Editing Billy Butlin

{{short description|Holiday camp entrepreneur}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix          = Sir
| honorific_suffix          = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}
| name                      = Billy Butlin
| birth_name                = William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin
| image                     = Billy Butlin1.jpg
| birth_date                = {{Birth date|df=y|1899|09|29}}
| birth_place               = [[Cape Town]], [[Cape Colony]]
| death_date                = {{Death date and age|df=y|1980|06|12|1899|09|29}}
| death_place               = Blair Adam House, [[Jersey]]
| nationality               = [[British nationality law|United Kingdom]]
| known_for                 = [[Holiday camps]]
| occupation                =
| resting_place             = [[Saint John, Jersey]]
| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|49|14|45.9600|N|2|8|36.60|W|display=inline}}
| organisation              = [[Butlins]]
| spouse                    = Dorothy Cheriton (1925–1958)<br/>Norah Faith Cheriton (1958–1975)<br/>Sheila Devine (1975–1980)
| signature                 = William_Butlin_Signature.png
| signature_alt             = William Butlin
}}
'''Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (29 September 1899{{spnd}}12 June 1980) was an entrepreneur whose name is synonymous with the British [[holiday camp]].<ref group="n">''[[#refRiverside|American Heritage Dictionary 2004]]'', p. 135.</ref><ref group="n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 5.</ref> Although holiday camps such as [[Warner Leisure Hotels|Warner's]] existed in one form or another before Butlin opened his first in 1936, it was Butlin who turned holiday camps into a multimillion-pound industry and an important aspect of British culture.

Born in [[Cape Town]], South Africa, to William and Bertha Butlin, Butlin had a turbulent childhood. His parents separated before he was seven, and he moved to England with his mother. He spent the next five years following his grandmother's family [[Traveling carnival|fair]] around the country where his mother sold gingerbread, exposing the young Butlin to the skills of commerce and entertainment. When he was twelve his mother emigrated to Canada, leaving him in the care of his aunt for two years. Once settled in [[Toronto]], his mother invited him to join her there.

In Canada, Butlin struggled to fit in at school and soon left for a job in a Toronto department store [[Eaton's]]. In [[World War I]] he enlisted as a bugler in the [[Canadian Army]]. After the war, Butlin returned to England, bringing only £5 with him, he is seen on the 1921 census as lodging with John and Louisa Maggs in Avonmouth, Bristol and is described as Amusement Caterer travelling on own account. Investing £4 of that money to hire a stall travelling with his uncle's fair, Butlin discovered that giving his customers a better chance to win brought more custom in, and he quickly became successful. One stall became several, including prominent locations such as [[Olympia, London|Olympia]] in London, and Butlin soon purchased other fairground equipment and started his own travelling fair. He proved successful in this endeavour as well, and by 1927 he opened a static fairground in [[Skegness]].

Over the next 10 years Butlin expanded his fairground empire, while harbouring an idea to increase the number of patrons in his Skegness site by providing accommodation. Butlin's first holiday camp opened at [[Butlins Skegness|Skegness]] in 1936, followed by [[Butlin's Clacton|Clacton]], two years later. Plans to open a third in [[Filey]] were cut short by the outbreak of [[World War II]]. Butlin used the war to his advantage, persuading the [[Ministry of Defence (1947–64)|MoD]] to complete the [[Butlin's Filey|Filey Holiday Camp]] and construct two more camps in [[Butlin's Ayr|Ayr]] and [[Butlin's Pwllheli|Pwllheli]] as training camps which he reclaimed when the war was over. In the post-war boom, Butlin opened four more camps at [[Butlin's Mosney|Mosney]], [[Butlins Bognor Regis|Bognor Regis]], [[Butlin's Minehead|Minehead]] and [[Butlin's Barry Island|Barry Island]] as well as buying hotels in [[Grand Metropole Hotel|Blackpool]], [[Saltdean]], and [[Cliftonville]].

Butlin's grave is in the grounds of Blair Adam house, Jersey.

==Early life==
[[File:Billy Butlin.png|thumb|Butlin posing for a photograph some time after his enlistment in 1915.|left|150px]]
William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin was born on 29 September 1899 in the [[Cape Colony]] (part of the modern-day Republic of South Africa).<ref group="w" name="ODNB group=w">{{cite ODNB|id=30887|title=Butlin, Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne &#91;Billy&#93; (1899–1980), fairground proprietor and founder of holiday camps|last=Reid|first=Douglas A.}}</ref> His father, William Colborne Butlin, was the son of a clergyman; his mother, Bertha Cassandra Hill, was a member of a family of travelling showmen.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archives.shef.ac.uk/agents/people/525 | title=Butlin, Billy, 1899 - 1980 &#124; Discover Our Archives }}</ref> They met at a young age when Bertha's parents were working a country fair that William attended.<ref group="j" name="SundayHerald group=j">{{cite news |title=Hoop-la boy now juggles millions|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18509519?searchTerm=Billy%20Butlin|newspaper=[[Sunday Herald (Australia)|Sunday Herald]]|date=17 August 1952|access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> Their marriage was considered not socially acceptable in [[Leonard Stanley]], Gloucestershire, where they lived, and they emigrated to South Africa.<ref group="j" name="DailyMirror1 group=j">{{cite news |title= The dark side of Billy Butlin|url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/the-dark-side-of-billy-butlin-620911 |newspaper=[[Daily Mirror]]|access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> William founded a bicycle shop to support the family, and they had two children, Butlin and his brother Harry John (known as Binkie) Butlin.<ref group="j" name="SundayHerald group=j" /> When the marriage failed, Butlin's mother returned to England with her children and rejoined her own family in [[Coaley]], near [[Bristol]].<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 36.</ref> Within a short time, Harry contracted [[Poliomyelitis|polio]] and died.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, March quarter 1913, Dursley, vol 6a, page 194</ref> 

