Butlins unveils first BlueSkies timeshare apartments

A LAUNCH event is being held at Butlins, in Minehead for the company’s £4.5 million timeshare development BlueSkies on Wednesday, July 4.
It marks the first move into the timeshare market for the holiday firm, which chose Minehead as the venue for the venture, which should attract a new type of holidaymaker to the town from all over the world.
Work on the first four-storey block of 24 luxury flats only started last September and now the company is ready to begin marketing them.
Journalists were being transported to Minehead from London for a Champagne lunch and sneak preview of the development as part of the launch event.
The project has been named BlueSkies, and, based on the cost of hiring an apartment for a family for a week in May, purchasers will be able to enter the scheme from £6,000 upwards for 30 years of ownership.
The new apartments could be open all year round, even at times when the rest of the Butlins resort was closed, which should help to extend the area’s tourism season.
Phase two of the BlueSkies development is planned for later this year and will include the a health and fitness suite.
More could follow if the scheme proves to be as popular as anticipated by Butlins.
BlueSkies has been called the most stylish accommodation ever offered at Butlins - with spacious, modern holiday apartment set slightly apart from the main resort and full of contemporary design features.
As well as access to Butlins’ renowned range of live entertainment and fun-packed facilities, BlueSkies guests will have full VIP treatment with their own concierge service and dedicated support team.
In boutique hotel fashion, there will also be free wireless internet access, free dvd rental, and even an opportunity for staff to fill owners’ fridges with all their favourite treats, thanks to three different pre-arrival ‘fridge menu’ options.
There will also be access to all of Butlins’ complimentary facilities and entertainments, including Splash Waterworld, live stage shows, extreme sports stars, performances from top pop acts, appearances from television characters such as Bob the Builder, Angellina Ballerina, and Pingu, a variety of kids clubs and sports activities, non-stop street-theatre, and the famous Butlins Redcoats to help entertain the children.
The Minehead BlueSkies is a mix of four one-bedroom apartments sleeping up to four people, and 20 two-bedroom apartments sleeping up to six people.
All four storeys of the block have uninterrupted views across the bay to North Hill and Minehead Harbour. Car parking is on the ground floor, beneath the apartments.
A website, http://www.blueskiesbybutlins.com/, has been designed for people keen to learn more about the new development.
Mike Crowther, who is leading the BlueSkies development for Butlins, said: “BlueSkies is holiday heaven for the growing number of people who enjoy the fun and convenience of a UK family break.
“Second homes and holiday apartments are an unattainable dream for many people as they can be expensive to buy, maintain, and manage.
“Butlins is one of the UK’s most popular and best-trusted holiday brands. By introducing BlueSkies in our 70th anniversary year, we are aiming to create a development that is luxurious, flexible, great value, and guarantees a first-rate family holiday.”

• Our photograph shows the BlueSkies first phase nearing completion. Photo submitted.

Heavy rainfall fails to dampen Britain's Strongest Man contest

IT was billed as the return to Minehead of Britain’s Strongest Man 2007, but torrential rainfall in West Somerset quickly saw the competition labelled ‘Britain’s Wettest Man’.
However, the rain did not put off spectators and hundreds of people turned out to watch the qualifying events which ran from Sunday, June 24, until Tuesday, June 26.
The finals of the tournament were taking place on Thursday and Friday, June 28 and 29.
The athletes were split into four groups for the qualifying rounds, and the first event was the carry and drag, where the athletes carried a 100 kg anchor 10 metres to a 200 kg chain, hooked the two together, and then dragged them another 10 metres to the finish line.
Other qualifying events included the overhead log press, safe lift, squat lift, dead lift, shield carry, fingal fingers, and Atlas stones.
Those athletes who reached the finals were taking on the farmers walk, car walk, dead lift tyre flip, overhead log lift and Atlas stones.
Unless people were there to see it for themselves, the results will remain a secret until later in the summer.
The competition, which is being sponsored by media company IMG and supported by West Somerset Council, is being filmed for Channel 5 and will not be broadcast until late in August.
Local newspapers, including The Crier, have been sworn to secrecy in the meantime in order not to spoil the surprise for viewers.
The competition has been hosted by Butlins, which was also the venue on the two previous occasions it has been held in Minehead.
Events have also taken place on the sea front near Butlins and on the beach, and also beside Minehead Harbour.
The worst effects of the rain during the week were countered when the district council stepped in with the loan of a number of small marquees to provide some shelter.
The athletes were supervised by equipment manager Jouko Ahola, who is a former two times world’s strongest man, while the referee for the events was Svend Karlsen, who was world’s strongest man in 2001.
The television exposure generated by the competition is estimated to give Minehead and West Somerset hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of advertising awareness free of charge, providing a boost for the district’s tourism industry.

