Wish You Were Here by Lynn Russell and Neil Hanson
This book gives us a small slice of recent history.
Covering the halcyon days of the Holiday Camp this is a collection of first hand experiences from the Butlin’s girls. Its writers, Lynn Russell and Neil Hanson give us a nostalgic picture of the early pleasures of the annual British holiday.
When Billy Butlin founded his holiday camps in 1936, they were bastions of community spirit and havens of luxury. Here for one week, wives and mothers were freed from the toil and drudgery of housework, children ran free through the grounds, fathers and husbands hung up their work clothes. The Redcoats were on hand, dinner halls had plentiful food and the bars were well stocked. The ballrooms were ready for the shiny shoes, rustling dresses and budding romances.
Rich in period detail this book tells the story of seven women who worked as redcoats in Butlin’s golden age. It’s all here: Knobbly knees, glamorous grannies and life-long friendships.
If you ever went to Butlins you will enjoy this spree through holiday memories.
Published by Harper Element on 19th June, £7.99 paperback
by Charlotte Courthold
