Pontin's
Encyclopedia
Pontins is a British holiday business which was originally founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin
. It specialises in offering half-board and self-catering holidays with regular entertainment on offer. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalet
s. The company once grew to be a major operator of seaside holiday accommodation, but has now shrunk considerably. Their slogan
was "All your want-ins at Pontins".
On 12 November 2010, Pontin's Limited entered administration but was bought in January 2011 by Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd, a Jersey-based investment vehicle with links to the Britannia Hotels Ltd
group.
opened the first holiday camp in 1946 on the site of a former US World War II army base, gradually expanding his empire to 30 sites at one point.
In 1978 the company was sold to Coral in a UK£
56 million deal. In 1980, Coral (including Pontins) was taken over by Bass Brewing
who later disposed of the Pontinental side of the business. In 1987, Pontins was sold to a management buyout team led by Trevor Hemmings
, whose construction firm had originally built the holiday centre at Southport. It was sold yet again in 1989, this time to Scottish & Newcastle
. Over the next ten years the company closed or sold a number of sites. In a three-year programme in the mid-1990s, the remaining camps were modernised. In 2000 the company, which now owned only eight camps, was sold back to Hemmings. In 2008, the company was sold to Ocean Parcs for £46million. Wall Park holiday centre was not included in the sale, and, in January 2009, Pontin's announced the closure of its Hemsby holiday centre. Pontin's Blackpool in Squires Gate closed in October 2009 leaving five parks still trading under the Pontin's brand.
Pontins headquarters were relocated to the Southport Holiday Park, which is located on the coast at Ainsdale-on-Sea, close to the village of Ainsdale. From the original Hemmings buy-out until then the headquarters were located at Sagar House in the village of Eccleston, Lancashire
, but the Southport Holiday Centre had always had provision for the establishment of emergency offices as part of Pontins' disaster recovery planning.
In September 2009, Pontins announced plans for a five-year multi-million investment plan for the remaining five parks. Refurbishment work completed in 2010 included a new half board restaurant and real ice skating rink at the Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, along with a new roller skating rink at the Brean Sands Holiday Park.
In November 2010, Pontins announced they had gone into administration. No jobs were lost and customers were still able to go on holiday. A spokesman from the chairman of Pontins said that the company would continue to trade during this time and that it would be getting help to move the company out of administration.
On 28 January 2011 KPMG
announced that Britannia Hotels
Group was now the new owner of Pontins Holidays. Alex Langsam, owner of Britannia Hotels, has since announced a £25 million investment programme, with the intention of refocusing Pontins as themed seaside destinations, taking inspiration from Disney theme parks.
The subsequent report by the administrators at KPMG
reveals that Alex Langsam's vehicle, Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited, had made the highest of 14 bids for the Pontin's business, amounting to £18.5m. This consisted of £14.5m for the five holiday parks, plus a further £4m for intellectual property and assets, including £2.4m for the trading name Pontin's. The largest of the creditors to lose out was Santander bank with a residual deficit of £27m. The total deficiency to all creditors was expected to be around £40m.
In September 2011, the Southport Camp provided accommodation for students at Edge Hill University
.
, both guest hosts and often entertainers:
Fred Pontin
Sir Frederick William Pontin was born in Walthamstow, the son of Frederick William Pontin and Elizabeth Marian Tilyard and was knighted in 1976. He died in Blackpool aged 93. He had a successful career in the city's Stock Exchange. He attended Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow...
. It specialises in offering half-board and self-catering holidays with regular entertainment on offer. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalet
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
s. The company once grew to be a major operator of seaside holiday accommodation, but has now shrunk considerably. Their slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
was "All your want-ins at Pontins".
On 12 November 2010, Pontin's Limited entered administration but was bought in January 2011 by Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd, a Jersey-based investment vehicle with links to the Britannia Hotels Ltd
Britannia Hotels
Britannia Hotels is a United Kingdom based hotel company with 37 hotels across the country. Britannia operates at the budget end of the market, with hotels varying in price and star ratings around the country...
group.