In his autobiography, Butlin recorded that his mother remarried and emigrated to Canada circa 1910.<ref group="n" name="Dacre 1982, p.39 group=n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 39.</ref> For two years, Butlin, and his cousin Jimmy Hill boarded with a widow in Bristol.<ref name="Dacre 1982, p.39" group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 39.</ref> (This may not be correct as the 1911 Census of England shows that he and his mother were residing with her sister in law in Organs Yard, Regents Road, Bedminster, Somerset, England.)<ref>1911 Census of England, the 1921 Census shows him residing as a lodger at the residence of John and Loiusa Maggs in Avonmouth, Bristol UK. piece 14912</ref> In December 1913, his mother returned to England and married Charles Robotham in [[Swindon]].<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, December quarter 1913, Swindon, vol 5a, page 74</ref>

Butlin's mother and stepfather then asked him to join them in Toronto.<ref group="j" name="DailyMirror1 group=j" /> He accepted their offer, but was unhappy at school in Canada. He was mocked because of his English accent, and he left school at age 14. Eventually, he worked as a messenger at Eaton's, Toronto's largest department store. One aspect of working for the company was that he was able to visit their [[summer camp]], which gave him his first taste of a real holiday.<ref group="w" name="CBC1 group=w">{{cite web | title=Billy Butlin, holiday camp man.|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|The CBC Digital Archives Website]]|date = 31 March 1960|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/lifestyle/leisure/clips/14873/|access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> Later, he transferred to Eaton's advertising department where he drew black and white adverts, whilst studying at night school.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 43.</ref>
[[File:Billy Butlin Attestation Paper (Front).gif|thumb|Butlin's attestation paper from World War I|right|150px]]
In 1915, during [[Military history of Canada during World War I|World War I]], Butlin volunteered for service in the [[Canadian Corps|Canadian Army]]. Knowing that the army already had a full quota of [[despatch rider]]s, Butlin intended to volunteer for service in that category in the knowledge that although his application would be declined he would still receive an "I volunteered" badge for his actions without having to serve. While applying, Butlin forgot to tell the recruiter of this intention, and was consequently allocated to the [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] which was involved in the fighting along the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], pp. 43–45.</ref> He was subsequently posted to the [[170th Battalion (Mississauga Horse), CEF|170th (Mississauga Horse) Battalion]] on 29 December 1915. His attestation papers give his date of birth as 1898 (rather than the actual 1899), allowing him to enlist at age 15. The papers give his occupation as a "Suit Case Maker". The papers also show, as Butlin himself later stated, that he had been selected to serve as a bugler.<ref group="w" name="Attestation group=w">{{cite web|title=Soldiers of the First World War – CEF|publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=79857&interval=20&&PHPSESSID=j8g0cr9h0e32nk5ub18kv5a3l0|date=29 December 1915|access-date=31 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208224503/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.01-e.php|archive-date=8 February 2010}}</ref> 

Before his deployment to Europe, Butlin transferred to the [[216th Battalion (Bantams), CEF|216th (Bantams) Battalion]], and he was sent to England.<ref group="n">[[#refAllinson1981|Allinson 1981]], p. 180.</ref> Once in England, he was stationed at [[Sandgate, Kent|Sandgate]] near [[Folkestone]] before being deployed to [[French Third Republic|France]]. In France, the 216th became part of the [[3rd Canadian Division]] which took part in the second [[battle of Vimy Ridge]], as well the battles at [[Battle of Passchendaele|Ypres]] and [[Battle of Arras (1917)|Arras]], and the second [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|battle of Cambrai]]; while in France, Butlin served as a stretcher bearer.<ref group="n" name="Scott pg6 group=n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 6.</ref>

After the war, Butlin returned to England aboard a cattle ship, arriving in England with only £5 (2011:£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|5|1919|2011}}}}) capital.<ref group="w" name="CBC1 group=w" /> He travelled to [[Bridgwater]], Somerset where his uncle, [[Marshall Hill]], was a showman. He purchased a hoopla stall from Hill, and ran it successfully.<ref group="j" name="SundayHerald group=j" /> In later interviews, Butlin claimed that he accidentally sawed the corners off his hoopla blocks,<ref group="w" name="CBC1 group=w" /> but some observers such as ''The Sunday Herald'' report that he did it intentionally, displaying "logic and business sense".<ref group="j" name="SundayHerald group=j" /> In either case, Butlin's actions allowed patrons to have a much higher success rate (approximately 3 in 5 for each ring)<ref group="n" name="Dacre pg.72 group=n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 72.</ref> and brought him more custom than fellow stall holders. By contrast, an average game would have odds of approximately 1 in 9 for each ring or 1 in 3 for a 3-ring game.<ref group="j">{{cite news|title=How to: Be a hero|newspaper=[[Wired Magazine|Wired magazine]]|date=21 August 2008| url=https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/magazine/16-08/howto_hero|access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417202408/http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/magazine/16-08/howto_hero |archive-date=17 April 2009}}</ref> 

Butlin's stall gave him less profit per customer than his competitors, but the increase in business gave him a bigger overall profit than theirs. He moved to London and set up a successful stall in Olympia outside the Christmas Circus run by [[Bertram Mills]]. By the end of the season, Butlin was so successful that he brought his widowed mother to the UK from Canada.<ref group="n" name="Dacre pg.72 group=n" /><ref group="w" name="ODNB group=w" />

