Redcoats (Butlins)
Encyclopedia
Redcoat is the name given to frontline staff at Butlins
holiday camp
s. A Redcoat may have many duties ranging from adult entertainer or children's entertainer to stewarding
.
opened his first Butlins in Skegness
he realised that the his guests were not engaging with activities in the way he had envisioned, most kept to themselves, and others look bored. He asked Norman (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 Butlins atmosphere was born. From that point on, entertainment was the very heart of Butlins
.
The same night Butlin decided that for his camp to work he would require an army of people to carry out the same job as Norman, and the role of Redcoat was formed.
s with white lapels and the famous Redcoat uniform was born. The first uniforms were made by Billie Ditchfield who became one of the first two female Redcoats (The other was Kay Berry).
Over the years the uniform has changed several times, but has always retained the core component of a red blazer (despite a proposal to replace them with red jumpsuits in the 1970s). In the 1960s and 1970s, braid and badges were added to the blazers. Famous designers such as Jeff Banks
and Zandra Rhodes
have redesigned the uniforms. The current uniform, launched in January 2011 to mark Butlins 75th anniversary, is very similar to the original design consisting of Red Blazer with dark braiding and a badge with the letters "BHC" on (standing for "Butlins Holiday Camps") and white trousers or skirt. Redcoats now have two uniforms, the traditional formal uniform (called their number 1's) and a new casual outfit (their number 2's) to match their additional role as children's entertainers.
In 1999 Butlins Introduced the now defunct Butlins ‘Academies of Excellence’ to train new Redcoats. However, this has since been replaced with a 6 week training course. There is also the option of a foundation degree in either musical theatre, or Technical Skills for the Arts and Leisure Industry Training includes aspects of direction and production and time spent as a Butlins Redcoat counts toward membership of Equity
.
' holiday camps should adopt the Greencoat.
was a docusoap following the lives of Redcoats at Butlins Minehead
and Bognor
resorts. Over three series of 30minute episodes, it shows the selection process, the Redcoats entertaining the visitors and life behind the scenes. The series was made by Pilgrim Productions.
was written by former Butlins employees Jimmy Perry
(a Redcoat) and David Croft (summer show actor) featured the Yellowcoats as a fictional analogy. The title of the show "Hi-de-Hi" originated with Norman Bradford who claimed to have taken it from an American Film, he began using this as a cheer to which the audience spontaneously responded "Ho-de-Ho".
Another BBC television series Doctor Who
, featured an episode titled Delta and the Bannermen
set in the fictitious Shangri-La holiday camp (in reality the Butlins camp at Barry Island) as with the real camp Shangri-La was staffed with Redcoats played by extras.
notably performed on the Royal Variety Performance
in 1997 whilst still working as a Red coat, and in the past notable singers have had chart hits Clinton Ford
reached number 27 in 1959 with Old Shep
just after completing his final summer season at Pwllheli, however prior to this in 1957 Russ Hamilton
recorded a number 2 hit in the UK "We Will Make Love" (held off the top spot by Elvis Presley
and All Shook Up
) shortly after this he recorded a number 4 hit in the U.S. Billboard with the song "Rainbow", all the time Russ continued to entertain Butlins guests – and it was Billy Butlin himself who asked Russ to record "We Will Make Love" for the benefit of Butlins guests.
Of course there have been many more artists who have gone on to find greater success building on the skills they learned as a Redcoat; Des O'Connor
, Jimmy Tarbuck
, and Michael Barrymore
for instance. The role is such an important part of the entertainment and tourism culture of the United Kingdom
and even today former redcoats are regularly identified in the press and in books by this role even though it may only have been a small part of their overall career.
Butlins
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....
holiday camp
Holiday camp
Holiday camp, in Britain, generally refers to a resort with a boundary that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities.As distinct from camping, accommodation typically consisted of chalets – small buildings arranged either individually or in blocks. Some had three or four storeys,...
s. A Redcoat may have many duties ranging from adult entertainer or children's entertainer to stewarding
Stewardship
Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...
.
History
The first Redcoat was Norman Bradford. When Sir Billy ButlinBilly Butlin
Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin, , was a British, South Africa-born entrepreneur whose name is synonymous with the British holiday camp.American Heritage Dictionary 2004, p. 135.Scott 2001, p. 5...
opened his first Butlins in Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
he realised that the his guests were not engaging with activities in the way he had envisioned, most kept to themselves, and others look bored. He asked Norman (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 Butlins atmosphere was born. From that point on, entertainment was the very heart of Butlins
Butlins
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....
