Fred Pontin

SIR FRED PONTIN d2000. English founder of the Pontins holiday camps and one of the two main entrepreneurs in the British holiday camp business in the 30 years after World War II alongside Billy Butlin. In 1946, he formed a syndicate to buy an old disused camp at Brean Sands near Burnham-on-Sea which was the beginnings of the company known as Pontins. He gradually expanded his business to encompass thirty sites including the popular Southport and Prestatyn resorts. In 1960, he bought Farringford House on the Isle of Wight (the former home of Alfred Lord Tennyson) which had been turned into a hotel. He kept racehorses in stables near the hotel one of which "Specify" won the 1971 Grand National. He expanded his holiday business into other parts of Europe forming Pontinental in 1963. In 1978, Pontins and Pontinental were sold to Coral (for £56 million) and he then remained a director for two years. In 1984, he acquired London Dungeon and opened York Dungeon in 1986. He became Chief Barker of the Variety Club of Great Britain in 1968 and was president for 16 years raising over £1 million. In the 1976 Queen's Birthday Honours List he was knighted for his services to charity. He died in Blackpool aged 93 on September 30th 2000