==Start of Butlin's empire==
===Funfair and amusement parks===
Over the next few years Butlin toured the country with the Hills Travelling [[Fair]], leaving his mother to run the Olympia site. Soon he had his own travelling fair visiting country fairs such as Barnstaple.<ref group="w">{{cite web|last=Burridge|first=Martin|title=A history of Barnstaple fair|url=http://www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/history/charter/barn.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129211706/http://nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/history/charter/barn.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 January 2009|publisher=National Fairground Archive|access-date=17 January 2011}}</ref> Butlin opened some permanently-sited stalls in 1925, in [[Barry Island]], Wales.<ref name="Scott pg6" group="n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 6.</ref> In 1927 he leased land from the [[Earl of Scarbrough]] in the seaside town of Skegness. Here he established an amusement park with hoopla stalls, [[Helter skelter (ride)|a tower slide]], a [[haunted house]], and a [[Roller coaster#Scenic railway|scenic railway]]. In 1928, Butlin secured an exclusive licence to sell [[Bumper cars|dodgem cars]] in Europe. The first dodgems in Britain were available in his park at Skegness. Other showmen bought dodgems from Butlin.<ref name="Scott pg6" group="n"/> His activities in Skegness continued to expand, and by 1930 included a zoo featuring lions, zebras and an African village.<ref group=w name="Skegnessvideo2 group=w">{{cite web|title=New Butlins zoo opens in Skegness|url=http://skegnessvideo.com/2008/11/new-butlins-zoo-opens-in-skegness/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731005507/http://skegnessvideo.com/2008/11/new-butlins-zoo-opens-in-skegness/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=31 July 2010|date=April 1930|publisher=Skegness video|access-date=8 November 2010}}</ref><ref group="n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 24.</ref>

Butlin opened a similar fairground in 1932, in [[Bognor Regis]], on the corner of the Esplanade, named the Recreation Shelter. In 1933 he opened a zoo nearby, which featured polar bears, kangaroos and monkeys.<ref group=j name="bognor group=j">{{cite news|title=Butlin's the name that's synonymous with Bognor|url=http://www.bognor.co.uk/news/butlin_s_the_name_that_s_synonymous_with_bognor_1_1491276|first=Sylvia|last=Endacott|date=27 July 2007|newspaper=Bognor Regis Observer|access-date=8 November 2010|archive-date=27 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127151919/http://www.bognor.co.uk/news/butlin_s_the_name_that_s_synonymous_with_bognor_1_1491276|url-status=dead}}</ref> Around the same time he opened an amusement park in Bognor's neighbouring village of [[Littlehampton]], known as [[Harbour Park|Butlin's Park]].<ref group="w">{{cite web|title=History of harbour park| url=http://juleswest66.tumblr.com/post/86299541580/history-of-harbour-park|year=2011|publisher=Harbour Park Ltd|access-date=17 January 2011}}</ref>

In the 1930s Butlin had amusement parks in [[Mablethorpe]] (opened 1928), [[Hayling Island]] (1931), [[Felixstowe]] (1931), [[Southsea]] (1931) and on the [[Isle of Man]]. He continued to operate his winter fair at Olympia and soon added the winter fairs at [[Waverley Hall]] in Edinburgh and at the [[Kelvin Hall]] in Glasgow. By 1935 most of his existing parks had zoos attached to them, providing another source of revenue.<ref name="Scott pg6" group="n"/>

Butlin's funfair and amusement park business expanded in the post-war period. In 1938 he gained the sole contract to supply amusements to the [[Empire Exhibition, Scotland|Empire Exhibition]] in Glasgow and after the war, he continued to open amusement parks such as the one at [[Sheerness]].<ref group="n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 20.</ref><ref group=n name="ReferenceB group=n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 29.</ref>
<!--Later on he rented disused bus garages in [[Whitechapel]], [[Brixton]], [[Tooting]], [[Putney]], [[Hammersmith]] and Marble Arch in London and turned them all into fun fairs. - currently awaiting source-->

===First holiday camps===
{{main|Butlins Skegness}}
Butlin had nurtured the idea of a holiday camp. He had seen the way landladies in seaside resorts would, sometimes literally, push families out of the lodgings between meals, regardless of the weather. Butlin toyed with the idea of providing holiday accommodation that encouraged holiday-makers to stay on the site and provided entertainment for them between meals.<ref group="w" name="CBC1 group=w" />

[[File:Early Butlins Chalet.png|thumb|One of Butlin's original chalets at Skegness, now preserved and a [[listed building]]|left|200px]]
He opened his first Butlin's camp at [[Ingoldmells]], near Skegness, on 11 April 1936 ([[Holy Saturday|Easter eve]]). It was officially opened by [[Amy Johnson]], the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. An advertisement costing £500 (2011:£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|500|1936|2011|r=-3}}}}) was placed in the ''[[Daily Express]]'', announced the opening of the camp, inviting the public to book for a week's holiday. The advertisement offered holidays with three meals a day and free entertainment with a week's full board cost anything from 35 shillings to £3 (2011:£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|3|1936|2011}}}}), according to the time of year.<ref group=j name="Guardian1 group=j">{{cite news|title=Hello, campers: Butlins is 70 years old|first=Duncan|last=Campbell|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/apr/13/travelnews.travel|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=13 April 2006|access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> When the camp opened, Butlin realised that his guests were not engaging with activities in the way he had planned. Most kept to themselves, and others looked bored. He asked [[Norman Bradford (entertainer)|Norman Bradford]] (who was engaged as an engineer constructing the camp) to take on the duty of entertaining the guests, which he did with a series of ice breakers and jokes. By the end of the night the camp was buzzing and the Butlin's atmosphere was born. After that, entertainment was the heart of Butlins, and Bradford became the first of [[Butlins Redcoats|Butlin's Redcoats]]. That night Butlin decided that for his camp to be successful he would need many more on the same job as Bradford, and the role of Redcoat was conceived.<ref group=w name="Butlins1 group=w">{{cite web |title=Butlins memories-Redcoats|url=http://www.butlinsmemories.com/other/redcoats.htm |publisher=Butlins memories|access-date=27 October 2010}}</ref>

