I Return To Pontins! - Worst Rated Holiday Park In Wales?

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 21 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,7 тис.

  • @WalkWithMeTim
    @WalkWithMeTim  Рік тому +85

    BEST Rated Holiday Park In The UK? 👉ua-cam.com/video/uR5_Kdmqqb0/v-deo.html

    • @LKBRICKS1993
      @LKBRICKS1993 Рік тому +1

      The entertainment has improved it was 15 years ago the last time I was at pontins I went to Brean sands.

    • @lennonhart219
      @lennonhart219 Рік тому +3

      Yesss Tim more of these thank you

    • @holliegrace5259
      @holliegrace5259 Рік тому

      I have went to that best rated one and it is lovely you get 4 meals a day all drinks and swimming golf any way more

    • @stuartibbertson2009
      @stuartibbertson2009 Рік тому

      got to be butlins

    • @stevejelly3161
      @stevejelly3161 Рік тому

      Hi Tim...... good video and knowledgeable.
      .
      It kinda feels that the "spirit has gone" these days ???
      .
      I maybe wrong but i think that the "ethos" was :-
      .
      Just based on fun ... (so the apartments were cheap)
      .
      (this is crazy)....... But it was the guests made the fun in participating with the holiday staff.... (a bit like "Hi-De-Hi)
      .
      And the unwritten rule was that the guests cleaned the apartments ready for the next family
      ...
      ...
      Butlins and Pontins were very successful for decades after the war but then came "Jumbo Jet" holidays with guaranteed sunshine.
      ...
      ...
      THANKS FOR READING

  • @juliefrost8079
    @juliefrost8079 Рік тому +1683

    This looks like one of those tours around Chernobyl

    • @timfuller7113
      @timfuller7113 Рік тому +84

      Except I’d actually want to go to Chernobyl

    • @martinmowbray4304
      @martinmowbray4304 Рік тому +38

      Chernoble would be cleaner. 😂😂

    • @tipples
      @tipples Рік тому +2

      Lol

    • @smalrast
      @smalrast Рік тому +11

      Only worse, are you sure it's not an open prison?

    • @smalrast
      @smalrast Рік тому +2

      Are you payed to stay?

  • @Remonyyork
    @Remonyyork Рік тому +1570

    Utterly depressing. I feel sorry for anyone who books a holiday there. The place should have been bulldozed years ago.

    • @noobtube838
      @noobtube838 Рік тому +38

      So your feeling sorry for me? I used to go to Pontins Pakefield in Suffolk every half-term, absolute horrible.

    • @Michelle-wk4ek
      @Michelle-wk4ek Рік тому +27

      Need’s condemning

    • @Michelle-wk4ek
      @Michelle-wk4ek Рік тому +3

      It’s a new game the kids/adults play is called pillow fighting ha

    • @MaxwellCapacity
      @MaxwellCapacity Рік тому +65

      @Josh Some people can't afford anywhere else. That being said there definitely are nicer low-cost holidays available for the similar, if a little bit more expensive, prices…. and if there aren't I think I'd rather stay at home.

    • @bradley-xc7jl
      @bradley-xc7jl Рік тому +18

      ​@@dans.channel. yes they do. But there's better holiday for your money than here.

  • @johnlindsay2415
    @johnlindsay2415 Рік тому +410

    How they get away with selling family holidays like this is a disgrace, how it continues to operate is beyond me, surely no one would pay for this.

    • @vickywilliams8320
      @vickywilliams8320 Рік тому +18

      Its alright by local councils because it isnt permanent dwellings . The mould has been all over the place since the 60s

    • @Ploop-pt3im
      @Ploop-pt3im Рік тому +10

      @@vickywilliams8320 it’s not mould it’s “culture”

    • @Cxrinae
      @Cxrinae Рік тому +6

      You'd be surprised. To some people on incredibly small, or no income, this is like a luxury holiday to Dubai, lol.

    • @newforestpixie5297
      @newforestpixie5297 Рік тому +3

      If you’ve recently been released from a modern prison you’d be challenged by this overwhelming disintegration , a sense of hopelessness , the general lack of comfort & maybe the poor choice of menu but at least here nobody notices if you’re not back by lights out .

    • @CheshireCat6639
      @CheshireCat6639 Рік тому

      💯agree

  • @MeganeMondeoMX5
    @MeganeMondeoMX5 Рік тому +81

    The eerie silence, the left abandoned atmosphere, and the squawk of the seagull. Genuinely creepy!

  • @32bitpins73
    @32bitpins73 Рік тому +146

    I used to stay here quite often as a kid in the 90s. It was always a place to go for a cheaper family holiday, you knew it wasn't luxurious but some of my fondest childhood memories were formed at this holiday park. Such a shame to see how rundown it has become.

    • @MDM1992
      @MDM1992 Рік тому +2

      Ahh yes the fond memories of a pontins holiday, never leave without at least one injury and a good old fashioned scrap 😂

  • @gregwilldoitllc
    @gregwilldoitllc Рік тому +500

    Why anyone would pay to stay in what looks like a rundown council estate is madness. Me and my family went to Pontins breen sands a few years ago it was absolutely disgusting. We cleaned the room for over 2 hours before it was clean enough to get bags out of the car. Pontins needs to shut all their doors for good!!

    • @davidbird7979
      @davidbird7979 Рік тому +26

      We went to the same site 2 years ago? It was so disgusting inside and outside it was like a war zone, we booked for 5 days but only stayed 2 nights !! It was so noisy with northerner's pissed playing loud music all night long. And the whole site was Filthy. It would be Ideal for Housing Asylum Seekers it reminds me of the old army Barracks I was stationed in.

    • @jezzat3778
      @jezzat3778 Рік тому

      @@davidbird7979 Weird southern elitism and refugee slander bloody hell youre a walking stereotype

    • @TheComputec
      @TheComputec Рік тому +12

      @@davidbird7979 Pontins at Breen Sands was a former US army base in WW2

    • @jamara3330
      @jamara3330 Рік тому +12

      @@davidbird7979 It would not be deemed good enough for asylum seekers but is ok for paying guests. It is now closed and housing edf workers.

