[Help] What is a "Bognor Regis"?

[GT49er]

I grew up in Bognor, worked at Butlins and had the time of my life until I moved away in 1981.

It's a bit 'tired' now but I loved living there.

I also had rhe time of my life, two summers working at Butlin's in the 1970s. Lovely memories of reeling down the main drag towards the staff chalets (arm in arm with far too many people for desperate dan the one handed security man and his alsatian to stop) to our rousing theme song .......

"Who do you think you're kidding Mr. Butlin
When you say the work's not hard?
We are the boys who can spoill your litte game
We are the boys who give Butlin's a bad name
So who ..........." and rinse and repeat - and keep a good hold of tonight's chalet maid .....................

Happy days!

 

[Nitram]

Any relation to Black and Decker?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Used to work there for a while, always glad to be on the road out. Used to be lots of Polish and Romanians living Bognor that worked crop picking and packing locally, lots of animosity between the locals and said foreign workers. I think Bognor voted " leave " by quite some margin so they got their wish.

Are the crops rotting nicely now?

 

[StonehamPark]

I went once, when I was a child. To Butlins, specifically.

My memory is heading to the swimming pool, I was excited for the slides and fun times. I got changed and was heading to the pool, and then everyone was told to get out and leave, because someone shit in the water.

That's my memory of Bognor Regis.

 

[vegster]

Are the crops rotting nicely now?

Nature's Way Foods, with sites near Chi, Merston and Selsey have been advertising for staff on radio and on the side of buses for the last 2-3 months, I'd assume stuff IS rotting. Pretty sure its marginally above Minimum Wage at best for pretty hard work in sweaty polytunnels harvesting. My job is quite shit and would leave in a heartbeat for something with better pay and conditions but those harvesting jobs are real hard.

 

[Tokyohands]

It was home to The Empire club, which was the only reason I ever set foot in the town as a teenager.

 

[smillie's garden]

William Blake lived in Felpham. He probably detested Bognor too.

 

[Bansko Seagull]

My daughter just took her kids there last week for a few days, their holiday to Portugal was cancelled and they took over a friends booking at Butlins as they had a case of Covid in the family...

Anyway they enjoyed it...I'm sure she said she stayed in Butlind hotel? but I thought it was Chalets ? or at least it was when we went on a family summer hoilday from Portslade.

The whole site was upgraded in about 2010 and there are still chalets but a nice hotel as well.

Used to be a good place to take the children on a day pass particularly on an inset day.

 

[Southern Scouse]

I used to be a PC there.

 

[Curious Orange]

The whole site was upgraded in about 2010 and there are still chalets but a nice hotel as well.

Used to be a good place to take the children on a day pass particularly on an inset day.

There are three separate hotels on the Butlins site now, and a brand new leisure pool. My kids love it there, and as a parent the whole holiday is easy.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Went to Butlins for a holiday there around 1960. At the time it seemed like Paradise. Been there once since for an Albion friendly, many years ago, probably the 80s. It doesn’t have a lot going for it and, if my recollections are correct, a bit of a pig to get to from Brighton.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I used to be a PC there.

Pretentious cu#t

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I went once, when I was a child. To Butlins, specifically.

My memory is heading to the swimming pool, I was excited for the slides and fun times. I got changed and was heading to the pool, and then everyone was told to get out and leave, because someone shit in the water.

That's my memory of Bognor Regis.

My main memories are
The tannoy in the chalet telling people which sitting is being served in the restaurant (a bit 1984 before its time)
The big spinner in the dining room - if it stopped on your table number it received a bottle of Spanish Sauternes
The big pool that was a challenge because I couldn’t swim at the time

I do think it is still a good place for a young kids’ holiday and they seem to have invested a bit on the place in recent year and employ a turd catcher.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I also had rhe time of my life, two summers working at Butlin's in the 1970s. Lovely memories of reeling down the main drag towards the staff chalets (arm in arm with far too many people for desperate dan the one handed security man and his alsatian to stop) to our rousing theme song .......

"Who do you think you're kidding Mr. Butlin
When you say the work's not hard?
We are the boys who can spoill your litte game
We are the boys who give Butlin's a bad name
So who ..........." and rinse and repeat - and keep a good hold of tonight's chalet maid .....................

Happy days!

 

[sydney]

Hmm. Cool. Moving on:

What do you do on a Tuesday in Bognor Regis?

if the tide is right you could attempt to snag a bass or flounder out of the river , have a few pints in one of the many pubs , eat fish and chips on the beach or wait for your neighbour to go out to darts then pop round and shag his missus.....all standard pastimes in the summer months.

 

[sydney]

someone always shat in the pool or bared their arse at diners sitting on the other side of the glass wall , sure someone said that Hedonism done a night there in the early 80's which basically turned into a huge free for all orgy because people started shagging in the pool.

 

[schmunk]

Hedonism done a night there in the early 80's which basically turned into a huge free for all orgy because people started shagging in the pool.

Like a giant bowl of minestrone.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Whitehawk fans have a song about "I dont ever want to go to Bognor" or somesuch. Apart from the obvious, as can be deduced from the other comments, I`ve often wondered why they sing this.

' We are NEVER EVER EVER... going back to Bognor'

I believe Whitehawk fans started singing it after the club were promoted to a higher league, there was a rivalry between the clubs when they played in the same division.

I would imagine Bognor fans are having the last laugh now as they play in a higher league.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Any relation to Black and Decker?

Did he [Desmond] not do a duet with Cilla?

"Just another hole in the wall"

 

[Eeyore]

I believe Whitehawk fans started singing it after the club were promoted to a higher league, there was a rivalry between the clubs when they played in the same division.

I would imagine Bognor fans are having the last laugh now as they play in a higher league.

Hawks fans still sing it now mind.