In his autobiography, Butlin refers to Clacton as his second camp;<ref group=n name="Dacre pg122 group=n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 122.</ref> In 1937, architect [[Harold Ridley Hooper]], who had drawn the plans for the camp at Skegness, created plans on behalf of Butlin's Ltd., for a second camp at [[Dovercourt]], in [[Essex]].<ref group=w name="Hooper group=w">{{cite web|title=Architectural drawings of Colonel Harold Ridley Hooper, A.R.I.B.A. (1886–1953) and Others, 1882–1939|first=Harold Ridley|last=Hooper|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=173-hg404&cid=-1#-1|publisher=The National Archives|year=1937|id=HG404/38|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref> In the winter of 1938, the camp at Dovercourt was requisitioned by the government for housing children evacuated from Germany by the [[Kindertransport]] programme. Writers and speakers discussing that programme, such as Anthony Grenville and Ela Kaczmarska, claim that the camp had been constructed by Butlin and operated as a Butlin's camp for the 1937–1938 season, Kaczmarska also suggests that it had closed in the summer of 1938, the same time the Clacton camp opened.<ref group=w name="Kindertransport1 group=w">{{cite web|title=Kindertransport: Britain's rescue plan|first=Ela|last=Kaczmarska|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/podcasts/kindertransport.htm|publisher=The National Archives|year=2010|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref><ref group=w name="Kindertransport2 group=w">{{cite web|title=The Kindertransports 70 years on|first=Anthony|last=Grenville|url=http://www.ajr.org.uk/journal/issue.Nov08/article.1213|publisher=[[Association of Jewish Refugees|The Association of Jewish Refugees]]|year=2008|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref> Recollections of the refugees suggest that by December 1938 the camp was being run by [[Warner Leisure Hotels|Harry Warner]],<ref group=w name="Kindertransport3 group=w">{{cite web|title=Letters to the Editor|first=Gisela|last=Eisner|url=http://www.ajr.org.uk/journal/issue.Dec08/letters|publisher=The Association of Jewish Refugees|year=2008|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref> whose company Butlin was on the board of.<ref group="n">[[#refButlerRussell2010|Butler, Russell 2010]], p. 38.</ref> At around the same time Butlin's advertised Dovercourt as "associated with Butlin's" and into the early 1940s Butlin was putting on rail packages with the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] (LNER) to the Dovercourt camp.<ref group="n" name="ReferenceB group=n" /><ref group=w name="Dovercourt1 group=w">{{cite web|title=Holidays are Jollydays|publisher=Butlin's Ltd.|url=http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x175/j-uk/7c0f_11.jpg|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref><ref group=w name="LNER1 group=w">{{cite web|title=Dovercourt Bay Holiday Lido|publisher=[[London and North Eastern Railway|LNER]]|url=http://www.ssplprints.com/image/81118/padden-daphne-dovercourt-bay-holiday-lido-lner-poster-1941|access-date=21 December 2010|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234406/http://www.ssplprints.com/image/81118/padden-daphne-dovercourt-bay-holiday-lido-lner-poster-1941|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Butlin proposed a new holiday camp at [[Clacton-on-Sea]] in Essex in 1936. Both the council and the local association of hotels opposed the idea, as did boarding house keepers. To persuade them, Butlin took the members of the council to Skegness to see how people there appreciated their holiday camp. The councillors were soon won over when they learnt that the local traders in Skegness had seen an initial dip in custom after its construction followed by a rise as campers had visited the town and seasonal workers had come to spend their pay. Once approved by the council, construction began and the camp opened in 1938.<ref name="Dacre pg122" group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 122.</ref>

On 30 January 1937, Butlin turned his business into a limited company "Butlin's Ltd.".<ref group="w">{{cite web|title=Index Entry|id=00323698|url=http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/hard-rock-cafe-(edinburgh)|work=Companies in the UK|publisher=[[Companies House]]|access-date=5 February 2011}}</ref> Butlin took the decision to form the company as a means to raise finance for his new camps. On 8 February 1937 the company published its prospectus ahead of a public sale of shares. When the shares became available, they sold out entirely in five minutes.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 119.</ref>

==World War II years==
[[Image:Billy Butlin visits a Munitions Factory.jpg|right|thumb|Butlin visiting a munitions factory on behalf of the [[Ministry of Supply]]]]
With the outbreak of WWII, the Clacton and Skegness camps were requisitioned by the [[War Office]] for use as training camps. The ministry needed further camps, and contracted Butlin to build them. Butlin agreed, on the condition that he could purchase the sites after the war for use as holiday camps. The ministry agreed, and Filey, [[Butlin's Pwllheli|Pwllheli]] and [[Butlin's Ayr|Ayr]] were constructed, reopening as holday camps after the war (Filey in 1946, Pwllheli & Ayr in 1947). As Butlin was dealing with other sites, he asked his business competitor, Harry Warner, to complete the construction of Filey.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 131.</ref> Butlin had purchased his first hotel in 1939, the [[Thatched Barn]] in [[Borehamwood]], Hertfordshire. Like his camps, it was requisitioned (this time by the [[Special Operations Executive]] (SOE)) before he could develop it.<ref group="j">{{cite news |title=Playboy girls to rat bombs|first=Tommy|last=Norton|date=9 December 2005|url=http://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/659999.playboy_girls_to_rat_bombs/|newspaper=Borehamwood Times|access-date=3 November 2010}}</ref>

During the war years, a number of Butlin's camps were used as [[List of Royal Navy shore establishments|Royal Navy shore establishments]]. Skegness became {{HMS|Royal Arthur|shore establishment|6}}, a training establishment for [[petty officer]]s. Pwllheli became HMS ''Glendower'', and Ayr became HMS ''Scotia''. Filey became RAF Hunmanby Moor and Clacton, after being considered for use as a prisoner of war camp, was later used as a training site for the [[Royal Pioneer Corps|Pioneer Corps]].<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 133.</ref> 