    • @chompchompnomnom4256
      @chompchompnomnom4256 Рік тому +4

      £9.50 Sun Savers holiday lol it was cheap enough to just about make it value for money

  • @ohthechitchat
    @ohthechitchat Рік тому +329

    Honestly it looks like some kind of social housing for offenders.

    • @BasedinReality1984
      @BasedinReality1984 Рік тому +24

      Don’t give the government any ideas.
      Although funnily enough they would probably renovate the whole place if that happened. Those boaties do ike to complain

    • @gybod9166
      @gybod9166 Рік тому +13

      @@BasedinReality1984 Muppet.

    • @Tuck-Shop
      @Tuck-Shop Рік тому +17

      ​@@BasedinReality1984 That's all they do do. Claim and complain.

    • @5688gamble
      @5688gamble Рік тому +6

      @@Tuck-Shop Wait until the UK declines further and you wish to leave desperately, then the natives will accuse you likewise!

    • @Tuck-Shop
      @Tuck-Shop Рік тому +1

      @@5688gamble I am a native here.
      If we decline then the migrants will migrate elsewhere. They don't have loyalty to this country.

  • @emeraldgreen1973
    @emeraldgreen1973 Рік тому +440

    This reminds me of an urban exploration video of an abandoned holiday park.I'd say that would still be cleaner than this.😂

    • @johnpekkala6941
      @johnpekkala6941 Рік тому +6

      Indeed when I saw the place I immediatley got Proper People vibes of visiting a site falling apart from being abandoned for at least 10 years only this place is still running. At least some stuff got fixed up but sooo much more to do to get that place in proper condition includig replacing the around 60 year old appliances like that yucky stove and stained down lamps and also fixing the broken windows and worn down paint.

    • @douglasrobinson3386
      @douglasrobinson3386 Рік тому +3

      I agree

    • @Dekedence
      @Dekedence Рік тому +6

      I think the Pontins video from last year was my first watch of this channel ... and I got the exact same vibe.

    • @Luke-jx3mj
      @Luke-jx3mj Рік тому +4

      Yep. It's like some post apocalyptic relic.

  • @thewhitebackground
    @thewhitebackground Рік тому +74

    This is sad. Imagine a family thinking that they’d have a nice holiday here. :(

    • @yancyarrechea
      @yancyarrechea 5 місяців тому

      That’s bad

    • @yomama17777
      @yomama17777 4 місяці тому +1

      My family did and we were very disappointed

    • @Summerlovin12
      @Summerlovin12 3 місяці тому +2

      My family goes every year but we’ve never had a bad experience 😢

  • @officialsnufkin
    @officialsnufkin Рік тому +106

    With video games such as Warzone fueling a rise in the popularity of gulags, Pontins are really missing a trick here by not renaming the park "The Soviet Prison Experience" and charging double.

    • @teresabunce6741
      @teresabunce6741 Рік тому +1

      Alternatively, run it as a Hi De Hi experience. But where to find a Barry and Yvonne….or a Peggy Ollerenshaw??

    • @alanarmitage
      @alanarmitage 11 місяців тому

      They will be making more then double once the tax payer paying the bill once it’s full of asylum seekers

  • @Remonyyork
    @Remonyyork Рік тому +208

    I’ve just priced that up for a 3 night stay in late July (just out of curiosity! 🤣) Basic apartment. £171. Even if Pontins paid ME £171, I would not step foot in that place. What a dump. Absolute shysters charging people to stay in that s***hole. It’s outrageous.

    • @DonnyRP
      @DonnyRP Рік тому +16

      I thought you would get a 3 month stay for that price.

    • @sinner9017
      @sinner9017 Рік тому +14

      And that's properly without the electric 😂😂😅

    • @oldskool8441
      @oldskool8441 Рік тому +5

      @@dee9917 Just to the right of the space-bar you will see a little dot, this is called a full stop. To the left, just after the emoji icon, you will see what we call a comma. 👍

    • @scottking869
      @scottking869 Рік тому

      ​@@oldskool8441 and if you look straight ahead your see a prick

    • @DonnyRP
      @DonnyRP Рік тому +1

      @@dee9917 7 nights in that hell hole!??? You must be crazy.

  • @bcdave91
    @bcdave91 Рік тому +250

    In the 1970s as a kid, I always looked forward to summer holidays -- Butlins, Llandudno, Silloth, Whitley Bay, etc. Awesome places (at least in the 1970s) that I still remember. I feel sorry for people (especially the kids) saving up for a holiday and ending up in a dump like this.

    • @tonycasson5675
      @tonycasson5675 Рік тому +4

      Yep I'm from and live In Whitley bay loved growing up in my hometown summers were hot and packed with tourists.

    • @bcdave91
      @bcdave91 Рік тому

      @@tonycasson5675 Great town you're from. I loved visiting Whitley Bay -- the caravans, the lighthouse, the beach, etc. It was our regular holiday spot when I lived in the Scottish borders near Kelso. Dad would pack us up into the Hillman Minx and we'd drive down to Whitley Bay for a day -- or if we were lucky, for a week in the caravan park. I'll have to get back and see it sometime.

    • @IndiBrony
      @IndiBrony Рік тому

      @@tonycasson5675 Just down the road from you in South Shields! Whitley Bay still has a few things going for it and I love taking trips up there. Here in Shields if you're not on the sea front there's basically nothing. King Street is depressingly empty. Still, can't complain too much - Marine Park, the curry houses on Ocean Road, The Dunes and the fair still provide a way to unwind on a day off.

    • @ianedmonds9191
      @ianedmonds9191 Рік тому +4

      @@verona8144 The sad truth is not all families will have internet. Some people still book holidays in the travel agents and they are shown lies in the brochures.
      That said if they are that hard up these flats might even be worth a holiday. I've lived in worse accommodation than this in my early adulthood.
      Luv and Peace.

