Pontins Brean Could Be Sold Off!!!!!!!

[phantom123456]

Link: http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2007/brean-pontins-takeover-19-11-07.shtml

I also heard they are talking to the company who own Haven Hoildays

[Bionic Redcoat]

Doesn't surprise me really, Pontins have been in decline for several years now (don't believe me, read some of the threads on here). Once Brean goes watch the others follow. I just hope they are taken over by a company that will breathe new life into them.

[iwastheretoo]

more caravans? I bet it will be. Maybe that wouldnt be a bad thing - it needs quite a bit of sprucing up there!

[butlins steve]

It will be a shame if pontins at brean is sold, we have had 2 really great holidays this year, and have a couple booked for next year, but the place realy does need some money spending on it.

[basguy1968]

Have any other pontins camps been sold or closed since the end of season.I thought there was 8 pontins sites there are 7 now, Link: http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2007/brean-pontins-takeover-19-11-07.shtml

I also heard they are talking to the company who own Haven Hoildays

[iwastheretoo]

not sure but had a quick look at website and you can book up to Dec 08.

[Disco Stu]

well if bourne brought it at least they would invest in it!

pontins has been decling for years, they need serious investment now!

[Cjm]

I don't think Brean is in danger this season but it appears Wall Park is.
It has disappeared from the Pontin's website and I did hear a rumour a year or two back that it had been sold. Will be a shame if it's true.

[Bionic Redcoat]

I don't think Brean is in danger this season but it appears Wall Park is.
It has disappeared from the Pontin's website and I did hear a rumour a year or two back that it had been sold. Will be a shame if it's true.

It seems strange that there are no Pontins camps in Torbay any more, as at one time there were seven: Barton Hall in Torquay, South Devon and Torbay Chalet Hotel in Paignton, and Dolphin, St. Marys, Wall Park and Bay View in Brixham.

I worked at three of them, and visited all of them, often on my nights off. There was something special about the warm, light, summer nights in Torbay I never found anywhere else in the country.

[Cjm]

I was a big fan of Dolphin and also liked St Mary's Bay. Did visit Wall Park once as well.
Yes it is strange because it's such a lovely area and they have some glorious weather down South.

[butlins steve]

When we were at pontins after xmas we were told that wall park was going to be in its own brochure, and as brean sands was the only one that made any money they were going to spend some money onit next year, watch this space.

[Smileysal]

Wonder if they'll make it adult exclusive and move all the adult sites to a different brochure, like Warner's did in the early 90's.

[Bionic Redcoat]

Wonder if they'll make it adult exclusive and move all the adult sites to a different brochure, like Warner's did in the early 90's.

I very much doubt it, as making a camp 'adult only' usually means over 60s only. Pontins made some of their smaller centres (Sand Bay, Riviera, Seacroft, Sands Hotel, South Downs) adult only at the start of the 1990s, whilst their larger centres were branded "Family Favourites". At the start of 1998 these smaller centres, and Barton Hall, were rebranded "Golden Breaks", and aimed at the retired. I was Guest Relations Manager at Barton Hall during the winter of 1997/98, and having previously been a Bluecoat there in 1984, I noticed that the place now seemed to be full of coach parties of old people. The problem with coach parties was that they were able to negotiate a very low tariff, and this had a knock on effect on the amount of money that was available to the centre as a whole for providing food, and other things included in the tariff. Add to this a low spend per head over the bars, and the centres start to struggle. In 1999 Trevor Hemmings bought the Family Favourites centres from Scottish & Newcastle, but not the other ones, which ceased to be Pontin centres, and were by sold to different companies. Barton Hall is now a childrens activity centre, and I think the others are run pretty much as they were by Pontins. But for how long?

I feel Pontins is in terminal decline. I take no pleasure in saying this as I have good memories of working there in the late 70s and 1980s. I live about a mile from the Blackpool camp, which is where I started my holiday camp career 31 years ago. It is now a shadow of its former self from what people have told me, which is a shame. I remember 2500 people all sitting down for meals at the same time, and four entertainment venues (Princes Theatre, Long Bar, Embassy Ballroom and Regency Ballroom) all offering a wide variety of entertainment for all ages. Add to this a boating lake, swimming pool, tennis courts and two games rooms, and there was something for everyone.

[BournePool]

As far as i'm aware the whole of the Pontins estate apart from wall park was sold somtime last year.

Wall park is supposed to be using Pontins branding for the 2008 season, and if you want to holiday there at the moment you need to call them.

[nite_owl_babe]

to me pontins was a copy remake of butlins, but with not more to offer,
and they only time you do get every thing included in your holiday at pontins, is when the kids are out of school, and that is when the prices go sky high.
i resently got a quote for 28/04/08 a 4 nite stay half board in club for ?325.
That was for 2 adults 2 children aged 11, 10 in blackpool halfboard, with fun pools included and meals plus evening entertainmet.
I can go to butlins for half that in the same time, and get funfair maid servise, day time goings on, with meals.
so to me even pontins cant match prices, even though at times butlins prices can be high, it just means shopping around and taking the cheapest quote

[butlins steve]

Weve just come back from a ?60 weekend at brean, and had a really fantastic time again, all the staff are so freindly and we were sad that the blues from last year had mostly gone but the new ones were great,pontins isint butlins but we always have a fantastic time there its just a shame it looks so run down.

[Butlins Lass]

Not been to Pontins Brean since I was 10 (a long, long time ago lol)

Have got a Mon-Fri (Sun Holiday) break booked in April so will be interesting to compare it to Butlins :)

[barryislandfan]

Not a fan of the camp at Brean after an awful break there in 2006. I think Pontins selling this off could be a good thing, but I bet the buyer isnt Haven, Unity have Brean stitched up and they might invest!

[Pushbutton]

Brean Sands is Pontins first ever camp, so given how many of them have closed or been sold to other companies over the years, I'm very impressed and pleased to see that it's still Pontins now.

[Martino]

It seems strange that there are no Pontins camps in Torbay any more, as at one time there were seven: Barton Hall in Torquay, South Devon and Torbay Chalet Hotel in Paignton, and Dolphin, St. Marys, Wall Park and Bay View in Brixham.

I worked at three of them, and visited all of them, often on my nights off. There was something special about the warm, light, summer nights in Torbay I never found anywhere else in the country.

I know, in fact i worked them all for two summer seasons, fantastic, no huge mileage to travel, all us acts loved it, Martino, Balancing act.

[Martino]

Ah Barton hall was one of my favorites, in fact i even had a holiday there myself, even though i was working there as an entertainer, the guests, especialy over the xmas and new year where fab, great atmosphere, Martino, Balancer.