Butlin was recruited by the [[Ministry of Supply]] and asked to look at the causes of low morale amongst the workers in Britain's munitions factories. His first stop was at the [[ROF Chorley|Royal Ordnance Factory, Chorley]], where he found that the camouflaged huts and barbed wire fences used to house workers gave them the feeling of being interned. Using his experience in establishing holiday camps, Butlin devised activities and systems to boost morale, which led to his appointment as Director General of Hostels.<ref group="n">[[#refRowbotham1997|Rowbotham 1997]], p. 237.</ref><ref group="n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], p. 7.</ref> 

In this position, Butlin introduced games and entertainment similar to those used in his holiday camps. These included: [[Whist#Whist drive|whist drive]]s, amateur dramatics, theatrical productions and cinema. In 1943, he encouraged workers to continue taking their holiday entitlement but to do so at home, arranging various travelling fairs to visit towns on their "holiday week".<ref group="n">[[#refBarton2005|Barton 2005]], p. 184.</ref> 

Butlin's appointment to this role gave cause for concern in some quarters, with questions being asked of the under-secretary, [[Harold Macmillan]], about the nature of his involvement. The appointment was a voluntary one with no salary or expenses and was made after the consideration of other suitable candidates.<ref group="w">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1941/dec/17/director-of-hostels|title=Director of Hostels|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=17 December 1941|access-date=8 November 2010}}</ref><ref group="w">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1942/jan/08/hostels|title=Hostels|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=8 January 1942|access-date=8 November 2010}}</ref>

Late in the war, during the Allied advance through western Europe following the [[Normandy landings]], Butlin was approached by General [[Bernard Montgomery]], who asked him to help set up [[Leave (military)|leave]] centres for the [[21st Army Group]]. Starting in Brussels, the "21 Club" concept quickly spread through western Europe, providing entertainment and relaxation for servicemen and women.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], pp. 148–149.</ref>

In 1944, Butlin was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] for his wartime service to the Ministry of Supply.<ref group=n name="Punch group=n">[[#refCoren1979|Coren 1979]], pp. 36–37.</ref>

==Post war expansion==
{{see also|Butlin's Mosney}}
[[Image:Billy Butlin at Filey.jpg|left|thumb|Billy Butlin, and Sergeant [[John Caffrey]], VC, one of the Commissionaires at Filey Holiday Camp]]
After the war, it became apparent that most holiday camps in Britain had been damaged by troop occupation, and the situation was so bad that questions were raised in parliament.<ref group=w name="WorkingClass group=w">{{cite web |title=Hotels and holiday camps (re-equipment)|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1946/feb/25/hotels-and-holiday-campsre-equipment#S5CV0419P0_19460225_CWA_83|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=25 February 1946|access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref><ref group="n">[[#refCormack1998|Cormack 1998]], p. 96.</ref> Other than Clacton, the Butlins camps were relatively unscathed, and even Clacton, which had been damaged by troop occupation, re-opened in early 1946. In the [[Post–World War II economic expansion|post-war boom]] Butlin saw opportunities on foreign shores. He opened camps at [[Mosney]], in the soon to be Republic of Ireland, in 1948 and on [[Grand Bahama]], in 1949.<ref group=j name="Argus group=j">{{cite news |title=Where millionaires will play|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22696590|newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]]|date=15 January 1949|access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref>

In most ways Mosney was identical to the existing successful camps, but in Ireland this was something that was seen to be feared, rather than embraced. A number of complaints appeared in the ''[[Catholic Standard (Ireland)|Catholic Standard]]'', warning that holiday camps were an English idea that were undesirable in Catholic Ireland. Like the other camps, Mosney was designed to have a church and reassurances were given that it would be a Catholic chapel with a resident priest. Reassurances were also given that Irish nationals would have priority over British tourists in booking holidays. In July 1948 the camp was opened by [[William Norton]], the [[Minister for Social Protection|Minister for Social Welfare]], and it operated successfully as a Butlin's camp until the early 1980s.<ref group=j name="The Vacuum group=j">{{cite news |title=The Mosney road |url=http://www.thevacuum.org.uk/issues/issues0120/issue02/is02artmosroa.html|newspaper=[[The Vacuum]] |first=Karen|last=Downey|access-date=2 November 2010}}</ref>

A more ambitious plan by Butlin was conceived on a trip to [[The Bahamas]] in 1946. Seeing potential for a camp in warmer climes, he formed a company under the chairmanship of [[Bede Clifford|Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford]] and bought land in Grand Bahama. Butlin also purchased the [[Hamilton Princess & Beach Club|Princess Hotel]] in [[Bermuda]] and the [[Fort Montagu beach hotel]] in [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]]. The camp was intended to be complete and open on New Years Day of 1950.<ref name="Argus" group="j">{{cite news |title=Where millionaires will play|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22696590|newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]]|date=15 January 1949|access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref> After an investment of US$5&nbsp;million (2011:£{{Formatprice|{{#expr: ({{Inflation|US|5000000|1949|2011|r=-3}} *  0.612070021 ) round 2}}}}) the camp opened, still only partially complete, in the winter of 1949. To celebrate its opening, Butlin ran a mystery flight, where guests, who had paid $129 (2011:£{{#expr: ({{Inflation|US|129|1949|2011}} *  0.612070021 ) round 2}}) each, were taken on a flight to the resort without being informed in advance.<ref group=j name="Life group=j">{{cite news |title=Mystery flight|newspaper=[[Life (magazine)|Life]]|date=27 March 1950 |page=136 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BFMEAAAAMBAJ|access-date=2 November 2010}}</ref>
Butlin did not celebrate for long; he required a further $2.25&nbsp;million (2011:£{{Formatprice|{{#expr: ({{Inflation|US|2500000|1949|2011|r=-3}}  *  0.612070021 ) round 2}}}}) to complete the camp, and American tourists unaccustomed to the holiday camp concept had little interest. In an attempt to save the camp, Butlin sold the hotel leases to an American firm.<ref group=j name="Billboard2 group=j">{{cite news |title=Fresh dough sought for Butlin venture|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=5 August 1950|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lfUDAAAAMBAJ|page=57|access-date=2 November 2010}}</ref> By November 1950, the subsidiary company handling the Caribbean resort was ordered to be wound up by a court. Butlin admitted defeat and focused his efforts back in Europe.<ref group=j name="SundayHerald2 group=j">{{cite news |title=Dollar tourist plan fails |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18476619 |newspaper=Sunday Herald|date=5 November 1950|access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref> In the late 1940s Butlin successfully opened hotels outside the Skegness and Ayr camps, so he now saw his opportunity to expand into this market. Butlin began acquiring hotels in Saltdean, Blackpool and Cliftonville.<ref group="n">[[#refCormack1998|Cormack 1998]], p. 96.</ref>