• Our photographs show (top) athlete Ross Stone demonstrating his strength in front of the crowds. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref BSMLP0110; and (below) athlete Jimmy Marku being interviewed for the Channel 5 series by Martin Bayfield. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref BSMLP0087. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

First regular Minehead to Bristol train service for 36 years is announced

A REGULAR train service is to run again from Minehead to Bristol for the first time since the branch line was axed in the Beeching cuts of 1971.
The service, which will start on Friday, July 30, is aimed at both holidaymakers and local passengers and will operate on selected dates through the peak summer weeks.
It is the result of several months of planning by the West Somerset Railway, Butlins, Mainline Rail, and Victa Westlink Rail.
There were also complex negotiations with Network Rail and the Office of the Rail Regulator.
Victa Westlink will provide the train services, which will run on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, between July 20 and August 27.
Trains will leave Minehead at 11.10 am and call at all WSR stations before reaching Taunton at 12.55 pm, from where they will run non-stop to Bristol Temple Meads, arriving at 1.46 pm.
The return will depart Temple Meads at 2.06 pm and stop at Taunton at 2.42 pm and then all WSR stations to Minehead, where arrival is scheduled for 4.25 pm.
The trains will be worked by diesel locomotives and air-conditioned coaches provided by Mainline Rail, and will offer passengers from the Wales, the Midlands, and North of England an opportunity to travel direct to West Somerset by changing at Bristol.
Passengers from London and the South East, and those from other areas of the South West, will be able to change at Taunton.
Return tickets on the trains will be available to Taunton at £16 for adults, £13.60 for seniors, and £8 for children. Holders of local residents travel cards will be able to travel at reduced rates.
No reduced rates will be available for the return fares to Bristol, which will be £21.95 for adults and seniors and £10.95 for children.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said he was keen to see how the trains would develop business for the heritage rail company and the communities along its line.
Mr Conibeare said: “Ever since the railway reopened in 1976, it has been asserted that there is a strong local demand for trains to and from Taunton.
“This is an opportunity to begin to assess that potential market and also to hopefully persuade visitors to the area that the journey can be made by public transport.
“Butlins have expressed an interest in the project from the off, as offering an alternative to their customers who presently travel by mainline trains to Taunton and then complete the journey by bus.
“However, this can only work if the trains are used by enough people to pay for their costs, which are considerable.
“No subsidy is being paid by central or local government, so the trains have to stand on their own financially.
“But, we are encouraged by the growth in excursion traffic to and from West Somerset since the upgrading of the junction at Norton Fitzwarren, and we hope the trains to and from Bristol will be equally successful.”
Photo submitted.

Britain's Strongest Man contest returns to West Somerset

AS revealed in this month’s The Crier, Britain’s Strongest Man 2007 competition is returning at weekend to Minehead.
The event, which is produced by media company IMG and supported by West Somerset Council, is being staged in Butlins and on the town’s harbour and seafront.
The return to Minehead of the popular event for a third time in seven years was brokered by former council economic development portfolio holder Councillor Nick Messarra.
The competition starts on Sunday, June 24, and qualifying events run until Tuesday, June 26, with the final events taking place on Thursday and Friday, June 28 and 29.
The qualifying schedule is:

• Sunday, on the seafront - the anchor, chain and duck walk starts at 9 am, with the log press at 2 pm, followed by the safe lift.
• Monday, at Butlins - the squat lift at 9 am is followed by the dead lift, with the shield carry at 2 pm.
• Tuesday, on the seafront and beach - the fingal fingers event is at 9 am on the seafront, with Atlas stones at 2 pm on the beach.

The final events schedule is:

• Thursday, on the seafront and at the harbour - the farmers walk starts on the seafront at 9 am, followed by two events at the harbour, which are the car walk at 12 noon and the dead lift at 2 pm.
• Friday, on the seafront and beach - the morning’s events are on the seafront with the tyre flip at 9 am and the overhead log lift at 11 am. The final event will be the Atlas stones on the beach at 2 pm.

