TONY
WALKER
Butlins Minehead opened in 1962, so we are delighted to have these photos from that first season.
What I loved
about being a Redcoat
Day to Day The
day started at
breakfast with a general
announcement of the day's programs, which became war between the
dinning
rooms as they were divided into houses forming a competitive reaction.
Children's
daytime would involve Treasure Hunts, talent shows, games, ping-pong,
and
varied games to tire them out, so mums and dads could have some fun on
their
own.
Daytime
activities
consisted of tub races in the
pool; snooker comps; sing-songs in the Pig and Whistle; then afternoon
rep
in the rep' theatre.
Following
the evening meal
there would be, depending
on the day, Redcoat shows or visiting stars as feature acts. Some
Redcoats
would support these star attractions.
Dancing would be in session in the main ballroom, where general duty Redcoats would dance with the campers from early to late evening, when all the Redcoats would line up in front of the stage and sing the 'Goodnight Campers' song, with campers joining in the spirit of the night.
Awake
by 7.30 am for the
call to breakfast 'Good
morning campers!! breakfast will be served in the dining room at 7.30
am
first sitting.' Bed about 11pm - never tired, just exhausted from
enjoyment.
"The Human Cannonball"
This was comedy, Sunday night, in the Princess Ballroom, a grand parade of the Cannon Revue Girls, and Professor Matt von Hitreicht and, of course the HUMAN CANNON BALL - Pierre du Pont. Following the parade, an attempt would be made to fire the cannon with Pierre inside, a misfire, and he would be extracted in a cloud of smoke. This would be repeated each night until Friday when - success!! the head of the human cannonball would appear in the catching net and the cannon ball would stagger across the ballroom minus his head.
Yes,
it was hairy. I used
to get flash burns when
the flash-powder backfired and, when I had to be pulled from the cannon
on
a miss-fire, my knees and belly could receive little burns - but it was
fun.
The End is Nigh End
of the week; saying
goodbye to the campers;
and really did not like the fact that the season was ending and we
would
have to return to the real world.
Tony Walker |