==Further camps==
{{see also|Butlins Bognor Regis|Butlin's Minehead|Butlin's Barry Island}}

In the 1960s Butlin created a series of new camps at Bognor Regis (opened 1960), [[Butlin's Minehead|Minehead]] (1962) and [[Butlin's Barry Island|Barry Island]] (1966).<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], pp. 203–206.</ref> Barry Island remained part of the Butlin's empire until the 1980s, while Bognor and Minehead remain part of the company today.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
[[File:Butlin's Holiday Camp - geograph.org.uk - 529604.jpg|thumb|Butlins Bognor Resort in 1962|right|200px]]
On 2 July 1960 Butlin planned to open his holiday camp at Bognor, but because of flooding it was not ready. Butlin offered his patrons the chance to be re-sited at Clacton or to stay and help complete the camp's construction. A number opted to stay and help, and received a free bottle of champagne as a reward. Once opened, the camp quickly became popular, accommodating around 5,000 campers and another 5,000 day visitors.<ref group=w name="butlins 1 group=w">{{cite web |title= Butlins memories Bognor|url=http://www.butlinsmemories.com/bognor/index.htm |access-date=25 November 2010 |publisher=Butlins memories}}</ref>

In the winter of 1961, Butlin began work on his camp in Minehead. The site opened to the public on 26 May 1962 having cost £2&nbsp;million to construct. Over the next decade several attractions were added to the site. A miniature railway was added in 1964, chairlifts in 1965, and a monorail in 1967.<ref group=w name="butlins 2 group=w">{{cite web|title= Butlins memories Minehead|url=http://www.butlinsmemories.com/minehead/overyears.htm|access-date=18 October 2010|publisher=Butlins memories}}</ref>

Butlin's inspiration for his holiday empire had come from a holiday to Barry Island in his twenties, when he had been locked out of his [[Bed and breakfast|B&B]] all day by his landlady.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], pp. 30–31.</ref><ref group=w name="butlins 3 group=w">{{cite web |title=Bygone Butlins Barry Island |url=http://www.bygonebutlins.com/barry/ |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=Bygone Butlins|year=2007|work=Barry Island}}</ref> He finally decided to build the last and smallest of the camps there in 1965. Butlin took out a 99-year lease on the headland at Nell's Point, Barry Island, in 1966.<ref group=j name="icwales 1 group=j">{{cite news|title= Barry Island in the news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/expats/expats-newsletter/page.cfm?objectid=12533600&method=full&siteid=50082|access-date=8 September 2008|publisher=[[Media Wales|Media Wales ltd.]]|date=14 January 2003|newspaper=[[South Wales Echo]]}}</ref> Construction began in the winter and it opened to campers on 18 June 1966. Butlin retired in 1969 and the Barry Island camp was the last opening under his management.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Later life==
Growing up, Butlin had lived with his aunt Jessie in the Swan Pub in Coaley,<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 287.</ref> in his later life he was able to purchase desirable property for himself, for many years living on [[The Bishops Avenue]].<ref group=j name="estates group=j">{{cite news |title=Bishops avenue residence sold|newspaper=[[Estates Gazette]]|year=1951|volume=157|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZgyAAAAIAAJ&q=Butlin|page=181|access-date=2 April 2011}}</ref> His house there was Dane Court in [[Hampstead]], which he purchased in 1947.<ref group="n">[[#refKynaston2007|Kynaston 2007]], p. 218.</ref> Also in 1947 he sat on the board of directors of [[Belle Vue Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1947)|year=2012|newspaper=Greyhound Star}}</ref> Butlin sold Dane Court in 1951, and moved to a property in [[Grosvenor Square]].<ref group="j" name="estates group=j" /> He remained in this property through the 1950s and 1960s.<ref group=n name="timeandtide group=n">[[#refTandT1964|Time and Tide Publishing Co. 1964]], pp. 192–193.</ref>

Butlin retired in 1969, handing over company operations to his son Bobby. A hostile takeover bid by Phonographic Equipment in November 1969 caused him to come out of retirement, in the capacity of "consultant". With his father's help Bobby fended off the takeover, and Butlin returned to retirement.<ref group=j name="Billboard group=j">{{cite news |title=Phonographic makes bid for Butlin holiday camp|first=Graeme|last=Andrews|newspaper=Billboard|date=23 November 1968|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQoEAAAAMBAJ|page=63|access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref>
In 1972, the [[Rank Organisation]] launched a friendly takeover for £43&nbsp;million (2018:£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|43000000|1972|2018|r=-3}}}}), which both Butlin and his son agreed to accept.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 91.</ref>