Councillor Messarra said: “It is great to see this high-profile and fun event coming back to Minehead again and it shows all the hard work that I put in with the support of the council officers has been worthwhile.
“I believe the competition is being filmed for a television audience across Europe which will be in the millions, so all those viewers are going to be able to see what a wonderful place West Somerset is and hopefully they will be encouraged to come and spend their holidays here.”
Council market towns regeneration officer Pete Vallance, said: “We are keen to support national competitions of this calibre in West Somerset, so we are delighted that Britain’s Strongest Man has returned to Minehead.
“The council and Butlins have worked in partnership to bring this event back to West Somerset because of the boost it provides to tourism and our local economy.
“We wish all the contenders the best of luck in this great challenge.”
Darren Sadler, one of the contenders for this year’s title who also competed in the championship when it was last held in Minehead in 2004, said: “I am really pleased to be returning to Minehead to compete in this year’s competition. It is a great venue.
“I have been training hard and I am looking forward to the competition. I am definitely up for the challenge.”
More information on the event c an be found by going to Britain’s Strongest Man website at http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/.

• Our photographs show (top) some of the competitors in the 2004 event, and (below) Darren Sandler, who is competing again this year. Photos submitted.

Power Rangers giving aerial thrills at Butlins

POWER Rangers have jetted into Butlins, Minehead, as part of the holiday resort’s exclusive summer entertainment line-up.
The children’s superheroes are performing live shows high up in the centre’s giant skyline pavilion for weekend and mid-week breaks right through to September 7, and returning for the October schools half-term..
Butlins has teamed up with children’s television channel Jetix, which has more than two million young viewers a month, to bring their most popular heroes to life in the exclusive aerial show.
Power Rangers Mystic Force, probably the ‘coolest’ children’s characters on the planet, are teaming up with teen agents Totally Spies, A.T.O.M Alpha Teens on Machines, and Galactik Football, to defeat the evil Dr Y.
The show is for adults and children alike, and youngsters will also have an unique opportunity to come face-to-face with their heroes and have their photographs taken with them in exclusive ‘meet and greet’ sessions which follows each show.
One thrilled youngster is five-year-old Thomas Taylor, who says other television characters just cannot cut it for coolness alongside the dynamic Power Rangers.
Thomas said: “Out of all of the TV superheroes, Power Rangers Mystic Force are by far my favourite and I would love to meet them.”
Mike Godolphin, head of entertainment at Butlins, said: “Butlins is famous for its live entertainment and we are very excited to welcome arguably the most famous superheroes of the moment to our Butlins Resorts.”
To book a Butlins break, call 0870 162 1810 or click on http://www.butlins.com/.
Photos submitted.

Butlins death woman was on sister's hen night

A WOMAN who died at the weekend at Butlins holiday centre, Minehead, was on a hen night for her elder sister’s wedding.
She has been named as Jayne Hulme, aged 35, of Exeter, who was with her sister Sarah, aged 39, and a group of friends when the tragedy happened.
She had two other sisters, Helen, aged 37, and Sharon, aged 38.
Sarah Hulme was due to be married in Exeter in about five weeks’ time and has not yet decided if the wedding will go ahead or be postponed.
Jayne Hulme collapsed at about 10 pm on Saturday, June 9, and was at first taken in a mini bus to Minehead Hospital for treatment, but was later transferred by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where she died.
It was claimed Jayne had fallen to the ground and banged her head as the group of friends left one of the venues at the centre.
Butlins is a popular venue for stag and hen night weekends and themed holidays such as 70s and 80s, and ‘adult’ breaks.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Jayne's death and the West Somerset Coroner, Michael Rose, had been informed.
A post mortem examination was due to take place to establish the cause of her death.
Jayne, who was single, and her sisters had previously suffered the bereavement two years ago of their parents Rex and Janet Hulme, from meningitis and cancer, respectively.

Second holiday death at Butlins in weeks

A SECOND young woman in seven weeks has died at Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead.
Neither death involved suspicious circumstances, although the first, in April, was initially treated by police as a murder inquiry.
The latest incident saw a woman collapse during a night out at Butlins on Saturday, June 9.
She was rushed by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, but later died.
The woman, aged in her early 30s and who was thought to be from the Exeter area, collapsed at about 10 pm.
A Butlins spokesperson said: “This is a sad and tragic incident. We have contacted the woman's family and are doing all we can for them.”
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and the matter was now being handled by the coroner.
Photo submitted.