History
Fred PontinFred Pontin
Sir Frederick William Pontin was born in Walthamstow, the son of Frederick William Pontin and Elizabeth Marian Tilyard and was knighted in 1976. He died in Blackpool aged 93. He had a successful career in the city's Stock Exchange. He attended Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow...
opened the first holiday camp in 1946 on the site of a former US World War II army base, gradually expanding his empire to 30 sites at one point.
In 1978 the company was sold to Coral in a UK£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
56 million deal. In 1980, Coral (including Pontins) was taken over by Bass Brewing
Bass (beer)
The Bass Brewery was founded as a brewery in 1777 by William Bass in Burton upon Trent, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, which was once the highest selling beer in the UK...
who later disposed of the Pontinental side of the business. In 1987, Pontins was sold to a management buyout team led by Trevor Hemmings
Trevor Hemmings
Trevor James Hemmings CVO is a British businessman, he was born in London, and grew up in Leyland, Lancashire He currently resides in the Isle of Man, but has homes in Jersey and Ireland....
, whose construction firm had originally built the holiday centre at Southport. It was sold yet again in 1989, this time to Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle plc was a "long alcoholic drinks" company with positions in 15 countries, including UK, France and Russia. It was headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. In the last 20 years, S&N expanded significantly from its home base to become an international business with beer...
. Over the next ten years the company closed or sold a number of sites. In a three-year programme in the mid-1990s, the remaining camps were modernised. In 2000 the company, which now owned only eight camps, was sold back to Hemmings. In 2008, the company was sold to Ocean Parcs for £46million. Wall Park holiday centre was not included in the sale, and, in January 2009, Pontin's announced the closure of its Hemsby holiday centre. Pontin's Blackpool in Squires Gate closed in October 2009 leaving five parks still trading under the Pontin's brand.
Pontins headquarters were relocated to the Southport Holiday Park, which is located on the coast at Ainsdale-on-Sea, close to the village of Ainsdale. From the original Hemmings buy-out until then the headquarters were located at Sagar House in the village of Eccleston, Lancashire
Eccleston, Lancashire
-Mr.Asia's Murder:Christopher Marty Johnstone was a New Zealand drug trafficker. The former Takapuna Grammar pupil was dubbed "Mr Asia" by the Auckland Star newspaper in August 1978 in a series of articles by Pat Booth....
, but the Southport Holiday Centre had always had provision for the establishment of emergency offices as part of Pontins' disaster recovery planning.
In September 2009, Pontins announced plans for a five-year multi-million investment plan for the remaining five parks. Refurbishment work completed in 2010 included a new half board restaurant and real ice skating rink at the Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, along with a new roller skating rink at the Brean Sands Holiday Park.
In November 2010, Pontins announced they had gone into administration. No jobs were lost and customers were still able to go on holiday. A spokesman from the chairman of Pontins said that the company would continue to trade during this time and that it would be getting help to move the company out of administration.
On 28 January 2011 KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
announced that Britannia Hotels
Britannia Hotels
Britannia Hotels is a United Kingdom based hotel company with 37 hotels across the country. Britannia operates at the budget end of the market, with hotels varying in price and star ratings around the country...
Group was now the new owner of Pontins Holidays. Alex Langsam, owner of Britannia Hotels, has since announced a £25 million investment programme, with the intention of refocusing Pontins as themed seaside destinations, taking inspiration from Disney theme parks.
The subsequent report by the administrators at KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
reveals that Alex Langsam's vehicle, Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited, had made the highest of 14 bids for the Pontin's business, amounting to £18.5m. This consisted of £14.5m for the five holiday parks, plus a further £4m for intellectual property and assets, including £2.4m for the trading name Pontin's. The largest of the creditors to lose out was Santander bank with a residual deficit of £27m. The total deficiency to all creditors was expected to be around £40m.
In September 2011, the Southport Camp provided accommodation for students at Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...
.
Current resorts
Pontins currently owns and operates five resorts (known as "parks") in the United Kingdom.- Camber SandsCamber SandsFor historical information on the area, see Camber articleCamber Sands is a beach at the village of Camber , East Sussex, England...
