Pontins: Administration

[Dai.]

I wasn't going to post this but I think it's as major as Woolworths going into administration - it has been a staple for many family holidays and is such a shock to see the company go into administration.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11748317

 

[MCR247]

Well after I saw some articles about these places on Watchdog, I was wondering if they'd last long

 

[Darandio]

Severely downgraded year after year, takeover after takeover, it was only a matter of time really. However, I hope they pull through as they are an institution, maybe not on the scale of Woolworths going, but pretty close.

 

[imagination]

Never used them.

 

[thefab444]

As with Woolworths, I certainly won't be missing them. You'd have to pay me a considerable amount of money to even consider staying at a holiday camp!

Hope the employees do keep their jobs though.

 

[yorksrob]

I am genuinely sad. Had an excellent family holiday with them in the early eighties. Pretty much the earliest memory I have is getting the train to London Bridge (on an unrefurbed CEP) and ;travelling by train to Yarmouth to Pontins.

In the unlikely event that I ever have children myself, I'd happily take them on holiday to Pontins (by train of course).

 

[Mojo]

They were a dump when I stayed with them in the late 90s; I dread to think how they're going now.

I, too have seen Haven and Pontins on Watchdog a few times this series. We used to have all our family holidays at these facilities when I was younger and I really enjoyed them. I still think now I'd prefer one to a beach holiday abroad, but the standard of accommodation really does seem to be shocking, unless you're willing to spend what seems like the cost of a long-haul flight to upgrade. Even the accommodation in modern branches of Travelodge is quite decent.

 

[Greenback]

Pontins have, liek Woolworths, been overtaken by the times, and put simply, when one compares their products with the likes of Center Parcs, it's not surprising that they have struggled.

I don;t want to start a huge argument about the various parks, but it;s clear to me that Pontin's has followed the usual British route of being too slow to ivnest and upgrade it's business, with the resulting and predictable liong, slow, lingering death!

 

[monkey]

They were a dump when I stayed with them in the late 90s; I dread to think how they're going now.

I, too have seen Haven and Pontins on Watchdog a few times this series. We used to have all our family holidays at these facilities when I was younger and I really enjoyed them. I still think now I'd prefer one to a beach holiday abroad, but the standard of accommodation really does seem to be shocking, unless you're willing to spend what seems like the cost of a long-haul flight to upgrade. Even the accommodation in modern branches of Travelodge is quite decent.

...yeah about right, theres this music festival every year me and my brother like to go to, and they hire out butlins minehead or pontins camber sands for it although in recent years its been butlins exclusively. I never went when it was at pontins, but I've heard horror stories about camber sands and general grottiness. comparitively butlins has actually constantly upgraded and has pretty decent facilites, and food prices tend to be more "normal" given the captive audience, where as at pontins you used to get ripped off... so yeah not sad to see it go, it was always s**** version of butlins, which itself was never that great, and going out fashion...

 

[Clip]

Ive been going to a music weekender in the southport pontins for years now.. You dont go for the accomodation thats for sure.. Though i see an indian and Dubai group want to take them over ..

 

[Nightrider]

Pontins have, liek Woolworths, been overtaken by the times, and put simply, when one compares their products with the likes of Center Parcs, it's not surprising that they have struggled.

I don;t want to start a huge argument about the various parks, but it;s clear to me that Pontin's has followed the usual British route of being too slow to ivnest and upgrade it's business, with the resulting and predictable liong, slow, lingering death!

True enough.

The various firms of which of which there was a number, Butlins being the most famous, did certainly have that Hi-Di-Hi army boot camp feel to them.
Well they did in 1960s Scotland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-de-Hi!

Doubt too many on here will remember the Co-Op had a number of camps around the UK.

Not too sure if they gave you a dividend for staying in them though.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

Stayed in Pontins in Prestatyn in - I think - 1971 with a couple of mates. A "comedy" (I use the term loosely) film of "On the Buses" was being filmed there at the time. The place - apart from the usual families - was over-run with sex mad girls from Liverpule and Birmingham. We went home exhausted!

 

[richw]

i've stayed at various holiday parks over recent years, Haven, Parkdean, Center parcs, etc. stayed at pontins once, and was an absolute dump, a look on reviews for pontins online reveals how dirty they were and sub standard, whereas its rivals have invested year on year, there doesnt appear to be the same in Pontins, For example Parkdean have a policy where they do not permit Caravans over 6 years old on their sites!

 

[gordonthemoron]

Center Parcs is just Butlitz for the middle classes