Crier publisher helps Butlins create world hug record

THE publisher of The Crier, Mike Padgett, has helped holidaymakers at Butlins to create a world record with former Big Brother housemate Aisleyne Horgan Wallace as special guest at the Minehead resort

Visitors to the Minehead centre were asked to hug Aisleyne in an effort to beat the record of 612 people hugging one person in an hour

And they smashed the record with 818 guests in one hour each giving Aisleyne a hug as Mr Padgett helped as a member of the adjudicating panel for the record attempt.

The event was part of Butlins' themed 'Record Breakers' holiday breaks which have been introduced this year.

Mr Padgett said afterwards: "It was great fun and there was certainly a lot of interest in Aisleyne coming to Minehead as the Big Brother series has made her a celebrity.

"I can see why people would like to give her a hug."

• Our photograph shows Mr Padgett and Aisleyne (centre) celebrating the new record with some of the Butlins huggers. Photo submitted.

Cult band Portishead to make Christmas comeback at Butlins

BUTLINS has pulled off an entertainments coup at its Minehead resort with the announcement that cult band Portishead will be playing their first full live concert for nearly 10 years.
The British band will be the next curators and will be performing exclusively at ‘All Tomorrow's Parties, Nightmare Before Christmas’, which takes place on December 7, 8, and 9.
‘All Tomorrow's Parties’ was started in 1999 as an alternative to festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading, and previous curators have included indie bands Mogwai and Sonic Youth in the UK, and Simpsons creator Matt Groening, in the US.
Portishead said in a statement on their Myspace page: “We have always loved the All Tomorrow's Parties set up and we're happy our first shows will be there.
“It is great to have the opportunity to introduce bands we love or have influenced us.
“We have chosen a diverse collection of artists to play with us and we are really looking forward to it.”
The band said details of the All Tomorrow's Parties line up would be announced on its Myspace page and also on the website http://www.atpfestival.com/.
Portishead were pioneers of tri-hop music and their debut album Dummy won the Mercury Prize in 1995.
A follow-up album, Portishead, came out in 1997, after which little happened until an unannounced acoustic performance in Bristol in February of this hear, when they said they were close to finishing a third album on which they had been working for some years.
Details of tickets and available accommodation can be obtained via http://www.atpfestival.com/.
Photos submitted.

Inquest opens into holidaymaker hanging death

AN inquest has been opened into the death of a young woman holidaymaker at Butlins, Minehead, which police initially treated as murder.
Evidence of identification was given before the hearing was adjourned by the Somerset West Coroner, Michael Rose, to a date to be fixed.
The woman has been named as 19-year-old Rebekkah Geor-Bond, of Tir-y-Birth, Hengoed, near Caerphilly, South Wales.
She was staying at Butlins with her 26-year-old boyfriend, also from Hengoed, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murdering her but later released without charge when it became clear there were no suspicious circumstances.
Miss Geor-Bond is believed to have hanged herself in the couple's chalet at about 3 am on Saturday, April 21, and she died just over an hour later in Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital.
A post mortem revealed the cause of death was asphyxiation due to strangulation.
Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M050032. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk

Murder inquiry woman may have 'hanged herself'

A TEENAGE holidaymaker whose death at Butlins, Minehead, was initially treated as murder may have committed suicide in the chalet where she was staying.
A post mortem has revealed the 19-year-old woman died as a result of hanging.
Earlier, her 26-year-old boyfriend had been arrested on suspicion of murder and then later released without charge.
The young woman was found suffering serious injuries in her chalet at about 3 am on Saturday, April 21, and was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where she died just over an hour later.
Although police have not yet named her, she is believed to be Rebecca Gore-Bond, of Duffryn Street, Tir-y-Berth, Hengoed, which is a small town in South Wales.
The circumstances of her death will be determined when the Somerset West Coroner holds an inquest.
A police spokesman said: “We are not looking for anybody else in connection with this.”
Photo submitted.