, East SussexEast SussexEast Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:... - AinsdaleAinsdaleAinsdale-on-Sea is a village in the borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated three miles south of Southport, of which it is a suburb. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 12,723.-Prior to 1600:...
SouthportSouthportSouthport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, MerseysideMerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool... - PrestatynPrestatynPrestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
Sands, DenbighshireDenbighshireDenbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, North WalesNorth WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England... - Brean Sands, Burnham-on-SeaBurnham-on-SeaBurnham-on-Sea is a town in Somerset, England, at the mouth of the River Parrett and Bridgwater Bay. Burnham was a small village until the late 18th century, when it began to grow because of its popularity as a seaside resort. It forms part of the parish of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge...
, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the... - Pakefield, LowestoftPakefieldPakefield is a suburb of the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Pakefield is located around 2 miles south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms a suburb of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was until 1934 a village and parish in its own right....
, SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
Former resorts
These are a list of former Pontins resorts in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that have either closed or been sold off.- Barton Hall, TorquayTorquayTorquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
now a PGLPGL (company)PGL Travel Ltd. is a company established in 1957 by Peter Gordon Lawrence and is a provider of school activity courses and summer camps for children in the United Kingdom. It is a part of the Holidaybreak group.- Overview :...
site (children's activity holidays) (formerly 3D Education) - Bay View, BrixhamBrixhamBrixham is a small fishing town and civil parish in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Brixham is at the southern end of Torbay, across the bay from Torquay, and is a fishing port. Fishing and tourism are its major industries. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of...
, Devon - BlackpoolBlackpoolBlackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire – Closed 2 October 2009 and currently under demolition. Site will be developed as housing - Bracklesham Bay, ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, West SussexWest SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming... - Broadreeds, SelseySelseySelsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about seven miles south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea...
, West Sussex - Buckleigh Place, Westward Ho!Westward Ho!Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
, Devon - Dolphin Holiday Village, BrixhamBrixhamBrixham is a small fishing town and civil parish in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Brixham is at the southern end of Torbay, across the bay from Torquay, and is a fishing port. Fishing and tourism are its major industries. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of...
, Devon - Homelea Holiday Camp, Brixham, Devon
- HemsbyHemsbyHemsby is a village, civil parish and seaside resort in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some north of the town of Great Yarmouth....
, NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
– Closed January 2009 - Jersey Holiday Village, Portelet Bay, JerseyJerseyJersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
- Little Canada, WootonWootonWooton may refer to:*Wooton desk*Wooton Rivers*Elmer Otis Wooton, botanist*Ernest Wooton, Louisiana politician...
, Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
now a PGLPGL (company)PGL Travel Ltd. is a company established in 1957 by Peter Gordon Lawrence and is a provider of school activity courses and summer camps for children in the United Kingdom. It is a part of the Holidaybreak group.- Overview :...
site (children's activity holidays) (formerly 3D Education) - Middleton Tower, HeyshamHeyshamHeysham is a large coastal village near Lancaster in the county of Lancashire, England. Overlooking Morecambe Bay, it is a ferry port with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland. Heysham is the site of two nuclear power stations which are landmarks visible from hills in the surrounding area...
, Lancashire - Osmington Bay, Weymouth, DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
now a PGLPGL (company)PGL Travel Ltd. is a company established in 1957 by Peter Gordon Lawrence and is a provider of school activity courses and summer camps for children in the United Kingdom. It is a part of the Holidaybreak group.- Overview :...
site (children's activity holidays) (formerly 3D Education) - Plemont Bay, Jersey
- Riviera Chalet Hotel, Bowleaze CoveBowleaze CoveBowleaze Cove is a small sand and shingle beach, near the village of Preston, just to the northeast of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The beach is a popular family beach during the summer season and it has a slipway for launching small craft including jet skis...
, near PrestonPreston, DorsetPreston is a coastal village and suburb of Weymouth in south Dorset, England. It is approximately north-east of Weymouth town centre and west of the village of Osmington....
, Weymouth, Dorset - Sand Bay, Weston-super-MareWeston-super-MareWeston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, North Somerset, now operating as a private concern, almost exactly 'as was', focus on older couples rather than familly holidays. - Sands Hotel, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, North Wales
- Seacroft, HemsbyHemsbyHemsby is a village, civil parish and seaside resort in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some north of the town of Great Yarmouth....
