Who wants to go to Pontins anyway !?

[Petrol Pete]

Pontins are in the news for refusing to accommodate people with certain surnames . I am seeing and hearing it all over the news. Most commentators are discussing the legality and ethics of such a move , but none I have heard (so far) are discussing why Pontins are taking this stance.

 

[Peter103]

Apparently they have a blacklist of possibly unsavoury individuals and troublemakers, eg, travellers, gypsys tramps and thieves, general nea'rdowells and needies, that they wouldn't want in their camps, and if they tried to book a holiday would be denied,. This is now thought to be illegal discrimination.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Any premises can have a black list (are we even allowed to say black list these days ?) pub watch lost its teeth when it was no longer able to put pictures of miscreants behind the bar, and all sorts of shoplifters etc are banned from various shopping malls (private property) , but that is usually individuals.

I get that they are trying to keep a certain 'group' out but I have yet to see anyone from Pontins stating why they are taking this stance. They are probably going to end up in court so they might want to show evidence of mis behaviour by everyone with a surname that is on the list.

I wish my surname was on there, not being allowed into a Pontins camp is a plus

 

[Gazwould]

Pontins roof collapse 'like bomb going off' - BBC News

About 100 people were waiting for a game of bingo when the entertainment hall ceiling collapsed.

www.google.com

Interesting place .

 

[Martyn_n]

We went to Pontins Camber Sands for the weekend at the end of last year, it's a long story why we did such a rash thing. It was hilarious, the last night's entertainment consisted of a massive domestic where someone had punched his mother and someone else was trying to knock down a door in retaliation. Eventually 7 police cars turned up, complete with dog units. If this is the people they let in god only knows who they are trying to keep out.
Apparently one of the ways they are discriminating against "the travelling community" is by banning commercial vehicles from site, this clearly isn't strictly enforced as we saw one family turn up for their holiday in a skip lorry! Pure class.
If you get the chance please go, it makes you feel much better about yourself.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

If Pontins repeatedly have issues with "Caravan Enthusiasts" trashing the place, what other option do they have?

In Cambridge we have the week long Midsummer Fair every year and on the last Sunday the "Caravan Enthusiasts" who run the fair go into town to all the pubs. In the past this has resulted in many venues being completely wrecked, as a result virtually all the pubs (including Weatherspoons) close for 'Staff Training' or 'Maintenance', as a fleet of Riot vans patrol the screens.

Litter and 'chaos' at Midsummer Fair branded 'awful'

Thousands of people flocked to the massive event

www.cambridge-news.co.uk

 

[Darrell]

I’m pretty sure that Pontins, as a privately owned business can turn away who they want.
I’m also sure that Pontins are a big enough company that can employ a decent enough lawyer to get them out of this.
Fair play to Pontins.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

but none I have heard (so far) are discussing why Pontins are taking this stance.

Because it would be a sensible and justifiable answer, and doesn't make for good headlines.

 

[W1ghty]

If they ban people with criminal records that should cover the “banned surname” category as well

 

[m80]

get that they are trying to keep a certain 'group' out but I have yet to see anyone from Pontins stating why they are taking this stance.

Is an explanation a reasonable expectation?
They are merely turning away business that those wanting don't have a right to.

If they are protecting staff and other visitors I can't blame them.

If and when this gets to court, in order to feed the vultures in my opinion, I can't understand why this would even have the policy questioned, aside from feeding those vultures.

As any business they are there to make a profit. By turning away potential profit in recognition that most often it 'aint profitable should be recognition that they have a good enough reason.
More abusive types should be discriminated against.

 

[m80]

If Pontins repeatedly have issues with "Caravan Enthusiasts" trashing the place, what other option do they have?

In Cambridge we have the week long Midsummer Fair every year and on the last Sunday the "Caravan Enthusiasts" who run the fair go into town to all the pubs. In the past this has resulted in many venues being completely wrecked, as a result virtually all the pubs (including Weatherspoons) close for 'Staff Training' or 'Maintenance', as a fleet of Riot vans patrol the screens.

Litter and 'chaos' at Midsummer Fair branded 'awful'

Thousands of people flocked to the massive event

www.cambridge-news.co.uk

You might ask your local council why the licence is granted each year.
While the answer might well be longer if honest one word would do it, money.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

You might ask your local council why the licence is granted each year.
While the answer might well be longer if honest one word would do it, money.

It dates back to 1211 where King John granted a royal charter for it + Cambridge City Council are far leftwing and want to promote anything to do with minorities etc.

