The Church had always been an important part of Billy Butlin’s life. Within the family, Billy Butlin had the choice of entering the ministry or joining the fairground. Thankfully for millions of people, he chose show business, but the Church was not left out. After the war, the family arranged a meeting with Dr Cyril Garbett, the Archbishop of York, who was asked to advise and help establish a wide network of religious organisations across every Butlin's establishment. His support proved invaluable. Each year, until his death, he visited Filey camp to lead large outdoor services. In 1937, the Reverend Colin Davies, then Vicar of Ingoldmells, was appointed Senior Chaplain to the Butlin organisation. After just one season, however, he left to work overseas and was succeeded by Tom Pugh.
Canon Pugh is appointed
Canon Tom Pugh, a charming and lovable old rogue with an outrageous personality, was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to oversee the Church at Butlin’s. Each camp had its own resident chaplain, who reported to Canon Pugh. Pugh was a celebrated Army chaplain who, during the 1940s, was held at Changi prisoner-of-war camp. Despite the prison guards’ guns, he once marched out through the gates to investigate reports of cruelty at another camp. Every camp had a small but fully ordained Church of England chapel. The chapel at Filey Camp was particularly attractive, and its foyer displayed several old oil paintings.
The resident padre was the Reverend Clifford Malkinson, who became a close friend of Rocky Mason. The two often met in the chapel foyer. While Rocky waited, the reverend would admire the paintings. On one occasion, Rocky suggested to Cliff that a coat of varnish might conceal the fine cracks appearing on an old canvas. Cliff agreed, and Jim Batten from camp maintenance was asked to carry out the work. The lightly restored paintings remained in the foyer for about 20 years, until a visitor recognised one as a valuable Old Master. It was subsequently valued at an astonishing £250,000. Tom Pugh retired in 1960, and his assistant, the Reverend Clifford Malkinson, who preferred to be known as Father Cliff took his place.
Father Cliff
As the latest group of campers arrived on Saturday morning, Father Cliff would be waiting for them at reception. He greeted each person individually as they signed in, then walked around the swimming pool signing autographs and adding the words, “God bless you.” That evening, at the Gaiety Theatre, the Entertainments Manager introduced various members of the Butlin’s staff and explained the camp’s rules and regulations. When Father Cliff was introduced, the band played “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” He then took to the stage to extend the Church’s greetings to the campers, outline the service times, and explain that anyone with a problem could speak with him in the strictest confidence at his chalet between eleven and one each lunchtime.
Two masses were held every day, and on Sundays at 10.30 am a non-denominational service took place in the Gaiety Theatre. It was originally called the “People’s Service,” but when sponsorship began, many campers assumed it was sponsored by the “People” newspaper. To prevent confusion, its name was changed to “The Holiday Service.” The services were always well attended, with hundreds of campers arriving in casual holiday clothes rather than their “Sunday best,” giving them a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Father Cliff also judged competitions, including Glamorous Grandmother, Mother and Child, Holiday Princess, and Fancy Dress. With the nurse and the head of the sick bay, he also judged the Bonnie Baby competition. If someone died at the camp, Butlin’s made the necessary arrangements with the undertakers and provided facilities for the bereaved holidaymaker to telephone relatives or return home. The camps had two churches on site: a Catholic church and a Church of England church.
Religious crusade
The final week of the season was devoted to a religious crusade conference, with only essential staff retained. All bars and betting shops were closed, and professional entertainment ceased. The bars were repurposed as book displays, video-screening areas and meeting halls. At Filey Camp, the Beachcomber became a Christian music venue, while the Kent dining hall served as an exhibition centre. The first crusade was held on 17 September 1955. Although the camp churches were fully ordained, weddings were never held there. They generally took place at the nearest church outside the camp, though the marriage could be blessed in the camp church. Most couples were Redcoats, and those willing to pay a little extra could hold their wedding reception in the Golden Grill.
Free holidays
Billy Butlin always valued the church’s contribution to his camps. To show his appreciation, he gave hundreds of holidays to clergy and church workers who, without his generosity, would have been unable to take a holiday. The chaplaincy was considered an important part of the Butlin’s organisation. The chaplain regularly attended weekly meetings of department heads, and his opinions carried considerable weight. One of the chaplain’s duties was to monitor the entertainment in the theatres and bars. If he saw anything he considered questionable or immoral, he would raise it with the entertainments manager. Times have changed, and today’s chaplain is no longer a “heavyweight”—perhaps just as well, since the poor chaplain might have died on the spot during midnight shows featuring acts such as Bernard Manning!
The church’s annual highlight was the Harvest Festival, held on Sunday morning in the main theatre. Special hymn sheets were printed, and the stage crew spent the night decorating the stage. Department heads and their families attended, and every section contributed. The Catering Department was the principal contributor, baking enormous loaves shaped like sheaves of wheat. The festival was always a success, and the stage would be packed with gifts, which were later distributed to nearby orphanages and care homes for older people.
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church at the Filey camp was too small to accommodate the congregation, so services were held in the Empire Theatre. The altar was placed on the stage, with the scenery from whatever play was showing as the backdrop. Father Arthur Dutton, who served at the camp during the 1960s, recalled that “Dracula” was on for one week. Directly behind him stood Dracula’s coffin—a fitting setting for a religious service! He warned the congregation not to fall asleep, in case they woke to find a “stake” through the heart! The collections taken at the end of the services were quite substantial and were used to fund the education of all priests.