, Norfolk - South Devon, PaigntonPaigntonPaignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
, Devon - South DownsSouth DownsThe South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
, Bracklesham BayBracklesham BayBracklesham Bay is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, England. The bay looks out onto the English Channel and the Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, as is the Nab Tower lighthouse and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.The bay is sandy and backed with...
, near ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings... - St Mary's Bay, Brixham, Devon now a Park Holidays UKPark Holidays UKPark Holidays UK operate 25 holiday parks in the south of England, with more sites than any other Holiday Park operator along the South Coast. All of the parks have been graded by VisitBritain quality in Tourism, and have achieved ratings of up to 4 stars...
site - Torbay Chalet Hotel, Paignton, Devon
- Tower Beach, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, North Wales
- Trabolgan, County CorkCounty CorkCounty Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(still opened as "Trabolgan Holiday Village") - Wick Ferry, ChristchurchChristchurch, DorsetChristchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, Dorset - Wall Park, Brixham, Devon
Bluecoats
Bluecoats are, like their redcoat counterparts at the Pontin's competitor ButlinsButlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
, both guest hosts and often entertainers:
- Shane RichieShane RichieShane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
, actor - Helen ChamberlainHelen ChamberlainHelen Marie Chamberlain is an English television presenter.She previously worked as a holiday camp entertainer and Disc Jockey before working on a variety of radio and television programmes...
, TV presenter - Nyle WolfeNyle WolfeNyle Wolfe , trained as a singer at the Cork School of Music and the Leinster school of Music & Drama Dublin. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music London with the conservatory's highest academic award and won a scholarship to complete his studies at the Zurich Opera House...
, opera singer - Bobby DavroBobby DavroBobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
, TV game show host - Lee CarrollLee CarrollLee Carroll is an American channeller, speaker and author.Originally an audio engineer, Carroll claims that he began to channel communication with an entity from a higher dimension called Kryon in 1989...
, TV host and scriptwriter - Scott Bruton, X Factor finalist
- Lisa Scott Lee, singer/dancer
- Lee MackLee MackLee Gordon McKillop is an English stand-up comedian and actor, known by the stage name Lee Mack. He is well known in the United Kingdom for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on Would I Lie to You? and for hosting Lee Mack's All Star Cast.-Personal life:Mack...
, stand-up comedian and actor
Popular culture
- The 1973 British film Holiday On The BusesOn The BusesOn the Buses was a British situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney which was broadcast in the UK from 1969 to 1973. The writers' previous successes with The Rag Trade and Meet the Wife were for the BBC, but the Corporation rejected On the Buses, not seeing much comedy potential...
was filmed at and set in the Pontins Prestatyn resort. The same venue hosts professional snooker each year. Prestatyn Sands also hosts the Pontin's annual Brass Band Festival http://www.4barsrest.com/results/pontins.asp; the finals have always been held in this location, historically the qualifying rounds were held in other Pontin's centres. - Carol Lee Scott A.K.A GrotbagsGrotbagsGrotbags is the name of a fictional witch who was a popular fixture on British children's television during the 1980s and early 1990s. A character sculpted very much in the mould of the traditional pantomime villain, Grotbags has always been played by actress and singer Carol Lee Scott in a...
used to perform cabaret throughout different Pontins sites in the 1960s and 70's. - Pontin's are long-term sponsors of reserve football leagues in England.
- Pontin's at Hemsby was host to the annual Bloc WeekendBloc WeekendNow in its 5th year, Bloc is firmly established as a truly international music festival devoted to electronic music of all genres including electro, hip hop, IDM, techno, House music, reggae, drum and bass and dubstep, and incorporates both DJ sets and live shows...
music festival. - Princes Theatre at Pontin's Blackpool was used as the base for Most Haunted Live 12, in December 2004.
External links
- Pontin's.com
- Pontin's Memories
- Bygone Butlins Forum Weekly updated pictures of the Blackpool Demolition