    • @ianedmonds9191
      @ianedmonds9191 Рік тому +4

      @Ariana My brother has cancer and lives in London. My Mum lives in Dundee and wants to go visit him during his operation. She looked at hotels but crazy prices. She looked at Student accommodation because they often have empty rooms but still quite expensive. She finally settled on Hospital accommodation which was realistically affordable.
      I know it's London and I know the market is full on crazy but there does have to be a realistic option for a mother to visit her sick child on a Scottish pensioner's income.
      Huge props to the NHS as always.
      Luv and Peace.

  • @annabelbaker9805
    @annabelbaker9805 Рік тому +86

    As someone who used to work in Pontins as a cleaner for the summer of when I left school, they gave us all a 5 minute tutorial on our first days and said go for it and left us all to it. We did have checkers going over our work but the majority we were left to it for the whole day which was a good 8 hours. Most of the facilities were old and we were given a list of rooms to do before we finish (average 8-10 per person) so had no time to actually give them a decent scrub 😅 it didn’t help that most of the customers left it a shithole and I think my worst room had sick in the sink covering all of the already dirty pans 👍😂

    • @OmegaWolf-jk7te
      @OmegaWolf-jk7te Рік тому +7

      I don’t blame you for leaving that job.

    • @Zoe-oj9bc
      @Zoe-oj9bc Рік тому +2

      Supplementary support crieterial even for 5 minutes would of been deemed satisfactory... Are you a homemaker? Didn't to you regardless of any preperqustion purposes think "Well I do have a mind of my own" It's best to lead with the left leg forward.... Take into consideration when you use derogatory phrases. Cleanliness is next to what?

    • @1Thunderfire
      @1Thunderfire Рік тому +10

      @@Zoe-oj9bc Guests should be leaving the rooms in a good and clean state. There's no excuse for leaving any room as an absolute craphole.

    • @ellentheobald1376
      @ellentheobald1376 Рік тому

      Did u chuck the pans away? lol

  • @hypahnova954
    @hypahnova954 Рік тому +8

    being from north wales. whenever you’d hear someone going here on holiday, everyone would pray for them of a night

  • @damagedheather
    @damagedheather Рік тому +23

    Prestatyn is a beautiful and thriving historic town, and this hellhole is an absolute blight on its reputation. No idea if local authorities have any powers to intervene with the park but something desperately needs to be done.

  • @liz4387
    @liz4387 Рік тому +90

    You're a brave man staying here! I cant believe the place is still open. The only word I have for it is grim!

  • @nosmallo
    @nosmallo Рік тому +166

    I worked as a temp cleaning at Pontins Camber Sands when I was a student. There were four of us assigned to a block (two to each floor) and we literally had a few minutes to do each room. We were told to wipe down the surfaces, empty the bins out and put a new bin bag in, give the bathroom an once over,clean any mirrors in the room and that was it. This was nearly twenty years ago, it looks as though not much has changed.

    • @SirBelvedere
      @SirBelvedere Рік тому +5

      Were the rooms ever deep cleaned ?

    • @WalkWithMeTim
      @WalkWithMeTim  Рік тому +10

      Wow

    • @peterwilliamskelhorn6675
      @peterwilliamskelhorn6675 Рік тому +3

      @@WalkWithMeTim my mum went there in the 70s and it was still the same then as now

    • @peterwilliamskelhorn6675
      @peterwilliamskelhorn6675 Рік тому +2

      @@markfox1545 she told me how bad it was then and wouldn't be surprised that it hasn't changed. I did go on holiday in North Wales but to Talacre which is a lot cleaner

    • @deanharding7730
      @deanharding7730 Рік тому +2

      Was at camber sands pontins last year had to be moved room 3 different times and even the last was dirty and upstairs leaked everytime they had a shower plus steam coming frew there ceiling which ment water drops droppin onto the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling one of the worse places ever seen

  • @poppydrury1376
    @poppydrury1376 Рік тому +18

    how they accept a guest and can’t even clean the mark off the door is beyond me 🫣😂

  • @peterhagan8454
    @peterhagan8454 Рік тому +4

    in the day 70s as a kid with sister and mum n dad brilliant pace, quite nostalgic looking at its tired weathered look now

  • @phoebs1316
    @phoebs1316 Рік тому +7

    Remember when I went here as a child. Pool was shut the entire 5 days we were there. My mum didn't have a bed to sleep on cos they gave us a bed too small. Those of us who had beds, ended up sick after we got home cause they were so grim. Never again

  • @lizichell2
    @lizichell2 Рік тому +50

    It's hard to believe it's actually open. It looks truly abandoned

  • @GlenFair
    @GlenFair Рік тому +87

    Back in the 1960s this was a race track! And they had greyhound racing. They basically just paved over the track and built chalets either side. The camp opened in 1971 and hasn't changed much since.

    • @annehubbard3337
      @annehubbard3337 Рік тому +2

      We used to go to the racetrack regularly with our horses in the 60's to the harness racing, it was brilliant. so many wonderful memories of our holidays down there.

  • @Alex-eo9rh
    @Alex-eo9rh Рік тому +45

    It’s scary it’s so quiet and desolate that it almost looks like you broke into an abandoned building!