.
The same night Butlin decided that for his camp to work he would require an army of people to carry out the same job as Norman, and the role of Redcoat was formed.
Uniform
In order to make his new army to stand out, Butlin asked Norman to purchase a uniform. Norman later returned with a jacket in the camp colours of, blue, primrose yellow and white, however Butlin found the look to be too authoritarian and decided they should wear red blazerBlazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
s with white lapels and the famous Redcoat uniform was born. The first uniforms were made by Billie Ditchfield who became one of the first two female Redcoats (The other was Kay Berry).
Over the years the uniform has changed several times, but has always retained the core component of a red blazer (despite a proposal to replace them with red jumpsuits in the 1970s). In the 1960s and 1970s, braid and badges were added to the blazers. Famous designers such as Jeff Banks
Jeff Banks
Jeff Banks CBE is a Welsh designer of men's and women's clothing, jewellery, and home furnishings. Born in Ebbw Vale, Wales, Banks co-founded the fashion chain Warehouse in the late 1970s...
and Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes, CBE, RDI, is an English fashion designer.Zandra Rhodes was introduced to the world of fashion by her mother, who was a fitter in a Paris fashion house and a teacher at Medway College of Art, now the University for the Creative Arts. Rhodes studied first at Medway and then at the...
have redesigned the uniforms. The current uniform, launched in January 2011 to mark Butlins 75th anniversary, is very similar to the original design consisting of Red Blazer with dark braiding and a badge with the letters "BHC" on (standing for "Butlins Holiday Camps") and white trousers or skirt. Redcoats now have two uniforms, the traditional formal uniform (called their number 1's) and a new casual outfit (their number 2's) to match their additional role as children's entertainers.
Recruitment and training
The Redcoats are viewed as the elite of the entertainment staff and have to undergo a tough selection process. Recruitment roadshows are held nationally and prospective redcoats have to show potential in a range of fields including dancing and singing. In recent years the process has been compared to auditioning for the X-Factor.In 1999 Butlins Introduced the now defunct Butlins ‘Academies of Excellence’ to train new Redcoats. However, this has since been replaced with a 6 week training course. There is also the option of a foundation degree in either musical theatre, or Technical Skills for the Arts and Leisure Industry Training includes aspects of direction and production and time spent as a Butlins Redcoat counts toward membership of Equity
British Actors' Equity Association
Equity is the trade union for actors, stage managers and models in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1930 by a group of West End performers....
.
Roles
Redcoats work in three areas, General duties, the Kid's Club and the costume character team. General duties are similar to those of a tour rep in a resort - Butlins even describe the role as "The Original Holiday Rep" In the evening the Redcoats form part of the live entertainment team, starring in Gangshows and X-Factor style game shows. Throughout the years, Redcoats have been expected to lead ballroom dances, stage and judge competitions, and steward theatrical performances as well as meeting and greeting guests in public areas. Redcoats also run the various children's clubs which provide sporting activities, competitions and arts and crafts. Each redcoat will have many different roles to fulfil in any given week.Similar Staff
Whilst Butlins remained the largest holiday camp chain in the UK, smaller camps eventually copied the redcoat style of staffing, in the 1960s Fred Pontin adopted the Bluecoat to represent at Pontins holiday camps and at some point Harry Warner decided WarnersWarner Leisure Hotels
Warner Leisure Hotels is a private company owned by Bourne Leisure Limited who have 13 historical hotels located in various countryside and coastal regions of the UK....
' holiday camps should adopt the Greencoat.
Media Appearances
The ITV series Redcoats (tv series)Redcoats (TV series)
Redcoats was a docusoap which ran for three series of half hour episodes, originally aired between 2001–2003, which followed the daily lives and activities of Redcoats working at Butlins Holiday Resorts in the UK.- Production :...
was a docusoap following the lives of Redcoats at Butlins Minehead
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
and Bognor
Bognor
* Bognor Regis* Bognor Regis Town F.C., a football club* Bognor Regis and Littlehampton* Bognor Regis railway station* Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis* Bognor Regis Community College* Bognor , a British television series from 1981...
resorts. Over three series of 30minute episodes, it shows the selection process, the Redcoats entertaining the visitors and life behind the scenes. The series was made by Pilgrim Productions.
