Billy Butlin was a showman who might have been just another fairground owner but for two brilliant ideas he had.

Butlin realised in the 1930s that some workers receiving paid holidays for the first time would have no idea about what to do with them.

So he started a chain of holiday camps in many different parts of Britain to provide breaks that were organised and good fun.

Butlin also beat the publicity drum loud and clear for his camps and he was adept at coining good slogans.

He was one of the best known men in Britain for all the years he ran the holiday camps.

Born in 1899, Butlin came from a fairground family but in the 1920s realised that this form of entertainment was on the decline. He set up amusement parks at seaside resorts to replace them.

Then he started the holiday camps which we ran immediate success. During the Second World War he patriotically gave them over to the Government for military use.

After the war camps resumed and were more popular than ever. In 1963 more than a million people took a Butlin’s holiday.

Butlin’s adapted to changing tastes but could not compete against cheap package holidays abroad. This, coupled with Billy Butlin’s retirement from the business, led to a swift decline.

The Butlin’s camp at Bognor Regis in Sussex was one of the last to be built and was smaller than the great barracks-like blocks at resorts such as Filey and Skegness.

But it was still a substantial site and there was some opposition to it locally before councillors decided it would be good for tourism.

Butlin had first been to Bognor back in 1931with an amusement park which had the slogan Our True Intent is All for Your Delight.

The holiday camp opened in 1960 and was notable for its large, attractive swimming pool, one of the best in Britain.

Butlin made several moves that ensured the survival of the Bognor business where several others failed.

He encouraged day visitors so that Bognor had more than anywhere else. He housed the holidaymakers in superior buildings,later hotels, rather than concentrating on traditional chalets.

Butlin took an interest In the architecture of the site, and this was continued when the company eventually sold out to new owners.

He also had a hotel business and bought the ArtDeco Ocean Hotel in Saltdean which opened in 1953.

The building still stands but has since been surrounded by new blocks of flats and is itself residential.

Butlin gave many show business stars their first opportunities such as Cliff Richard and Ringo Starr. He also raised enormous sums for charity. He was knighted for his efforts.

With slogans such as The Nation’s Host from Coast to Coast, Butlin’s was always the leading holiday camp business in Britain despite having many imitators.

But the business built up by one man’s understand of what the public wants was never the same once he had quit.