sir september june british south_africa born entrepreneur synonymous british holiday camp holiday camps warner existed form opened turned holiday camps pound industry important aspect british culture born cape_town south_africa william turbulent childhood parents separated seven returned england mother spent years following grandmother family fair country mother sold exposing young skills commerce entertainment mother emigrated canada leaving care aunt years settled toronto mother invited join canada struggled fit school soon left job toronto department store world war enlisted war returned england bringing investing money hire stall travelling uncle fair discovered giving customers better chance win brought custom quickly successful stall including prominent locations london soon able purchase equipment started travelling fair proved successful opened static years expanded empire time idea increase number patrons site providing accommodation holiday camp opened followed years later plans open cut short outbreak second world war war advantage complete holiday camp construct camps training camps reclaimed war post war boom opened camps buying hotels time retired allowed hundreds thousands self contained vacation variety entertainment early life born cape colony modern day south_africa father born june son clergyman mother born march member family travelling met young age parents working country fair william attended december married marriage considered socially acceptable gloucestershire lived emigrated south_africa william founded bicycle shop try family children brother known marriage failed mother returned england children rejoined family near bristol short time harry contracted died march time joined mother travelling fair circuit autobiography recorded mother remarried emigrated canada passenger lists period travelling toronto montreal years cousin boarded widow bristol december mother returned married mother stepfather asked join toronto canada unhappy school canada mocked english accent left school fourteen eventually got job messenger boy largest department store best aspects working company able visit summer camp gave taste real holiday taste big life later transferred advertising department drew black white studying night school twice week world war volunteered somewhat reluctantly service knowing army riders intended volunteer service category knowledge application declined receive volunteered badge actions actually having serve applying forgot tell intention consequently allocated taking fighting western subsequently posted battalion december papers date birth actual allowing enlist time papers occupation suit case maker papers later stated selected serve deployment europe transferred battalion sent england england stationed near deployed france france took second battle battles second battle france served bearer war returned england aboard cattle ship arriving england capital way devon uncle known purchased stall hill ran successfully later interviews claimed accidentally corners blocks observers sunday herald report intentionally displaying logic business sense case actions allowed patrons higher success rate approximately ring brought custom fellow stall holders contrast average game odds approximately ring ring game stall gave profit customer competitors increase business gave bigger overall profit theirs moved london set successful stall outside run end season successful afford bring mother widowed canada start empire amusement parks years toured country leaving mother run site soon travelling fair visiting country opened permanently sited stalls wales leased piece land earl seaside town land set amusement park stalls tower slide haunted house scenic railway secured exclusive licence sell cars europe britain available park bought activities continued expand included zoo featuring lions african village opened similar corner named recreation shelter following year opened zoo nearby featured polar bears time opened amusement park neighbouring village known park 1930s amusement parks opened continued operate winter fair time soon added winter hall edinburgh hall glasgow existing parks attached providing source revenue amusement park business continued expand post war period gained sole contract supply glasgow war continued open amusement parks holiday camps time idea holiday camp seen way seaside resorts literally push families meals regardless weather idea providing holiday accommodation encouraged holiday makers stay site provided entertainment meals opened camp near april easter eve officially opened woman fly solo england australia advertisement costing thousand placed announced opening camp inviting public book week holiday advertisement offered holidays meals day free entertainment week board cost shillings according time year camp opened realised guests engaging activities way planned kept looked bored asked engaged engineer constructing camp duty entertaining guests series ice breakers jokes end night camp atmosphere born point entertainment heart night decided camp work require people carry job role conceived autobiography refers second camp architect drawn plans camp created plans behalf ltd second camp essex winter camp government housing children evacuated germany programme writers speakers discussing programme claim camp constructed operated camp season suggests closed summer time camp opened refugees suggest december camp run company board time advertised associated early 1940s putting rail packages camp proposed new holiday camp sea essex council local association hotels idea boarding house keepers persuade took members council people appreciated holiday camp soon won learnt local traders seen initial dip custom construction followed rise visited town seasonal workers