Police release Butlins murder suspect without charge

A MURDER inquiry into the death of a young woman holidaymaker staying at Butlins, Minehead, has been dropped.
Police have released without charge a 26-year-old man whom they had arrested on suspicion of murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend in the early hours of Saturday, April 21.
The woman was found in a chalet at the holiday centre suffering from severe head injuries at about 3 am and she died little more than an hour later in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
Although some reports said the woman may also have suffered strangulation, police said they were no longer treating the death as suspicious.
The decision followed a post mortem on the woman, the details of which have not been revealed by the police.
Instead, police are preparing a file for an inquest into the death to be held by the Somerset West Coroner.
The inquest is expected to be opened shortly for formal identification purposes and is likely then to be adjourned until a later date.
Both the dead woman and her partner are believed to come from Hengoed, a small town with just under 4,000 residents, near Caerphilly, in Mid Glamorgan, South Wales.
Following the woman’s death, part of the Butlins holiday centre was sealed off to allow forensic investigators to search the area.
Police also spoke to some of the other 4,500 holidaymakers staying at the resort, although most were unaware of the incident and it did not disrupt the operation of the centre.
Photo submitted.

Murder inquiry police arrest man at Butlins

POLICE have launched a murder inquiry after an incident at Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead.
They were called to the centre at 3 am on Saturday, April 21, after reports of a 19-year-old woman being found with serious injuries.
The woman, who is believed to be from the Mid Glamorgan area of South Wales, was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, but died shortly after 4 am.
A 26-year-old man, also from Mid-Glamorgan, has been arrested at Butlins on suspicion of murder and was taken into custody in Taunton Police Station.
An area of the camp was sealed off for police crime scene investigators to carry out a forensic examination, and officers were also speaking to other Butlins holidaymakers.
The dead woman had not yet been formally identified and a post mortem was still to be held.
Police have appealed for any witnesses or anybody who may have seen anything suspicious at Butlins overnight to contact them.
Anybody who can help should contact the police through the secure Crimestoppers contact form at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.
Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers on the free telephone number 0800 555 111, where they do not have to give their name and where they could receive a reward.
Photo by Mrak the Photographer, ref M050032. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

MP launches Salvation Army Christmas appeal

LOCAL MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has officially launched a charity appeal to bring Christmas cheer to children in West Somerset.
Mr Liddell-Grainger announced the start of the Salvation Army’s annual Pass the Parcel collection appeal when he attended the launch in the Superdrug store, in The Avenue, Minehead.
Superdrug is partnering the Salvation Army for the 2006 appeal in West Somerset, which is running from November 18 to December 18.
Earlier, some of the WWE Wrestling stars appearing at Butlins, together with the holiday centre’s Redcoats, presented gifts to representatives of the Salvation Army to kick-start the appeal.
People are asked to take toys and gifts for children and young people to Superdrug, from where they will be collected by the Salvation Army for distribution to families in need.
Capt Steven Watson, Salvation Army minister in Watchet, said: “The generosity of people living in West Somerset is second to none and has allowed us to bring a little bit of happiness to many children’s lives over the last seven years.”

• Our photograph shows (left to right) Salvation Army minister Capt Steven Watson, MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, and Superdrug Minehead manager Mark Granger. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M1117023. Order photo reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

Westlife show goes on despite storm damage

STORMY winds destroyed the Butlins Arena concert venue in Minehead, just two days before pop stars Westlife were due to perform live.
Tens of thousands of pounds of damage was caused with the canvass canopy torn away in the high winds and the metal structure of the Arena twisted and wrecked.
But as a Health and Safety Executive investigation into the incident began, Butlins pledged ‘the show will go on’ for the 7,000 people who bought tickets to see the boy band.
Butlins centre director Darren Hollis praised Westlife for their support and dedication to their fans after the band agreed to perform their first-ever back-to-back gigs.
Mr Hollis said the shows would now take place in the Butlins Centre Stage venue, which could seat about 3,500 people, to ensure everybody was able to see them.
However, the concerts were being cut to just 45 minutes each and would take place at the earlier times of 1 pm and 2.30 pm.
Because of the timing changes and the reduced length of the concerts, Butlins has offered all guests a £25 retail voucher, per person, to spend within resort.
It has also offered a full refund in advance for anybody who felt so disappointed that they wanted to cancel their visit.
Anybody with any queries about the concert was being encouraged to telephone Butlins on a special hotline number, 0870 242 2002.
For Butlins, it was the second disruption in less than a week to the Westlife concert arrangements.
The band had earlier unexpectedly announced they would be singing live on ITV television’s X Factor programme on Saturday night, which clashed with when they were supposed to be performing in Minehead.
Butlins then had the task of trying to contact all 7,000 ticket holders to tell them the concert had been brought forward to the afternoon.

• Our photographs show Westlife (left) and the wreckage of the Butlins Arena (right) visible through trees which line the perimeter of the holiday centre. Westlife photo submitted. Wreckage photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M11160029. Order photo reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.