Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

“All the best people come to Pontins” was the caption printed on a publicity brochure of Pontins, a British company operating holiday parks in the UK, founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin. It specializes in offering half-board and self-catering holidays featuring entertainment at resorts, or "holiday parks", as they have branded them. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalets (which Pontins calls "apartments").

Fred Pontin opened his first holiday camp just after the Second World War (during which he had established hostels for construction workers in Scotland and in England) when he took advantage of a former U.S. army base at Brean Sands near Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. The ex-stockbroker, who had left school at fifteen without qualifications, had not the £23,000 to buy it. Instead, Pontin formed a syndicate, in which he held 50% control, to own the camp. Within a year he had six camps. Over the years he bought more camps and personally ran them for a year, before selling them to the syndicate. Twenty-five years later, at its peak, the company was running twenty-two holiday camps with a million visitors a year.

Park Hall, Charnock Richard

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Tower Beach Holiday Camp, Prestatyn

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Tower Beach Holiday Camp, Prestatyn

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Tower Beach Holiday Camp, Prestatyn

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Tower Beach Holiday Camp, Prestatyn

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins St Mary’s Bay Holiday Camp, Brixham

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Torbay Chalet Hotel, Marldon, Paignton

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

South Devon, Paignton

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Barton Hall

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Blackpool Holiday Camp

 

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Dolphin, Brixham

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Camber Sands

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Hemsby Holiday Camp

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Bay View Holiday Camp, Brixham

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Southport Holiday Camp

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Wick Ferry Holiday Camp, Christchurch.

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Wall Park Holiday Camp, Brixham

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Prestatyn Holiday Camp

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Prestatyn Holiday Camp

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins Plemont Bay Holiday Camp, Jersey

 

Vintage Brochures of Pontins Holiday Camps in the ‘80s

Pontins South-Downs Holiday Centre Bracklesham Bay