come spend pay approved council construction began camp opened january turned business limited company ltd took decision form company means raise finance new camps february company published ahead public sale shares shares available sold entirely minutes world war years outbreak second world war camps use training camps ministry needed camps contracted build agreed condition purchase sites war use holiday camps ministry agreed opened war dealing sites asked business competitor complete construction purchased hotel barn like camps time develop war years number camps royal_navy shore establishments training establishment petty officers hms scotia considered use prisoner war camp later training site recruited asked look causes low morale workers britain munitions factories stop found barbed wire fences house workers gave feeling interned knowledge experience gained setting holiday camps able activities systems boost morale led appointment director general position introduced games entertainment similar holiday camps included drives amateur theatrical productions cinema encouraged workers continue taking holiday home arranging travelling visit towns holiday week appointment role gave cause concern quarters questions asked secretary nature involvement appointment voluntary salary expenses consideration suitable candidates late war allied advance western europe following normandy landings approached general asked help set leave centres starting brussels club concept quickly spread western europe providing entertainment servicemen women awarded wartime service post war expansion war apparent holiday camps britain damaged troop occupation situation bad questions raised parliament camps relatively unscathed damaged troop occupation opened early post war boom saw opportunities foreign shores opened camps soon republic ireland grand ways identical existing successful camps ireland seen feared embraced number complaints appeared warning holiday camps english idea desirable like camps designed church given catholic chapel resident priest given irish nationals priority british tourists booking holidays july camp finally opened minister social welfare operated successfully camp early 1980s ambitious plan thought trip bahamas seeing potential camp warmer formed company sir bought land purchased princess hotel bermuda fort beach hotel nassau camp intended complete open new years day investment million million camp opened partially complete winter celebrate opening ran mystery flight guests paid taken flight resort informed advance remain celebrating long required million million complete camp matters worse american tourists holiday camp mentality venture held little interest attempt save camp sold hotel american firm november subsidiary company handling caribbean resort ordered wound court admitted defeat focused efforts europe late 1940s successfully opened hotels outside camps saw opportunity expand market began acquiring hotels camps 1960s began create series new camps opened remained empire 1980s remain company today july planned open holiday camp flooding ready offered patrons chance sited stay help complete camp construction number opted stay help received free bottle champagne reward opened camp quickly popular day visitors winter began work camp site opened public having cost million construct decade attractions added site miniature railway added inspiration holiday empire come holiday twenties locked day finally decided build smallest camps took year lease point building work began winter gates opened june retired camp opening management later life growing lived aunt later life able purchase desirable property years living bishops avenue house court purchased sold moved property square remained property 1950s 1960s retired handing running company son bobby hostile takeover bid november decide come retirement capacity consultant father help bobby takeover returned retirement launched friendly takeover million million son agreed accept retirement forced informed total rate income tax pay coming year income took decision london home permanent resident island jersey financially beneficial jersey fixed rate income tax remained resident jersey death june aged buried parish grave shaped represent double bed actively engaged charity work set bill charitable trust donated million set trust help cases police officers fatally injured active duty public support fund grew firstly eventually million return received honours having hybrid tea rose following footsteps great uncle sir eminent surgeon awarded award services dance personal life remained close mother following canada arranging come home death stepfather died saw holiday camp contrast makes mention biography father returning canada public records south_africa father remained cape_town rest life dying 1920s staying devon working met born family owned local fish chip shop couple married gave signing register death registered early 1930s marriage broken separated soon met fell love niece born refused grant divorce death free marry surprised life wedding day second marriage lasted months fallen love time refused grant divorce divorce law having changed able divorce marry remained death children marriages born robert born known cherry born born known billy born born obituary records william baby fifth birthday local newspaper noted invited friends father holiday camp party little reference time listed father grave living siblings died age year second wife died died cancer robert took father running company died lung cancer december lives jersey runs clothes shop daughter subject court case establish grandfather estate actress media references listed member eclectic fictional orchestra dog band recording intro credited playing notes websites news journals
Billy Butlin