  • @A-small-amount-of-peas
    @A-small-amount-of-peas Рік тому +12

    In the early 90's my Dad's new job was so well paid that we were booking a family holiday to Florida, unfortunately disaster struck and he was made redundant a few months before we were due to go so while he found a new job my folks collected vouchers in a newspaper for a cheap Pontins holiday even though they didn't need to as we could have easily gone without a holiday but we had fond memories of Pontins Brean Sands as infants.
    They quickly became a distant memory when we arrived at Prestatyn
    Room was not ready when we arrived, no apology, waited 2 hours, finally got a chalet, no electricity, told we would have to buy a token which costs more money and not mentioned in the brochure while my Dad sorted that my mother discovered the room had not been cleaned or the bedding changed as well as a hole in the wall in the bathroom.
    This was the early 90's and reading reviews today it's incredible to see complaints similar to mine.
    I'd like to say it's Pontins management but I've had great experiences at other sites growing up but Prestatyn is being run by the most incompetent managers ever.
    The ONLY saving grace for my Dad was he only gave me and my sister money on the first day and I figured out one of those 10p tipping machines in the arcade had an alarm that went off when you bashed the glass, if you bashed the wooden frame with your fists the 10p's would fall into the trays and the alarm would stay quiet.
    Me and my sis made about £30 over the weekend doing this while my dad wondered why neither of us were pestering him for money

  • @MoodieCow
    @MoodieCow Рік тому +4

    What a nice surprise to see you pop up on my recommendations! Good to see you Tim, Esther x

  • @PeterDuffin-x2t
    @PeterDuffin-x2t Рік тому +84

    Absolutly disgusting , how on earth can they charge a penny for entry is beyond me 😢

    • @johnmorris2858
      @johnmorris2858 Рік тому

      Then how can they begin to fix these issues without charging people money.
      Just fighting a losing battle like a lot of businesses nowadays 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

  • @davidsmith4178
    @davidsmith4178 Рік тому +46

    I have read a lot of comments on facebook from people who have booked and have had their holidays cancelled by pontins, presumably because so few people have booked. Having worked there just over thirty years ago I was going to go there and get a day pass to see what it is like now. I think I'll just not bother cleaning my flat for three months, then stick my head down the toilet instead.

  • @MaxwellCapacity
    @MaxwellCapacity Рік тому +39

    Pontins is the only holiday you go on where you excitedly count down the days until you go home.

  • @tmntleo
    @tmntleo Рік тому +12

    This place isn't just disgusting, it's depressing too.

  • @donbunson5031
    @donbunson5031 Рік тому +25

    I was there throughout the 80's 90's and 00's. The 80's were the best years with a lot of entertainment staff. They had a huge snooker hall and separate children's theatre upstairs. They had a TV channel with live Christmas morning content from remote camera teams going into peoples chalets. They had childminding services and would alert you to crying babies you had left back in the chalet, yes really. They had a huge board with 'baby crying in' on it and would post the chalet numbers up of chalets with kids crying. It has been going downhill year after year from the first year I went.

  • @MargaretUK
    @MargaretUK Рік тому +118

    I wouldn't stay there if they paid me £99 for 4 nights! It would make a great setting for a scary video game, just throw in a few zombies and you are good to go. You're a brave man Tim, not only going back to Pontins, but also telling us about your dirty fridge at home 😮 If my hubby did that he would be in so much trouble! 😀

    • @Dekedence
      @Dekedence Рік тому +2

      What surprised me most is that in a year that skatepark isn't fixed and untouched, yet this time around Tim peeked in and the actual ramps inside look like they're in great condition. It's such a waste.

    • @salathon8227
      @salathon8227 Рік тому +4

      If you want to see pontins with a load of zombies thrown in, head there for a tidy weekender. There are hundreds of zombies roaming around by the Sunday 🤣🤣🤣

  • @Urban57621
    @Urban57621 Рік тому +81

    Good to do these videos to actually hold the company accountable! The state of the site still though is shocking!

    • @frankwilson3265
      @frankwilson3265 Рік тому

      @andrew jenkins All they need now is Olive and Blakey wondering around as zombies, moaning "' 'Ere Arfur" and "I'll get you Butler" in anguished pathos, and the effect would be complete.

  • @Starkalicious07
    @Starkalicious07 Рік тому +27

    Stayed here about a dozen years ago for a music festival. Spent the whole weekend blasted, so slumming it wasn't an issue, but it was clearly a dreary place. My favourite feature of the chalet was the big red switch on the wall which allowed you to have either the cooker on, or the shower on, but not both at the same time.

    • @littleblackpistol
      @littleblackpistol Рік тому +1

      Hard Rock Hell? My nephew went to one back in 2009 or so .. said he was so glad he had a hotel outside the camp as it looked dire back then,

    • @urbanculturedispatj
      @urbanculturedispatj Рік тому

      Only time I've seen these Pontins busy is when we had massive raves there. Pontins Camber sands was taken over by ravers a few time a year, feel sorry for anyone having to clean up after that 🤣

  • @cabbagenjam
    @cabbagenjam Рік тому +4

    Tidy Weekender! Best weekends of my life happened here. I know you're out there!

  • @weebenny24
    @weebenny24 Рік тому +7

    Hi Tim, me and my uni mates went this week (Monday) for a laugh just to see what the place was like and if it was really that bad in person, we were booked in till this upcoming Friday. And we left today. Honestly the place is a utter shambles and how on earth it is still operating to paying costumers is an outrage

  • @darkduane1
    @darkduane1 Рік тому +42

    I worked there for a couple of years and lived onsight for four months in that time. Staff accommodation was known as Beriut because they were terrible places to be, this was 15 years ago. It was a run down poor excuse of a holiday park back then and it's even worse now.

  • @powerglory4022
    @powerglory4022 Рік тому +23

    My wife booked us a surprise holiday here about ten years ago. The surprise became shock when we arrived. We lasted about forty minutes before we left and found a nearby hotel for one night returning home the next day. The place was disgusting, rundown with rubbish everywhere. The room was much like the one you reviewed only far dirtier, with mismatched furniture and office chairs in place of dining chairs. My wife and two daughters were in tears at the thought of staying there. How anyone would want to stay there is beyond me.

  • @kanei8521
    @kanei8521 Рік тому +5

    The room is such a rollercoaster of emotions. The grotty living area then into a seemingly spotless bathroom. And then you look closer at the bath and come crashing right back to reality realising that is grotty as well.

