Bobby Butlin; OBITUARY.THERE was a problem for the son of the big man. He had inherited his father's empire, but time was running out for that empire, as it had for the much greater British Empire British Empire, overseas territories linked to Great Britain in a variety of constitutional relationships, established over a period of three centuries. The establishment of the empire resulted primarily from commercial and political motives and emigration movements . It was a new England then. Young people wanted more from their summer holidays than ping-pong, military-style chalets, spaghetti-sucking, goosepimpled girls in swimsuits and rubber bathing caps, and toothless grandads rolling up their trousers to reveal knee nobbles. "Wakey-Wakey, campers!" still crackled from loudspeakers at the various Butlins camps, clinging to our coastline. But the wideawake young folk were looking down from aeroplanes destined for sunny Spain. That was the problem Robert (Bobby) Butlin faced when his father, Sir Billy, appointed him chairman and managing director of the business in 1968. Furthermore, Sir Billy, who had inherited his love of funfairs and showbiz from the maternal side of the family, had decided that Bobby should be a gentleman - so he was sent to boarding schools from five until he was 18. But the father, in the traditional style of new money, also felt that the boy should learn the business from the bottom. So he spent his later school holidays as a Red Coat with a posh voice, tempered a little by his love of fish and chips fish and chips pl.n. Fried fillets of fish and French-fried potatoes. Noun 1. fish and chips - fried fish and french-fried potatoes dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" . At the camp in Ayr, where he was required to wear a kilt kilt Knee-length, skirtlike garment worn by men as part of the traditional national garb, or Highland dress, of Scotland. It is made of permanently pleated wool and wrapped around the wearer's waist so that the pleats are in the back and the flat ends overlap in front. as well as the Red Coat, morning was broken by two pipers. But Bobby was a handsome and intelligent heir, always happy to mix with the campers, despite the entourage of company bigwigs which accompanied him. He embarked on a programme of modernisation that helped check the slide to foreign holidays. The camps were given a more sophisticated feel and their cabaret lounges featured top stars including Ken Dodd, Bob Monkhouse and Frank Ifield. In 1972, Bobby sold Butlins to the Rank Organisation for pounds 43m, but he remained in charge until his retirement in 1984. The rest of his life was devoted to charity work and he was a companion of the Grand Order of Water Rats The Grand Order of Water Rats is an entertainment industry charity based in London, England. The Water Rats were founded in 1889 by comedian Joe Elvin. The first King Rat, as the head of the charity is termed, was music hall singer Harry Freeman. . He had suffered lung cancer lung cancer, cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women. Like other cancers, lung cancer occurs after repeated insults to the genetic material of the cell. with bravery. Robert Butlin, holiday camp boss; born April 30, 1934, died December 31, 2008. |
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