Skegness

What images are conjured up by the name of ‘Skegness’?

A queue of traffic stretching towards Lincolnshire’s most popular seaside resort?… More fish and chip shops than you can count on 6 hands?… the numerous caravan parks?… or Butlin’s holiday camp?

The railways made Skegness, just as they did so many other British seaside resorts. The familiar picture of a fisherman bounding along with the slogan ‘Skegness is so bracing!’ was originally a railway poster by John Hassall (1908) and has become an enduring emblem of the town.

Billy Butlin was the next individual that should take credit for Skegness’s tourism industry. After making his fortune by opening a chain of seaside amusement parks in resorts such as Mablethorpe, Hayling Island and Bognor, Butlin opened his first holiday camp at Skegness in Easter 1936, with admissions rising from 500 per week to 1,000 per week by June of that year (Butlin, 1982: 107). This holiday camp still survives whereas other Butlin camps at Filey and Clacton have folded.

The other most popular way to holiday in Skegness is in a caravan. As Walton argues, Skegness saw a decrease in ‘serviced bedspaces’ between 1950 and 1998, but ‘gained more than 15,000 caravans over the same period’, and saw a boom due to second holidays, and self-catering at the turn of the 80s and 90s. (Walton, 2000: 69).

Like Blackpool, Skegness appears to be a resort that acknowledges the working-class tastes of its consumers. The visitors guide usually has the resort’s nickname ‘Skeggy’ unpretentiously emblazoned across its front cover. Comic T-shirts refer to the town as 'Skeg Vegas'.

In summer 2016 I returned to Skegness after an interval of many years. I found that very little had changed since childhood. The sands were still reassuringly crowded with families, there were still plenty of places to buy fish and chips, and the delicious egg custards that aunty enjoyed were still bigger in the Skeggy bakeries than anywhere else on earth.

A Hillbilly shooting gallery that I’d last played in the 1990s was still here, firing water back at those sure-shots who managed to hit a target. One thing which did stand out as being new were the stalls openly selling alcoholic slush! This is a beverage which will cool you off and send you tipsy after sunbathing on the sands all day. 

Slush, fish and chips, donuts and the midday sun will force you to retire to your caravan for a much needed late afternoon nap... 

Further reading:

Butlin, Billy, 1982, The Billy Butlin Story, A Showman to the End, London: Robson Books.

Kerry, Matthew, 2012, The Holiday and British Film, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan

Walton, John K., 2000, The British Seaside, Holidays and Resorts in the Twentieth Century, Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Cromer Official Guide, 1965 (Part 3)

Where to Stay

I've been reading about Cromer in the 1960s. In my previous two blog posts I revealed how to travel there by train or coach, and what attractions would be there to tempt visitors to the North Norfolk coast.

In this post I'll take a look into the accommodation.

The Cromer Official Guide from 1965 gives us lots of information about the hotels, guest houses, apartments and caravan parks that were in the town at the time. Some are still thriving today. We can also get an idea about the latest facilities that landlords and landladies mentioned in their advertisements to entice the holidaymaker and reassure them that their establishment was the place to stay!

The Grand (see advertisement above)

'Cromer's finest hotel', This was an imposing structure built in the late 1800s and overlooking the sea. At the time this guide was published, the hotel’s days were numbered. It was demolished 5 years later after a fire.

Hotel de Paris and The Regency

The Hotel de Paris is a beautiful Art Nouveau building directly overlooking the pier. This hotel is now popular with coach parties. It features heavily in the 2012 film In Love With Alma Cogan, which was shot on location in Cromer. In 1965 it advertised itself as 'the leading Cromer hotel'. The Regency is the building adjacent to the Hotel de Paris. The ground floor (formerly the Dolphin pub) is now home to the Craft Burger restaurant.

The Red Lion and the Cambridge

The Red Lion Hotel offered free golf to its guests in 1965 and had hot and cold water in all rooms, as well as central heating.

Its next door neighbour, The Cambridge had an unrivalled position facing the sea, and recommended that its guests book early! Like several of the hotels at Cromer, it offered to book beach huts and tents for its customers.