Butlin's retirement was forced by circumstance. His accountant informed Butlin that the total rate of [[income tax]] and [[surtax]] that Butlin was due to pay for the coming year was 115% of his income.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 258.</ref> Butlin elected to move from London, becoming a permanent resident in Blair Adam House, [[Saint John, Jersey|Saint John]], on the island of [[Jersey]], in the [[Channel Islands]]. This move was financially beneficial since Jersey had a fixed 20% rate of income tax.<ref group="n" name="Punch group=n" /> He remained a resident of Jersey until his death on 12 June 1980, aged 80.  He is buried in the parish of St John and his grave is shaped to represent a double bed.<ref group=w name="ButlinGrave group=w">{{cite web|title=That was Jersey|url=http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/people.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041217234823/http://www.jeron.je/thatwasjersey/people.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 December 2004|first=Heather|last=Morton|publisher=Jersey Library|access-date=5 February 2010}}</ref><ref group="n">[[#refPearson2008|Pearson 2008]], p. 124.</ref>

Butlin actively engaged in charity work through the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]] and through the [[Variety, the Children's Charity|Variety Club]] of Great Britain. He was Chief Barker of the Variety Club in 1959, 1966 and 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.org.uk/photos/former-chief-barkers/william-butlin|title=Former Chief Barkers - Sir William Butlin|access-date=8 March 2019|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726233212/https://www.variety.org.uk/photos/former-chief-barkers/william-butlin|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1963, he set up the Bill Butlin charitable trust,<ref group="w">{{cite web|title= The Bill Butlin charity trust|publisher=[[Charity Commission for England and Wales|The Charity Commission]]|url=http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/RemovedCharityMain.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=228233&SubsidiaryNumber=0|date=30 June 2007|access-date=5 February 2010}}</ref> and in 1966 donated £100,000 (2018:£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|100000|1966|2018|r=-3}}}}) to set up a trust to help in cases where police officers were incapacitated or fatally injured while on duty.  With public support the fund grew firstly to £250,000 and eventually to over £1&nbsp;million.<ref group="w">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalpolicememorialday.org/programme10.pdf|page=2|publisher=National Police Memorial Day|title=National Police memorial day service, Belfast Waterfront, Order of Service|date=26 September 2010|access-date=5 February 2010}}</ref> In return he received many honours, from having a [[hybrid tea rose]] name after him,<ref group="w">{{cite web|url=http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/pl.php?n=33432&tab=1|title=Sir William Butlin Rose|publisher=Help me find|access-date=5 February 2010}}</ref> to his knighthood in 1964. In being knighted, Butlin was following in the footsteps of his great uncle [[Sir Henry Butlin, 1st Baronet|Sir Henry Trentham Butlin]], an eminent surgeon.<ref group=w name="Pathe1 group=w">{{cite web|title=He's Sir Billy now|url= http://www.britishpathe.com/video/hes-sir-billy-now |publisher=[[Pathé]]|date=27 July 1964|access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref> In 1960, Butlin was awarded the [[Carl Alan Awards|Carl Alan award]] for his services to dance.<ref group="w">{{cite web|url=http://www.idta.co.uk/Site2/PDFs/CARL%20ALAN%20AWARD%20WINNERS%202011%20-%20press%20release.pdf|title=Carl Alan Awards 2011|page=7|first=Carol|last=Coates|date=9 February 2011|publisher=[[International Dance Teachers Association]]|access-date=5 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728180704/http://www.idta.co.uk/Site2/PDFs/CARL%20ALAN%20AWARD%20WINNERS%202011%20-%20press%20release.pdf|archive-date=28 July 2011}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Butlin remained close to his mother, both in following her to Canada and in arranging for her to come home after the death of his stepfather. She died in 1934 and never saw his first holiday camp.<ref group="n">[[#refDacre1982|Dacre 1982]], p. 100.</ref><ref group=w name="SkegnessVideo group=w">{{cite web|title=Billy Butlin's mother's death|url=http://skegnessvideo.com/2009/11/billy-butlin-mothers-death-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004141226/http://skegnessvideo.com/2009/11/billy-butlin-mothers-death-2/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 October 2011|publisher=Skegness video|date=30 November 2009|access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> By contrast, Butlin makes no mention in his biography of his father after returning from Canada. His father remained in Cape Town for the rest of his life, dying in 1954.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

In the 1920s while staying in Tiverton in Devon, and working with Marshall Hill, Butlin met Doris "Dolly" Mabel Cheriton, whose family owned the local fish and chip shop; the couple were married in 1927. By the early 1930s the marriage had failed and they separated. Soon after, Butlin met and fell in love with Norah Faith Cheriton, Dolly's niece. Dolly refused to grant Butlin a divorce. It was not until Dolly's death in 1958 that he and Norah were free to marry. Butlin was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] for ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' on his wedding day in 1959. The second marriage lasted only a few months, as Butlin had already fallen in love with Sheila Edwina Devine. This time it was Norah who refused to grant him a divorce. In 1975, with divorce laws having changed, Butlin was able to divorce Norah and marry Sheila with whom he remained until his death.<ref group="n">[[#refScott2001|Scott 2001]], pp. 6–8.</ref>

