In 2022, Babs received a message from Gillian in our social media group. In the message were photos of a moment when Babs had met the family during her time as a Redcoat. Excited, Babs struck up a conversation with Gillian, and they have been friends ever since. The magic of Butlin's had worked again. Babs had this to say about Mr Brooks as she told the story of an amazing man;
I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed telling it. I have concluded that Bunny never stopped being a Redcoat, and I love the fact that even after the war, Sir Billy kept in touch with him. It just shows how much he was thought of.
As you can see, Dad joined Butlins in 1935, prior to the opening of Skegness, and was also at Clacton when it opened. His father, Isaac, also worked in catering at Skegness, and the whole family lived in Ingoldmells for a while. To give you an idea of the man, and here's your starter for ten, on our trip to Brighton, when the photo was taken. He used to volunteer to sing a few songs with the organist in the bar, mixing up the songs so they were different every night.
Our dad was a wonderful man, a great father and a consummate professional entertainer who would take centre stage at any event, and most of my memories are of his time at Prestatyn Holiday Camp after the Second World War. But he often reminisced about his time at Butlin's, and every Christmas he would send Billy Bulin a Christmas card and always get one back.
Mark and the Butlins Memorabilia website have been granted permission by Gillian to showcase the incredible story of Norman Bunny Brooks. Thanks to Gillian's support, you will be able to discover the journey of a person who has made significant contributions to the Butlin's timeline. The stories and photographs featured on this page are not mine; they are the property of those who have contributed them. Please do not inquire about their details, as I do not have that information, and it is not my role to share it if I did.
