During the 1960s and 1970s, a number of well established companies diversified into the holiday park business, among them Godfrey Davis, English China Clays, Coral bookmakers, and even the brewery companies Guinness and Courage. Ladbrokes followed suit in 1972, making their move into the industry with the acquisition of the Caister Group, a prominent Norfolk-based operator.
A brief history of the Caister Group
The Caister Group was founded in 1958 when businessman Tom Watson purchased the Caister and Silver Springs holiday camps from the Official Receiver. Under his leadership the group expanded rapidly, coming to include three prominent hotels in Great Yarmouth—the Cavendish, Metropolitan, and New Beach—along with five additional holiday parks. Beyond traditional seaside resorts, the company also operated a fleet of hire boats on the Norfolk Broads and built up a number of car dealerships.
In 1972, the Caister Group became the subject of a bidding war when Godfrey Davis made a surprise £5.5 million offer. They were quickly outbid by Ladbrokes, who secured the business with a £6 million deal. Following the takeover, Ladbrokes disposed of the hotels and car dealerships but retained the holiday parks, which were rebranded as Ladbrokes Holidays, and kept control of the boating business on the Norfolk Broads.
Ladbrokes went on to buy several more holiday parks around the country, including four which came with their acquisition of Leisure & General Holdings.
A brief history of Leisure & General Holdings (Liverpool City Caterers)
Liverpool City Caterers could trace its origins back to 1875, with the opening of a chain of “cocoa houses” across Liverpool. At the time, most daytime meals were served in pubs where heavy drinking often accompanied lunch, and the cocoa houses offered a sober, alcohol-free alternative.
Over the decades, the company expanded far beyond its original roots. On Merseyside, it operated a large network of snack bars and restaurants, supported by its own catering firm, brewery, and bakery. The group’s interests grew to include several hotels and holiday camps, as well as a chain of hi-fi and electrical shops trading under the Hardman Radio name. It also ran 94 betting shops under the Connor & Forbes name, and launched the successful Mercury Motor Inns chain of roadside motels. Reflecting its increasingly diverse portfolio, the business was renamed Leisure & General Holdings in 1970.
In 1978 the entire company was acquired by Ladbrokes in a £7.2 million hostile takeover. The four holiday parks were absorbed into Ladbrokes Holidays, while the Mercury Motor Inns were transferred to Ladbrokes’ hotel division. The following year Ladbrokes purchased the Laskys hi-fi chain and merged it with their Hardman Radio business, retiring the Laskys name.
The end of Ladbroke Holidays
In 1987, Ladbrokes sold its 15 holiday parks to Mecca Leisure, the owners of Warners Holiday Camps, in a £55 million deal. The parks were subsequently rebranded under the Warners name, bringing an end to the short-lived Ladbrokes Holidays brand.
Just three years later, in 1990, Mecca Leisure was acquired by Rank Leisure, the parent company of Butlins and Haven. At the time, Mecca owned 51 hotels, 29 holiday centres, 27 casinos, 79 bingo halls, 73 night clubs, 55 restaurants and two theme Parks. This led to another round of rebranding, with some of the parks adopting the Haven name while others remained as Warner’s. Some were even branded under the Shearing’s name.
List of Ladbroke Holiday Parks
Caister Holiday Camp – acquired from Caister Group 1972, still open as a Haven park
Seashore (Gt Yarmouth) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, still open as a Haven park
Silver Sands (Caister) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, later merged into the main Caister camp
Sunbeach (California) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, sold 1983 to Sand Chalets Ltd, still open
Jubilee Bridge (Heacham) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, 15 acres, sold to Oakley Investments in 1975. Still open as Palm Beach Holiday Park
Manor Park (Hunstanton) – acquired from the Caister Group 1972, 26 acres, sold to Oakley Investments in 1975. Still open as a Parkdean resort.
Perran Sands (Perranporth) – acquired from the Pryce-Jones family in 1973 for £586,000, 500 acres. Still open as a Haven park
Nodes Point (Isle of Wight) – Originally an army camp, the 50-acre site was sold to Albert Figgins in 1958 for £21,000. Figgins developed it into a holiday park, which opened in 1962. The camp was acquired by Ladbrokes in 1973 and continues to operate today as a Parkdean Resort.
Fort Warden (Isle of Wight) – The 21-acre site was sold at auction in April 1958 for £5,000 to Albert Figgins, who traded under the name Isle of Wight Holidays Ltd. It opened as a holiday camp in May 1960 and was later acquired by Ladbrokes in 1973. The camp continued to operate until its closure in 1991.
Ventnor Holiday Villas (Isle of Wight) – acquired from Albert Figgins 1973, sold c1983, still open
In 1976, Ladbrokes entered into a joint venture with Courage Brewers to operate three holiday parks. Ladbrokes contributed Perran Sands in Cornwall, while Courage added Devon Valley at Shaldon and Riviere Sands at St Ives. All three sites were marketed under the Ladbrokes Holidays brand.
Devon Valley (Shaldon) – First opened in 1955, closed 2022.
Riviere Sands (St Ives) – still open as a Haven park
Sussex Coast Country Club (Middleton on Sea) – acquired from Leisure and General Holdings in 1978. Closed 1996 and land sold for housing
Blue Waters, Weymouth – Originally opened in the 1940s as Chesil Beach Holiday Camp on the site of the former Port Sanitary Hospital, the park was acquired by Ladbrokes in 1978 from Leisure & General Holdings. It was later renamed Blue Waters Weymouth but eventually reverted to its historic identity. Today it continues to operate as Chesil Beach Holiday Park.
Blue Waters, Seaton – First opened in 1953, the camp was acquired by Ladbrokes in 1978 from Leisure & General Holdings. Following Mecca’s purchase of Ladbrokes’ holiday division, the site was merged with the adjoining Warners camp and the two were rebranded together as Lyme Bay. The holiday camp closed in 2008, was subsequently demolished, and the site is now occupied by a Tesco supermarket.
Devon Coast Country Club (Paignton) – acquired from Leisure & General Holdings in 1978. Closed 1994 and land sold for housing
Teignhaven (Shaldon) – acquired 1981. Closed 1990 and land sold for housing
Wallis’s (Cayton Bay) – acquired 1981 for 1.9 million, still open as a Parkdean park
Beeson’s (Torquay) – acquired 1981. Located next door to Pontins Barton Hall. Still open as Torquay Holiday Park, run by Parkdean.
Seaview (Weymouth) – acquired 1986. Still open as a Haven park
Lower Hyde (Shanklin) – acquired 1986. Still open as a Parkdean park
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