The advertisement for Bedford House shows an ‘actual view from lounge and bedroom windows’ and offered ‘interior sprung mattresses'. Its ‘moderate terms’ were from 7 and a half guineas.

The advert for El Turista on Cabbell Road also proudly displays the view from the hotel, as well as a photograph of its dining room set ready for a ‘first class’ meal. Interior sprung mattresses and an attractive television lounge were on offer here, as well as a bar.

For luxury and comfort, however, the Colne House Hotel was hard to beat. The advertisement for the Colne boasts two tennis courts, croquet, a maple sprung dance floor and film shows!

If you have holidayed in Cromer recently, it is possible that you may have stayed in one of the following establishments that are still open today:

The Grove, Virginia Court, or the nearby Northrepp's Cottage.

Royal Links Caravan Park

In 1965, a Caravan Park was advertised near to Happy Valley and the Royal Links golf course. There is no caravan park here any more. They have been replaced by some red brick holiday homes at Cromer Country Club.

Perhaps you are the type of holidaymaker who prefers to stay in a holiday flat, rather than a hotel or caravan, such as the Furness or Seafield Holiday Flats? The latter offered a baby-sitting service in 1965.

If you were staying in a flat or caravan and had forgotten to take a portable radio with you, then you could have hired one from John B. Postle’s shop in Mount Street. Postle’s electrical shop is now on Church Street, as is 'K’ Hardware, which also featured in the brochure from the mid ‘60s (see above).

It is quite clear to see from The Cromer Official Guide, that this was ‘a lively little town’ ... [and still is].

As the guide points out:

‘This is a town of character, with the history written all over it of a rise from an ancient and tiny fishing town to a fashionable Victorian and now to a twentieth century seaside resort’ (page 6). 

Quotes and images from Cromer Official Guide, 1965, published by the Cromer Advertising Association, Urban District Council.

HOLIDAY FILMOGRAPHY PART 3 (1914 - 1930)

A baby in the luggage rack of a crowded train en route to Blackpool in Hindle Wakes (1927)

1914:

Oh What a Day! Hepworth, Directed by (Hay Plumb). Comedy. Holiday husband loses ticket and hides in trunk.

Winky Goes Camping, Bamforth (YSA) Directed by Cecil Birch. Cast: Reggie Switz. Comedy.

Fun on the Sands at Blackpool, AKA Fun at the Seaside, Blackpool Town Hall (KTC). Cast: August, September, E Hannaford, E Alrag. Comedy. Family’s misadventures at Blackpool beach and funfair.

1915:

The Painted Lady Betty. Hepworth. Directed by Frank Wilson. Cast: Tom Powers, Alma Taylor, Chrissie White. Romance. Lyme Regis.

Oh My! Bamforth (YCC) Directed by Cecil Birth. Cast: Reggie Switz. Comedy. Hotel porter causes confusion by exchanging room numbers.

Winky (Reggie Switz - on the right) and friends in Sharps and Flats (1915)

Winky's letter to his wife in Sharps and Flats (1915)

Adulterous draft-dodger Winky! Sharps and Flats (1915)

Sharps and Flats. Bamforth (YCC) Directed by Cecil Birth. Cast: Reggie Switz. Comedy. Winky avoids enlisting for the army and goes on a camping holiday with young floozies.

Pimple’s Holiday. Picadilly (Browne). Directed by Fred Evans. Cast: Joe Evans, Fred Evans. Comedy. Two men meet their wives on holiday at the Karsino.

Bertie’s Holiday. Moonshine (YCC). Cast: Bertie Wright. Comedy. Yokel dons clothes of his dude double.

Nipper’s Busy Holiday. Reissue: 1919, His Busy Holiday. (Globe) John Bull (Davidson). Cast: S Reginald, Lupino Lane. Comedy.

1916:

Silas at the Seaside. Picadilly (Browne). Directed Joe Evans. Cast: Joe Evans. Comedy. Bumpkin is robbed and takes job as Bath chair attendant.