  • @debbiebarwick7693
    @debbiebarwick7693 Рік тому +29

    I also made the mistake of booking camber sands a few years back based on my teenage memories, i then read the reviews and had to book last minute somewhere else so as not to disappoint my grand daughter ! Absolutely horrified that these places are allowed to stay open and are not closed down by the local council on Health and Safety grounds at the very least !!!!

  • @JMc.D
    @JMc.D Рік тому +6

    The opening scenes I genuinely thought the place was abandoned and you were an urban explorer 😂

  • @hoffwell
    @hoffwell Рік тому +42

    The state of that apartment could be sorted in under an hour with a sponge/cloths, bottle of spray bleach and a hoover. Old fashioned looking isn't that bad, considering the price but crumbs and stains are unforgivable and easily and quickly sorted.
    Can't believe that huge place is ever full, considering the reviews online. Even if they just focused on keeping half tidy they might get repeat business and be able to raise prices.

    • @shirleymcalister6719
      @shirleymcalister6719 Рік тому +4

      I agree. It just needs a good scrub. Itching to get my marigolds on just looking at it! Nothing wrong with "old-fashioned" a lot wrong with "not clean."

    • @littleblackpistol
      @littleblackpistol Рік тому +1

      It's been used for a long whole by events organisers for rock and metal festivals among other things. Hard Rock Hell is one that used to use it and sell the rooms as part of a ticket package. So you'd get hundreds of people staying there looking to spend the weekend totally wrecked on alcohol there several times a year. And even some of them would complain about the filth and the fact the rooms are apparently very cold.

    • @maskedavenger2578
      @maskedavenger2578 Рік тому +1

      That place is asking to be taken over by someone like Haven & flattened & re landscaped & filled with static caravans & lodges . The place should of been bulldozed after ,they finished filming “ Holiday on the buses “ back 50 years ago . Looks like it’s being allowed to run down ,with as little money spent as possible ,going through the motions . The only reason it did better back in the 1960 ‘s is because back then the only competition it had locally was a a rough dive of a campsite called the Robin Hood camp ,it might even still exist . The Butlins camp near Pwllheli N / Wales was a bigger & much better camp ,in a better location now a Haven Holiday park

  • @adammidderigh4150
    @adammidderigh4150 Рік тому +42

    How they cannot even have a member of staff hoover a room before check-in blows my mind.

  • @SurhamCheese
    @SurhamCheese Рік тому +25

    Fred pontin would turn in his grave to see what has become of pontin's now 😢😢😢

  • @stevewelsh8560
    @stevewelsh8560 Рік тому +18

    twice in the 70's we went to Pontins, we loved it, but I suppose that was at the height of original holiday villages, they were bustling with people, facilities were plentiful, and amenities were spot on, I was a child that was easily pleased but even so, they seemed like paradise to me, shocking to see them in the state they are today, sad to see.

    • @keithmartin1328
      @keithmartin1328 Рік тому

      Looks like it hasn't been updated since the 70s, caught in a time warp😊.

  • @tammymilda2169
    @tammymilda2169 Рік тому +91

    I feel like it would be impossible for the staff to maintain that place, especially given the kind of clientele they must get

    • @Kris.G
      @Kris.G Рік тому +3

      Surely that's why nobody bothers to fix those kids' areas. Utterly depressing.

  • @DG-mi2mc
    @DG-mi2mc Рік тому +82

    You know you're in a classy accomodation when the TV is screwed down and has a tracker in it 😂

    • @WalkWithMeTim
      @WalkWithMeTim  Рік тому +3

      Lol I know right

    • @grahamalexander5800
      @grahamalexander5800 Рік тому +7

      The tracker costs more than the TV

    • @robthesamplist
      @robthesamplist Рік тому +9

      @@grahamalexander5800 Doesn't have a tracker its just to scare cash converter Colin off.

    • @skywolfx76
      @skywolfx76 Рік тому

      ​@@WalkWithMeTim I'm surprised it wasn't one of those shitty "vintage" fat CRT bastard's you'd usually get haha

    • @MrManBuzz
      @MrManBuzz Рік тому +3

      ​@@robthesamplist Yeah, I'd honestly be very surprised if there's a tracker in them. Not even like shitty TVs like that are worth much anymore to begin with.

  • @bunkaiking
    @bunkaiking Рік тому +26

    Before brittania bought pontins, it was no were near like it is now. Families used to visit a particular park many times a year because of the characters of th staff who worked there. Staff, management, and owners who cared. Never had much money to spend on the parks, but they had character. Its a shame. I worked for 15yrs at one as a manager and i am thankful for the experience and people I got to meet and work with.

    • @dominicedwards-wilds4333
      @dominicedwards-wilds4333 Рік тому

      @@sammydingdong4540 I believe Brittania bought out Pontins after they went into administration. I could be wrong though

    • @DRT1089
      @DRT1089 Рік тому

      Ah Britannia group, that explains it all. They can't get the basics right. They don't care, none of their hotels are clean either.
      Sad because I remember pontins in the 90s it had a much better reputation then.

    • @TheEyez187
      @TheEyez187 Рік тому

      In the good old Hi-Di-Hi days!! The show and the parks probably sharing some of the comedians!! :D

    • @TheComputec
      @TheComputec Рік тому

      You are not wrong about Britannia. Every hotel or facility they buy is basically left to go to ruins. Staff morale must be terrible. I've stayed in two of their hotels (Yorkshire and Fylde) and had I known in advance they were Britannia owned I would have cancelled before checking in
      I'm not sure what their plan is but they seem to focus on places that are already past their prime, but then they don't seem to re-develop any of them...

  • @cphilips502
    @cphilips502 Рік тому +45

    Out of everything, I'm most surprised that none of the facilities were open at all. It may be early in the season, but it is past Easter and officially the 'season', but these things didn't look anywhere close to being ready to open. So, not surprised by the mess and rubbish strewn everywhere, it was probably the result of guests making their own entertainment out of sheer boredom 😁.

    • @WalkWithMeTim
      @WalkWithMeTim  Рік тому +2

      Could be right

    • @ghamandlupinwalkingtours
      @ghamandlupinwalkingtours Рік тому +5

      Not surprised? Nah. If it's open for any amount of visitors at all the place should be spotless.

