Gumshield to Greasepaint

A Butlins Celebration!

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Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. View or edit your browsing history. Frank Mansell, the then Entertainments Manager saw something in Andy that prompted him to offer the young man additional Redcoat duties.

And so Andy performed as a General Duty Redcoat during the day and theatre technician in the evening. He returned the following year and again in He came back in for a further three years completing six years with the company in - all of these years at Skegness. I tell you about Andy now because he passed away last Wednesday 27th.

November , surrounded by his family at the age of I never worked with Andy, although we were with the company at around the same time.

But I got to know him through his postings on the on-line Butlins Memories Forum. He wrote regularly, under the name 'Skegred', reminiscing and posting many photographs taken during his time at Skegness. I replied to some of his comments and during the last few years we became friends. There was mutual delight when we able to finally meet at a Redcoat Reunion in Scarborough in The point of all this is to show that of his 82 years, only six summers were spent at Butlins in Skegness; and yet he never forgot his time there or the people he met staff and campers alike.

It is the same for many of us, I was there for only five years, some for a shorter period and others longer. And yet the experience is the same - we became different people because of our time at Butlins.

We have never forgotten and we remember with affection the Andy Kings who have gone before. Another ex-Butlin Redcoat is Chris Whitelaw. Since the passing of Andy King, there has been much sadness among those of us who regularly contribute to 'Forever Butlins' , a Facebook Group dedicated to staff from all departments who have served the company over the years. Chris recently posted the following piece that he had composed.

It struck a nostalgic chord with most of us. I asked him permission to include the poem on this page and he graciously agreed. But that was all so long ago, decades now, and more Since we wore that blazer, and heard the crowds all roar. The theatres are all gone now, and weeds grow on the site, Where once the Butlin motto stood, "Our true intent's - for your delight". Copyright Chris Whitelaw. Some time ago, I was reading a short biography about Al Bowlly, the popular U. The Redcoats would line up in front of the bandstand and the campers, also in lines across the ballroom floor, arms linked and facing the Redcoats, sang along; legs gently kicking from side to side in time to the music.

The tradition began to die out in the early 's when the style of dance music changed along with the partying tastes of holidaymakers. The warm sense of camaraderie radiated by the singing of the evocative chorus resulted in the song being adopted by Pontins and other holiday camp organisations. But 'Goodnight Campers' is a Butlin song through and through. I believe its conception and perhaps even its actual birthplace was Butlin's at Clacton-on-Sea in The melody comes from a song written by English composer and song writer, Ray Noble in entitled 'Goodnight Sweetheart'.

This song was first recorded by Al Bowlly, who was singing and recording in the United States with Ray Noble's orchestra. At that time, Al Bowlly was Britain's biggest radio and recording star and could be said to be the U. Ray Noble became successful in America - and in demand. However the show already had singers and so Al Bowlly returned to England. Upon his return, Bowlly continued making records; often with the then popular Lew Stone Orchestra , and in joined the band for a summer season's engagement in the ballroom of Butlins Holiday Camp in Clacton.

Because of its romantic lyric and sentimental feel, it was the 'smoochy' song that was invariably played at the conclusion of an evening's dancing. Although played in 'slow-foxtrot' tempo, it was the the equivalent of a 'last waltz'.

Gumshield to Greasepaint

Having been introduced to the world by Al Bowlly during his time with Ray Noble, 'Goodnight Sweetheart' was Al's song and so it was only natural that he would perform it in the ballroom at Butlins with Lew Stone's band. No one seems to know exactly when or by whom the words were changed to 'Goodnight Campers'. Perhaps by Lew Stone or one of his musicians. Maybe even Al Bowlly, having fun with the holidaymakers, began playing with the words as the season progressed. Or perhaps as I prefer to think the new words were written by Billy Butlin himself, on seeing the warm and emotional effect that the song was having on his customers at the end of another wonderful day of entertainment.

It would be just like the man to recognise the value in taking one of the biggest hit songs of the time and changing the words to promote his own company. There is no doubt that seventy years on, in the subconscious minds of millions of people in Britain, when they hear the evocative tune, even without the words, they are transported back to the happy times of Butlins in their youth.

Goodnight Campers, I can see you yawning. Goodnight Campers, see you in the morning. You must cheer up for you'll soon be dead and I've heard it said that folks die in bed! So I'll say Goodnight Campers, don't sleep in your braces suspenders Goodnight Campers, put your teeth in Jeyes's a mild disinfectant Drown your sorrows Bring the bottles back tomorrow! I hope the above has awakened a few happy memories. I worked for Butlins for five years in the early 's and it feels like only last week!

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I mentioned earlier that I was employed in the Entertainments Department of Butlins in the early 's. However my first experience of Butlins was in yes that's right, !

Just as you will find on modern holidays, Butlins had produced a souvenir recording of some the songs and dances played in the Ballrooms. This music was sold on two 10" records and of course many families would buy them. Our copies were in my family for many years but unfortunately became either lost or broken with the number of our family house moves in the ensuing period and it wasn't until that I was able to source copies.

An interesting fact for Butlin historians, is that the M. You will find several references to Norman Bradford in the book, 'Here Come the Redcoats' , described earlier. In addition to 'Goodnight Campers', there were a number of songs that holidaymakers were encouraged to sing - 'The Hi-De-Hi' Song , 'Penny on the Drum' and the ' Song' were particularly catchy. Holidaymakers attached themselves - 'Conga' like - to the Redcoats who, after a couple of circuits around the bar would lead everyone outside - where the line would disperse and folk slightly the worse for wear! Will You Please Put a Penny on the Drum on the drum Please put a penny on the drum on the drum We only want a tanner to buy a new pianna so please put a penny on the drum.

Come and join us, come and join us, come and join our happy party. Come and join us, come and join us, come and join our happy throng. Penny on the Drum was not an original Butlin song - The late Stanley Holloway, actor and monologuist recorded the song in the early 's. I believe that the song was a gentle send-up of the Salvation Army who used to go into public houses, collecting for charity. Hi-de-Ho When things are looking gloomy and skies are dull and grey remember that the Sun will come and shine another day. So open up your faces wide and let me hear you say One, Two, Three, Four Who are we for?

You've heard our songs of Hi-de-Hi and Penny on the Drum. We've made you laugh, we've made you sing and you've had lots of fun! If any of you remember singing these songs - particularly the last two - then you must really be a good age! Recently, while in conversation with a colleague of the same period, I mentioned a tap routine performed by the dancers that was regarded as a De Vere 'Speciality.

It is a wonderful piece of music containing a variety of changes in time and tempo; and it is this melodious variety that lends itself so beautifully to the cleverly choreographed tap sequences.

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