1917:

Pimple’s Motor Tour. Picadilly (Walturdaw). Directed Fred Evans, Joe Evans. Cast: Fred Evans. Comedy.

Curly’s Holiday, Tower. Producer, Director J. F. Carr. Cast: J. F. Carr. Comedy. Blackpool. (In conjunction with £5 prize for discovering ‘Curly’ in audience).

1918:

Hindle Wakes, Diamond Super (Royal). (Adapted from Stanley Houghton’s 1912 play). Directed by Maurice Elvey. Cast: Norman McKinnel, Colette O’Neil. Romance. Blackpool.

Miss Mischief, Midland Actors. Directed by Max Leder. Cast: Phyllis Lea, Dorothy Brame, Bruce Channing. Comedy. Blackpool.

1920:

Trotter on the Trot, Southend Films. Directed Tom Aitken. Cast: Arthur Lenville, Irene Tripod. Comedy. Southend. Henpeck tries to elude wife at seaside.

Down on the Farm, Empire Comedies (Film Sales). Directed by Maurice Sandground. Cast: Charles Stevens, Muriel Sothern. Comedy. Man and chorus girl spend holiday on health farm.

Three Men in a Boat. Artistic. Directed by Challis Sanderson. (Novel Jerome K Jerome). Cast: Lionelle Howard, Manning Haynes, Johnny Butt. Comedy. Boating holiday.

The Holiday Husband. Alliance (Shaftsbury). Directed by A. C. Hunter. Cast: Harry Welchman, Irma Royce. Drama.

1921:

Pins and Needles, Gliddon d’ Eyncourt Productions. Directed by John Gliddon. Cast: Francis Innys, Elizabeth Brandt. Comedy. Margate. Man on motor scooter follows girl and saves her from cad.

Four Men in a Van, Reissue: 1925 (United; cut) Direct Film Traders/Titan. Directed by/Script by Hugh Croise. S (novel) ‘R. Andom’ (We Three and Troddles). Cast: Manning Haynes, Donald Searle, Moore Marriott. Comedy. Episodic misadventures of friends on caravan holiday.

1922:

Keeping Man Interested, Quality Plays (Walturdaw). Directed by George A. Cooper. Cast: Sydney N. Folker, Joan McLean. Comedy. Couple change minds about separate holidays and mistake each other for burglars.

1925:

The Only Man, Retitled: The Leading Man. Directed by Harry B. Parkinson. Cast: Moore Marriott. Comedy. Canvey Island. Wife catches husband flirting in bathing beauty contest.

Milestone Melodies, (Series). Reciprocity. P. G. B. Samuelson. Directed by Alexander Butler. Musical picturisations of lyrics. ‘I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside’.

1926:

Walter’s Day Out, British Super Comedies. (Wardour). Directed by James B. Sloan. Cast: Walter Forde. Comedy.

Laughing at a Donald McGill postcard in Hindle Wakes (1927)

1927:

Hindle Wakes, USA: Fanny Hawthorne. (Adapted from Stanley Houghton’s 1912 play). Produced by Maurice Elvey, Victor Saville. Directed by Maurice Elvey. Cast: Estelle Brody, John Stuart. Romance. Blackpool.

1928:

Weekend Wives, BIP (Wardour). Directed by Harry Lachman. Cast: Monty Banks. Comedy. Deauville.

1929:

The Three Kings, British and Foreign films (Silent). Directed by Hans Steinhoff. Cast: Henry Edwards, Evelyn Holt, Warwick Ward. Drama. Blackpool. Clown loves young housekeeper and saves her from fire caused by jealous lion-tamer.

Atlantic, (Trilingual). Reissue: 1935. BIP (Wardour). Producer/Directed E. A. Dupont. Cast: Madeleine Carroll. Drama. Transatlantic passenger liner strikes iceberg and sinks.

The Hate Ship, (Bilingual). Directed by Norman Walker. Cast: Jameson Thomas, Jean Colin. Crime. Son of murdered Russian count invites suspects on revenge cruise.




Bibliography:
Gifford, 2001, Catalogue of British Film