    • @Dekedence
      @Dekedence Рік тому +1

      It's this aspect of Tim's videos that always gets me. As a kid, I've done these kind of budget holidays ... and without the rose-tinted glasses, I look back knowing they weren't The Ritz but they definitely weren't as grim as this. It looks like an abandoned living museum of holiday's past. I don't think a single one of Tim's visits has had those water-shooter games open, yet there they are ... busted up, algae-water and coin-slots taped up.

  • @JimBobSr
    @JimBobSr Рік тому +6

    When I went there, about 14 maybe 15 years ago, it really wasn't half as bad as it was there. It was nothing like that. Kids were out playing, it was clean, and we had nothing to complain about, hygiene wise. The night activities were lively, and it was very fun. My neighbours were nice for the week, and there was a lot to do.

  • @psychosocialphil
    @psychosocialphil Рік тому +3

    Came whre with my partner and daughter last summer, pool was "closed for maintenance work" all the upstairs attractions were closed. Terrible time we had. On the last day they found a dead body just on the outskirts of the entrance to the resort 🙈 north wales pontins. Never know what you might find 😂🙈

  • @arserobinson7118
    @arserobinson7118 Рік тому +73

    I'm Welsh. My relatives went there back in 2008, said the rooms were very basic and a bit shabby, other than that they said it was good there. It looks like it's gotten way worse because of Britannia's neglect.

    • @pheart2381
      @pheart2381 Рік тому +7

      It might help if someone took a binbag and cleared up the discarded clothing and etc.

    • @Electrowave
      @Electrowave Рік тому +17

      @@pheart2381 Or a bulldozer

    • @salnaturile8653
      @salnaturile8653 Рік тому +8

      The owners (Britannia) are known to plough almost nothing back into maintaining their properties, in fact it seems to be their business model. I guess all it would take is one serious accident or even fatality due to neglect and the place would be closed down by HSE , but until then it limps on like a patient on life support.

    • @thewhitedoncheadle8345
      @thewhitedoncheadle8345 Рік тому +1

      what does you being welsh have to do with anything 🤦‍♂️

    • @SciFiFemale
      @SciFiFemale Рік тому +7

      @@thewhitedoncheadle8345 Because it is in Wales, maybe!

  • @stir47
    @stir47 Рік тому +47

    I'm kind of a nostalgic old guy. I'd stay at a place like this, wander around, poke into the nooks and crannies to get an idea of how things once were. This time of the year would be ideal for me, not good weather, but also not a lot of guests.

    • @pheart2381
      @pheart2381 Рік тому

      You might need a hard hat!

    • @stir47
      @stir47 Рік тому +1

      @@pheart2381 I'll make sure I pack mine if I go.

    • @vikinginspace4881
      @vikinginspace4881 Рік тому

      You might need a hazmat suit!

    • @stir47
      @stir47 Рік тому

      @@vikinginspace4881 Perhaps I could rent one if needed when I got there. It does seem much cleaner than my own house.

  • @douglasrobinson3386
    @douglasrobinson3386 Рік тому +17

    Hi Tim, you mentioned Holiday on the Buses, that was probably the last time this place looked clean, I am sorry but anybody that books there for a holiday must be barking mad I don't care how cheap it might be

  • @lindseywerner3646
    @lindseywerner3646 9 місяців тому +1

    Helpful hint tip for everyone: if you are going anywhere places like that or etc. it's good to make sure bring a croc pot with you comes in handy if you don't trust the appliances.

  • @hazederyanotha2404
    @hazederyanotha2404 Рік тому +20

    My parents took me here a few times as a kid, this would have been between 2005-2010. I never really realised how Ropey it was as a kid and have no doubt that it’s went down hill further in the last 15 years but seeing it now just reminds me of a big council estate with all the flats and rubbish.

  • @wildwine6400
    @wildwine6400 Рік тому +70

    Pontins looks like a council estate. The accommodation look like council flats and the entertainment buildings just remind me of old labour clubs

    • @wendykelly8551
      @wendykelly8551 Рік тому +3

      Yes it does....

    • @ohthechitchat
      @ohthechitchat Рік тому +25

      @@johng7304 people don’t generally choose a council estate for a holiday?

    • @wendykelly8551
      @wendykelly8551 Рік тому +9

      @@johng7304 appears .... I'm not rich..... and live in council home.... your assumptions are way way off.. assumptions are not a good thing....

    • @wendykelly8551
      @wendykelly8551 Рік тому +3

      @@johng7304 I wouldn't go there no because it's filthy and run down and broken. And some council estates do look like this that's a fact... not all but some... his comment was correct.. he said it looked like a council estate and it does look like some in big cities that's a fact..he never said anything bad about it just that it looks council....And it as stated does ..absolutely nothing would get me to spend money to stop here...

    • @wildwine6400
      @wildwine6400 Рік тому +9

      @@johng7304 I grew up on a council estate and lived/worked near them my whole life. They look exactly like old council flats, which in recent years have been getting bulldozed down. Its not an aesthetic for a holiday park

  • @quas392
    @quas392 Рік тому +8

    to be fairly honest this would be better served as emergency accomodation than a place you'd go to for fun....

  • @kamilianos
    @kamilianos Рік тому +5

    I spent 1 night there, completely unaware what it was going to be like …. We stayed for 5 nights just opposite the road in a nice apartment but we had to move out somewhere else for 1 night. This was convenient but it was shocking, as described.

  • @chrisw9643
    @chrisw9643 Рік тому +5

    Tim is literally awesome 👍

  • @kirkyx3170
    @kirkyx3170 Рік тому +76

    Oh good lord, I’ve actually booked this place and our holiday is supposed to be end of May here… I’m now hunting for another hotel or place to go!! I’m so glad I’ve seen this video before I actually hyped the kids up for a holiday and ending up hunting for somewhere else on our first day of the holiday! I can’t even imagine letting my kids step foot in the apartment it looks so run down and dirty!!

