Quick preface: I've never been to Butlins in general holiday season. They have these rather splendid "Big Weekends" which are, essentially, music festivals without the camping, rain, misery, dodgy portaloos, insects and outrageously expensive food stalls. Instead, you bunk down in a chalet or apartment, eat all you can at one of their inclusive catering halls, and then feast yourself stupid on a pretty impressive programme of acts around your chosen weekend's theme. For the last two winters I have patronised the Great British Folk Festival and the names they managed to book have been top-notch. They also run weekends for 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, soul, rock, house - there are probably more - and they are hosts to the annual Easter conference/festival Spring Harvest.
First off - on the first night, the dining hall is always filled with shocked faces from Butlins virgins, all expressing wonder at how much better the food is than expected. Far from the Butlins-brand imitation gruel one might expect, there's a range of soups with bread rolls for starters, usually a choice of four or five main courses, two cold desserts, one hot desserts, and ice cream... not to mention the breakfasts... and barring the free squash, it's all pretty good, especially the longed-for sticky toffee pudding with rich, hot custard.
The staff are respectful, cheery and genuine - especially Keith, who greets people for every meal at the Coral Beach dining hall. The place as a whole has had a bit of an overhaul since the first time I came many years ago, when I was treated to the experience of sharing my chalet with a large and invasive family of cute little ants. Cleanliness and standard of repair are now very good in the accommodation and throughout the site as a whole, with litter a very rare sight indeed.
Skegness' site lacks the cheery surroundings or off-site opportunities offered in that of Minehead - barring a walk along the beach there isn't much else to do. It does boast a view of what we are told is Europe's largest wind farm out at sea, which is actually fairly nice on a cold and bright sunny day. However, it feels fresher and in better nick than Minehead, and has a more wholesome atmosphere in general.
The first 24 hours of the festival this year were plagued with technical problems, stemming, I think, from some sub-par sound equipment (including a broken DI box). This led to long delays, an increasingly agitated audience and a couple of distressed performers. That said, the staff were superb. I tweeted them to suggest that communicating with the audience during tech delays (rather than leaving people with no hint of how much longer they would be waiting) would keep everyone onside, and not only did I get a grateful and courteous response from Serene running their social media, they paid attention and from then on kept the audience posted on all developments, which made a huge difference. Many artists were also moved to pay tribute to the patience and persistence of the sound team in resolving all issues.
Sure, it's budget living and the chalet walls are paper-thin, but it's comfortable and effective. During these Big Weekends, the Skyline pavilion is, on the whole, quiet and restful, being largely empty - the perfect place to sit and read with a coffee while waiting for the next session of concerts to start in one of the two large venues (Reds and Centre Stage). It's not a four-star hotel, but it's for sure a four-star experience, and for less than a hundred pounds per person for two and half days of music, three nights' accommodation and six all-you-can-eat meals, there are far worse ways to spend a winter weekend. read more