In fiction
The BBC television series Hi-de-Hi!Hi-de-Hi!
Hi-de-Hi! is a British sitcom that aired on the BBC from 1980-1988. It was set in a holiday camp during the 1950s and 1960s and was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had written Dad's Army and It Ain't Half Hot Mum. The title was the phrase used to greet the campers and in early episodes...
was written by former Butlins employees Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry OBE is an English writer, scriptwriter, producer, author and actor, most famous for devising and co-writing the BBC sitcoms Dad's Army with David Croft.-Education:...
(a Redcoat) and David Croft (summer show actor) featured the Yellowcoats as a fictional analogy. The title of the show "Hi-de-Hi" originated with Norman Bradford who claimed to have taken it from an American Film, he began using this as a cheer to which the audience spontaneously responded "Ho-de-Ho".
Another BBC television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, featured an episode titled Delta and the Bannermen
Delta and the Bannermen
-Preproduction:*This was the first three-part story since Planet of Giants , not counting the 3 x 45 minute episodes of The Two Doctors, which had been broadcast two years previously, and the first intended to be this length....
set in the fictitious Shangri-La holiday camp (in reality the Butlins camp at Barry Island) as with the real camp Shangri-La was staffed with Redcoats played by extras.
Notable Redcoats
A number of entertainers have been Redcoats in the early stages of their careers. Becoming a Redcoat is seen as a way into show business, as it allows a performer to become established as a professional for the purposes of joining the Equity trade union which then allows the performer to work freely throughout the industry. In exceptional cases a Redcoat may even become notable whilst in the employment of Butlins Stephen MulhernStephen Mulhern
Stephen Daniel Mulhern is a British TV presenter, entertainer, and former magician. He began presenting in the studio on CITV in May 1998 and became a leading presenter until he left in August 2002. He has presented a number of shows, including SMTV Live, Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown and...
notably performed on the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
in 1997 whilst still working as a Red coat, and in the past notable singers have had chart hits Clinton Ford
Clinton Ford (singer)
Clinton Ford was an English popular singer of the 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:He was born Ian George Stopford Harrison, in Salford, Lancashire....
reached number 27 in 1959 with Old Shep
Old Shep
"Old Shep" is a song by Red Foley and Arthur Willis about a dog Foley owned as a child . Foley and Willis wrote the song in 1933...
just after completing his final summer season at Pwllheli, however prior to this in 1957 Russ Hamilton
Russ Hamilton (singer)
Russ Hamilton was an English singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born as Ronald Hulme in Everton, Liverpool, he was one of the first singer-songwriters of pop music to have come out of the city, and he was the first Liverpool artist to hit the United States music scene with his song "Rainbow" several...
recorded a number 2 hit in the UK "We Will Make Love" (held off the top spot by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and All Shook Up
All Shook Up
"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to...
) shortly after this he recorded a number 4 hit in the U.S. Billboard with the song "Rainbow", all the time Russ continued to entertain Butlins guests – and it was Billy Butlin himself who asked Russ to record "We Will Make Love" for the benefit of Butlins guests.
Of course there have been many more artists who have gone on to find greater success building on the skills they learned as a Redcoat; Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
, Jimmy Tarbuck
Jimmy Tarbuck
Jimmy Tarbuck OBE or Tarby is an English comedian. Growing up he was a schoolmate of John Lennon.His first television show was It's Tarbuck 65! on ITV in 1964. He has also hosted numerous quiz shows, including Winner Takes All, Full Swing, and Tarby's Frame Game...
, and Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
for instance. The role is such an important part of the entertainment and tourism culture of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and even today former redcoats are regularly identified in the press and in books by this role even though it may only have been a small part of their overall career.
External links
- http://www.butlins-memories.com/other/redcoats.htm
- http://www.butlinsonline.co.uk/index.cfm?page=2265&wt.svl=582345
- http://www.butlinsonline.co.uk/media/studentpack2006.doc?wt.svl=588731
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4886610.stm
- http://www.thisistravel.co.uk/travel/news/Butlins-unveils-new-lookRedcoats-article.html?in_article_id=40267
- http://www.butlins-memories.com/other/faq/index.htm
- http://skegnessvideo.com/2010/11/first-butlin-redcoat-coined-hi-de-hi-catchphrase/ First Butlins Redcoat - coined Hi-De-Hi catchphrase