Butlin had two sons and four daughters from his three marriages. Bertha Hill's obituary records "William, Dolly and baby Shirley" and on Shirley's fifth birthday the local Skegness newspaper noted that she invited many of her friends to her father's holiday camp for her party. Little reference is made to her after this time, and her name is not listed on her father's grave with her still-living siblings.<ref group="w" name="ButlinGrave group=w" /><ref group="w" name="SkegnessVideo group=w" /> Sandra died in 1976 at the age of 34 (the same year Butlin's second wife Norah died.)<ref group=j name="WalesOnline group=j">{{cite news|title=Hi-de-hi to an icon of its time |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/expats/expats-newsletter/2004/10/14/hi-de-hi-to-an-icon-of-its-time-50082-14779136/ |newspaper=[[Western Mail (Wales)|Western Mail]]|first=Aled|last=Blake|date=14 October 2004 |access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref> William Jr died of cancer in 2003.<ref group=w name="WaterRats group=w">{{cite web|title=Role of Honour 2003
|url=http://www.gowr.net/members/rollofhonour2003.html|publisher=Grand Order of Water Rats|year=2003|access-date=2 November 2010}}</ref> Robert took over from his father, running the company from 1968 to 1984, and died of lung cancer on 31 December 2008.<ref group=j name="BobbyButlin group=j">{{cite news|title=Bobby Butlin: chairman of Butlins from 1968 to 1984|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article5696218.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524174005/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article5696218.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 May 2010|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=10 February 2009 |access-date=1 November 2010}}</ref> Jacquie lives on Jersey, where she runs a clothes shop.<ref group="j">{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/01/13/credit-crunch-chic/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204070400/http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/01/13/credit-crunch-chic/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 February 2013|title=Credit Crunch Chic|date=13 January 2009|first=Christine|last=Herbert|publisher=[[Jersey Evening Post]]|access-date=3 June 2011}}</ref> Jacquie's daughter, Laura Emily, was the subject of a court case in the [[Cayman Islands]] in 1992, to establish whether she could be a beneficiary of her grandfather's estate.<ref group=w name="JacquieButlin group=w">{{cite web|title=RHB Trust Company Limited v. Butlin and Four Others; RHB Trust Company Limited v. Butlin and Seven Others|url=http://www.caymanjudicial-legalinfo.ky/judgments/Cayman-Islands-Law-Reports/Cases/CILR1992/CILR920219.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722142342/http://www.caymanjudicial-legalinfo.ky/judgments/Cayman-Islands-Law-Reports/Cases/CILR1992/CILR920219.aspx|archive-date=22 July 2011|publisher=The Cayman : Administration & Portfolio of Legal Affairs|year=1993|access-date=2 November 2010}}</ref> Cherie is an actress.<ref group="n" name="timeandtide group=n" />

==Media references==
Butlin is listed as a member of the eclectic (and fictional) "orchestra" in the [[Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band]]'s recording, "[[The Intro and the Outro]]", where he is credited with playing the [[Spoon (musical instrument)|spoons]].<ref group="j">{{cite news|url=http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_headline=preview--bonzo-dog-doo-dah-band--philharmonic-hall&method=full&objectid=18034133&siteid=50061-name_page.html|first=Mike|last=Chapple|newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]]|title=Preview: Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Philharmonic Hall|date=3 November 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420124858/http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_headline=preview--bonzo-dog-doo-dah-band--philharmonic-hall&method=full&objectid=18034133&siteid=50061-name_page.html|archive-date=20 April 2013|access-date=18 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Butlin features as himself in the book ''Billy Bunter at Butlins'' by [[Charles Hamilton (writer)|Frank Richards]] (first published 1961). Bunter, Wharton and company head off to Skegness for a holiday at the camp at Butlin's invitation.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|ref=refAllinson1981|title=The Bantams: The Untold Story of World War I|publisher=Howard Baker|isbn=978-0-88962-190-9|year=1981|first=Sidney|last=Allinson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_tIfAAAAMAAJ}}
*{{cite book|ref=refRiverside|title=The Riverside Dictionary of Biography
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4zxQ5dr61X8C|publisher=American Heritage Dictionary |year=2004|isbn=0-618-49337-9}}

*{{cite book|ref=refBarton2005|title=Working-class Organisations and Popular Tourism, 1840–1970|first=Susan|last= Barton|year=2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xirt7KydYUAC|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=0-7190-6590-9}}
*{{cite book|ref=refButlerRussell2010|last1=Butler|first1=Richard|last2=Russell|first2=Roslyn A.|title=Giants of Tourism|publisher=CABI|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84593-652-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ssSijGtEWyAC}}
*{{cite book|ref=refCoren1979|title=Pick of Punch|first=Alan|last=Coren|publisher=Hutchison|year=1979|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=szjFetPDFH8C|isbn=0-09-139490-2}}
*{{cite book|ref=refCormack1998|title=A History of Holidays, 1812–1990|first=Bill|last=Cormack
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IEX1vOZJcuUC|publisher=Antony rowe Ltd|year=1998|isbn=0-415-19316-8}}

*{{cite book|ref=refDacre1982|title=The Billy Butlin Story|first= Peter |last=Dacre|publisher=Robson Books|year=1982|isbn=0-86051-864-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-tKAAAAYAAJ}}
*{{cite book|ref=refKynaston2007|title=Austerity Britain, 1945–1951|first=David|last=Kynaston|author-link = David Kynaston|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SGJoAAAAMAAJ|isbn=978-0-7475-7985-4}}
*{{cite book|ref=refPearson2008|title=Discovering Famous Graves|first=Lynn F.|last=Pearson|publisher=Osprey Publishing Co|year=2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9IaHTin6y2wC|isbn=978-0-7478-0619-6}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*{{cite book|ref=refRowbotham1997|title=A Century of Women:The History of Women in Britain and the United States|first=Sheila|last=Rowbotham|year=1997|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VyOzAAAAIAAJ|isbn=0-670-87420-5|publisher=Viking}}
*{{cite book|ref=refScott2001|last=Scott |first=Peter |title=A History of the Butlin's Railways |publisher=Peter Scott |date=February 2001 |isbn=1-902368-09-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=97dmsRv3mI8C}}
*{{cite book|ref=refTandT1964|title=Time & Tide Business World|volume=45|publisher=Time and Tide Publishing Co|year=1964|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BlkkAQAAIAAJ}}

===Bibliographic notes===
{{reflist|group="n"}}

== External links ==

===Websites===
{{reflist|group="w"}}

===News and journals===
{{reflist|group="j"}}

{{Butlins}}

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