and in the 1930s created the holiday camp concept. Butlin's holiday camps still exist today, and remain an important and much-loved aspect of British culture.
Click through the following gallery for a nostalgic and slightly eccentric look back at how Brits holidayed at Butlin's in bygone days. And don't laugh! Remember: it was all about having innocent fun in a gentler world.