    • @Soarific
      @Soarific Рік тому +1

      Surely you have half a brain and look at photos and reviews before booking a place? 2 stars out of over 5000 reviews on trip advisor should be the giveaway.

    • @Fatroose
      @Fatroose Рік тому +10

      Be better off booking a caravan instead of Pontins. Robin Hood camp just down the road

    • @hypahnova954
      @hypahnova954 Рік тому +9

      why would u ever book here😭😭

    • @pgmasterson1163
      @pgmasterson1163 Рік тому

      @@Fatroose Agreed, had a lovely time at The Beach Caravan Park at Llandulas which is not too far away from this place, part of Thornley Leisure Parks.

    • @AngieG64
      @AngieG64 Рік тому +2

      I would lie and get your money back. 😅 Angie

  • @Trektrendy
    @Trektrendy Рік тому +13

    How upsetting to see such a decline, and poorly looked after site. Thanks for sharing mate, can’t say I’ll be rushing there on my next UK holidays 😅

  • @Swinhoe749
    @Swinhoe749 Рік тому +13

    Went here about 20 years ago, sad to see it’s gone downhill as it was a great holiday for kids! 😔

  • @prykey8674
    @prykey8674 Рік тому +11

    Good video as always Tim! Such a shame these places get so run down. Was good to see your comparisons from a year ago!

  • @michaelcrook9596
    @michaelcrook9596 8 місяців тому +2

    Had a family holiday there as a child in 1977 it was great back then, shocking it's become this

  • @123tinhat123
    @123tinhat123 9 місяців тому +1

    Worked on a Pontins many moons ago as a kitchen porter. If you've ever seen the film 'That Will be the Day' you will understand why I enjoyed it so much.

  • @philanthropist1241
    @philanthropist1241 Рік тому +11

    They treat the public with complete contempt. The fact that people still visit there amazes me. I can see a retail park replacing the "resort" in the very near future

    • @beardedveteran7234
      @beardedveteran7234 Рік тому +1

      There's already a retail park in the town centre about 400 metres from the camp site.

    • @jamesgravil9162
      @jamesgravil9162 Рік тому +1

      "I can see a retail park replacing the "resort" in the very near future"
      Why? Brick-and-mortar retail is dying. Everything is online these days.

  • @paulb4uk
    @paulb4uk Рік тому +3

    Reminds me of the time as kids we went the butlins in barry island i got hit on the head by the contact falling off the pole of the bumper cars ,the little pedal boat things were full of water so you got wet when you sat in them and it was very run down ,it was after a storm had damaged the place and the lift broke down twice on us .we did get to see the film batterys not included on vhs .

  • @CharlotteH_
    @CharlotteH_ Рік тому +8

    when i was younger, going to pontins was the highlight of my summers. i’ve got so many happy memories with my grandparents at these kinds of places. it’s a shame.

  • @grunt22
    @grunt22 Рік тому +2

    I'm pretty certain that's the one I stayed in as a child. It was the week when Elvis Presley died. I can remember stopping my playing on the balcony by the door when the news was broadcast. We went several times over a few years and had different chalets each time....and it wasn't that bad. It really has been allowed to go downhill. Reg Varney was the fist man to use a cashpoint (ATM) in the UK.

  • @streamlinebot6583
    @streamlinebot6583 Рік тому +3

    I don’t usually comment, but this is worth a mention:
    I watched your ‘worst pontins in wales’ video, and I liked your channel. I then watched one of your other videos - ‘should you stay at a haven holiday park?”.
    This put the idea in my head to book our first ever week at Haven Riviere Sands in Cornwall. We had a lovely time on our first Haven holiday, and we will certainly think of doing it again next year!
    Many thanks for your engaging channel, and please keep up with the great content 👍 ++

  • @jadedarlington7899
    @jadedarlington7899 Рік тому +14

    It’s so sad to see this. I came to this exact Pontins every year when I was a child, and it was never like this. I’m shocked at how much this has deteriorated. It’s important to note we stayed in the club apartments, which are very different to the one you have stayed in - they’re chalets with sliding doors and much nicer inside (from memory, anyway). Sad to see a place I loved as a child so poorly looked after!

  • @ThePBWay
    @ThePBWay 11 місяців тому +5

    This site is now closed down with immediate effect. After seeing your video I can see why it’s shut

  • @scottnichols3685
    @scottnichols3685 Рік тому +14

    Great video, as always, Tim!
    FYI…I purchased “On the Buses” after watching your video on Pontins last year. Very entertaining. I’m a huge fan of British comedy of all types. I am from the US but lived in London (49-50 Leinster Gardens, just north of Kensington Park) for a time, but never knew about these holiday parks. Hard to believe people still go there. The US had holiday parks long before my time but my parents told me about them. They were largely in upstate NY, and were ethnically-linked, ie. there were holiday resorts specifically catering to Greeks or catering to Jews or catering to Italians. Not the same as in the UK but definitely from the era before air travel was accessible to all.

    • @cafsixtieslover
      @cafsixtieslover Рік тому +1

      Is that like the one in Dirty Dancing?

    • @basylpeterjones
      @basylpeterjones Рік тому

      Air travel has nothing to do with this, in the UK. Package holidays to Spain did not affect British resorts' holiday industry.

    • @scottnichols3685
      @scottnichols3685 Рік тому +1

      @@cafsixtieslover Yup. 🎯

    • @LumiSisuSusi
      @LumiSisuSusi Рік тому

      I worked in a Jewish holiday camp in Upstate New York. I still exists and is Called Camp Kinder Ring (child side), Circle Lodge (adults side). It was quite lovely, though some of the boys cabins liked to use their ensuite showers as urinals....

  • @LeeStewart
    @LeeStewart Рік тому +2

    I stayed at Pontins in Brixham in 1993 and it was very clean and well maintained. Now it's abandoned. A place where I had such great memories is now rubble.