 

[MEMERC7]

Then there is the Butlins at Bognor Regis saga. The good citizens suffered much angst when the plans were first revealed & then with much bullying the dreadful place was thrust upon them. Bognor was always a bit basic & grim with a number of permanent travellers sites in the area so the camp now pompously re-branded as an hotel was never going to enhance the area. As per reported at Pontins fights especially between rival London families is part of the culture of the place. You can also tell it's Butlins time just by walking along the promenade - work that out for yourselves.

 

[Petrol Pete]

^^ Ha! Butlins Bognor During the hectic times when I did not know when I was going to be in the UK from one week to the next due to business and being totally fed up with airports and travelling i managed to squeeze a family week in Butlins Bognor . I booked the most expensive hotel part of Butlins in Bognor Regis so the kids could at least get away for a bit of a holiday before dad buggered off again.

It must have been when the hotel was new and we had all sorts of passes to get into the wave pool (human soup) area and 'restaurants' before those 'less fortunate' than ourselves turned up.

To be honest it was quite nice...until the evening when everyone congregated in the main arena, literally , like an arena from Roman times . Brutal.

My youngest got 'mugged' at the machine that spewed out a load of tickets he had won only to see a kid younger than him nonchalantly take them as they came out. The kid did not run off , it was just something him and his seven brothers did. Because the kids were young we retired to our nice rooms with bottles of wine quite early each evening so missed out on all the late night 'fun' in the bar area ($hit beer, even worse cider) . I remember Butlins as a kid , bloody great, but times and expectations have changed.

 

[ChrisEdu]

^^ Ha! Butlins Bognor During the hectic times when I did not know when I was going to be in the UK from one week to the next due to business and being totally fed up with airports and travelling i managed to squeeze a family week in Butlins Bognor . I booked the most expensive hotel part of Butlins in Bognor Regis so the kids could at least get away for a bit of a holiday before dad buggered off again.

It must have been when the hotel was new and we had all sorts of passes to get into the wave pool (human soup) area and 'restaurants' before those 'less fortunate' than ourselves turned up.

To be honest it was quite nice...until the evening when everyone congregated in the main arena, literally , like an arena from Roman times . Brutal.

My youngest got 'mugged' at the machine that spewed out a load of tickets he had won only to see a kid younger than him nonchalantly take them as they came out. The kid did not run off , it was just something him and his seven brothers did. Because the kids were young we retired to our nice rooms with bottles of wine quite early each evening so missed out on all the late night 'fun' in the bar area ($hit beer, even worse cider) . I remember Butlins as a kid , bloody great, but times and expectations have changed.

Did my PGCE opposite that place.

 

[Darrell]

^^ Ha! Butlins Bognor During the hectic times when I did not know when I was going to be in the UK from one week to the next due to business and being totally fed up with airports and travelling i managed to squeeze a family week in Butlins Bognor . I booked the most expensive hotel part of Butlins in Bognor Regis so the kids could at least get away for a bit of a holiday before dad buggered off again.

It must have been when the hotel was new and we had all sorts of passes to get into the wave pool (human soup) area and 'restaurants' before those 'less fortunate' than ourselves turned up.

To be honest it was quite nice...until the evening when everyone congregated in the main arena, literally , like an arena from Roman times . Brutal.

My youngest got 'mugged' at the machine that spewed out a load of tickets he had won only to see a kid younger than him nonchalantly take them as they came out. The kid did not run off , it was just something him and his seven brothers did. Because the kids were young we retired to our nice rooms with bottles of wine quite early each evening so missed out on all the late night 'fun' in the bar area ($hit beer, even worse cider) . I remember Butlins as a kid , bloody great, but times and expectations have changed.

I think we spent our last NYE in the U.K. there.

 

[Steveml63]

Always thought that these holiday camps were full of unsavory characters anyway!

 

[ToeKnee]

Always thought that these holiday camps were full of unsavory characters anyway!

I worked for Pontins for two seasons, '84 and '85 so you may be right!

 

[Gollom]

I worked for Pontins for two seasons, '84 and '85 so you may be right!

Come on, tell us some stories!

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

I remember staying at Butlins Skegness in 1970 with a mate of mine . We soon found out why it was such a cheap holiday when we saw our chalet and later sampled the food. Having tried all five of the draught beers on the first night we concluded that they all tasted like they had already passed through someones kidneys. Vaguely remember chatting up two Scottish girls and woke up the next morning on their couch ( it`s okay, I didn`t get molested! ). My mate disappeared at some stage of the evening , and when I saw him the next morning he had just returned from the security post having paid a £2 fine for "falling out of a tree" . No idea how he came to be up there in the first place . Hopefully, like Pontins, they too have a policy of blacklisting undesirables and I will never be able to return.