  • @Morhan_Jehnez
    @Morhan_Jehnez Рік тому +1

    My mum hissed and groaned at all the dirty kitchenware and stray hairs in the bedding and bathroom lol.
    Great video as always, Tim!

  • @rosie-cotton4262
    @rosie-cotton4262 Рік тому +7

    Loved this, thanks for going back to check for improvements. We're big fans of the grimy videos 😅 and always appreciate warnings of where's best to avoid 👍

  • @BrianS5588
    @BrianS5588 Рік тому +11

    A stain on top of the light, lipstick on the bottom of the cup and a random sock on the lawn - sounds like a short story competition or a party you are sad you missed! On one level it is depressing, yet on another level it has the allure of the ghosts of holidays past. I love the Pontins sign though, I took photos of the sign at Prestatyn in 2005. Going to get it out now!

  • @SusanTurner-yo9lf
    @SusanTurner-yo9lf 9 місяців тому +2

    That is really grim. Absolutely filthy, don't know why the owners think people would pay to stay there. You did well to stay there.

  • @vah1761
    @vah1761 Рік тому +4

    I stayed here a few years ago. We joked it was like a prison camp 😂😂😂

  • @MurphMansProject
    @MurphMansProject Рік тому +3

    If anyone was looking for a nice stay in Prestatyn, Havens Presthaven is very good and good prices also..only 5 minutes away from Pontins. Very clean and lots for families to do, had a great trip there last year

  • @kellyharvey9259
    @kellyharvey9259 Рік тому +6

    Hi Tim, love the videos . Could you on a next video ask about or look at disabled access. As a person with limited mobility going to stay elsewhere can be daunting & difficult so any help would be appreciated. Stuff like lifts, ramps, accessible rooms, chairs to sit at in hallways & entries etc.

  • @MrPinkYeetPatrol
    @MrPinkYeetPatrol Рік тому +9

    What a miserable place, Makes me sad thinking about all the people booking a holiday there and getting all excited just to get there to that. Especially the kids, Every year when I was a kid me and my family would go to a much MUCH better condition Haven holiday park and we always loved it. So many of my best memories were made there. Don’t think the kids would remember this dump.
    Also love your vids man, Would love to see some more footage of the arcades if you get the chance, Would be neat to see the differences from
    Place to place. The arcades are always my favourite parts of going these places. Just back from a holiday park today which was pretty lackluster in the arcade department😐

  • @metal4933
    @metal4933 Рік тому +2

    I once went to that pontins and the chalet had dried blood on the fridge no matter how high the heating was it was still Ice cold we ended up leaving on the second fay

  • @TheAnthonyKing
    @TheAnthonyKing Рік тому +2

    Apart from it being absolutely minging in there, what have none of the kitchen appliances got a sticker on to say it has been pat tested?

  • @Justme-w6y
    @Justme-w6y Рік тому +3

    I went once with my kids and was mortified to find such a dump. The only holiday where I quit early and couldn't wait to get home.
    The tvs were chained when I went. Grim

  • @noobtube838
    @noobtube838 Рік тому +8

    I’ve been to Pontins Pakefield a LOT of times in the past before 2018. The apartments, horrible but the entertainment improved on it. In October of 2018, they made the park for adults only (that must explain the destroyed crazy golf and activities) so we moved to Kessingland Beach and we’ve been going from there onwards. Feel very bad for you, you really deserve a reward!

  • @aaabbb356
    @aaabbb356 Рік тому +81

    Honestly....I'm ashamed to admit, these worst rated videos are my guilty pleasure Tim 🤣🤣
    Please keep the filth coming haha

  • @garyshethers9834
    @garyshethers9834 11 місяців тому +2

    Pontins Prestatyn closed yesterday,but maybe a bright future for Pontins is happening: R.I.P Pontins Prestatyn 1971 to 2023.

  • @georgie2713
    @georgie2713 Рік тому +1

    A few years ago I lived in a 6 bed house share in SE London in my very early twenties. It honestly had the exact same vibes 😂 absolutely grim.

  • @catherineclark4484
    @catherineclark4484 Рік тому +7

    What i like about your vlogs tim, is you arent cynical you try to be fair about things, you understand if their is a little dirt, and love that clip from holiday on the buses, fave film, we actually went there when I was little

  • @kylemoore1865
    @kylemoore1865 Рік тому +4

    As a Canadian this is wild. Like the fact nothing is ever open is your first problem. It's like a Cleveland themed amusement park

  • @darth6466
    @darth6466 Рік тому +11

    Looks more like an urban exploration of a recently abandoned site than a current operational hoilday park

  • @flapsmahoney2471
    @flapsmahoney2471 Рік тому +2

    Looked pretty good in holiday on the busses film. 😄

  • @iangallager4091
    @iangallager4091 Рік тому +1

    When you think that some dormitory hostel accommodation can cost the same a night in a dormitory the early season price isn't so bad for a private en suite set of rooms. But returning to what appears to be a run down army barracks at the end of the day wouldn't lift your spirits.

  • @CodingAbroad
    @CodingAbroad Рік тому +21

    You’re like a bodyguard Tim, you took the bullet for us!

  • @kenjewell5619
    @kenjewell5619 Рік тому +3

    They obviously don't clean the rooms, absolutely disgusting.

  • @matcarter1975
    @matcarter1975 Рік тому +5

    Tim another great video from you. I remember going to pontins as a child. So very sad to see it in such a state. Some improvements from your last video but it still looks terrible 😢

  • @orangsquid1174
    @orangsquid1174 Рік тому +2

    I love how the camera is making a clicking sound when you’re walking that sounds slightly like a Geiger counter 😂

  • @cyberleaderandy1
    @cyberleaderandy1 Рік тому +4

    We went there twice in the 70s (not long after Holiday on the buses was filmed) and it was great. We also went to the long gone Tower Beach camp that was also at Prestatyn and also Pontins. Its really sad they've let it go so downhill 😟