The Dovercourt Bay Holiday Lido, later aquired by Warner's Holiday Camps in 1937.
Acquired by Warner's in the 1930's, Dovercourt was at the heart of the UK holiday camp revolution of the early 20th century and among Dovercourt’s biggest claims to fame is perhaps it being used as the location for the 1980's sitcom "Hi de Hi", set in a 1950's holiday camp and filmed in the town’s own Warner’s Camp.
The camp was transformed into a military base during World War Two. The newly built facilities had been used during World War II to house refugee children coming in to be fostered as part of the Kinder-transport scheme and were also requisitioned by the Government in 1942 as a prisoner of war camp.
Once the war was over, the holiday making could really begin and during its peak, the camp was entertaining up to 11,000 visitors a year. Warner’s at Dovercourt Bay seemed to have everything — a swimming pool, tennis courts, bowling green, cricket pitch and putting green. Inside, it had a grand ballroom with its own resident band and an ample dining room. It had accommodation for 850 people.
Used for exterior scenes in the BBC comedy 'Hi-de-Hi'• Sadly, perhaps with the popularity of holiday camps dwindling everywhere, Dovercourt Bays last season was 1990. They were still advertising and taking bookings for the 1991 season but closed at the end of 1990 and demolished in the early 1990's to form a housing estate.
The camp was transformed into a military base during World War Two. The newly built facilities had been used during World War II to house refugee children coming in to be fostered as part of the Kinder-transport scheme and were also requisitioned by the Government in 1942 as a prisoner of war camp.
Once the war was over, the holiday making could really begin and during its peak, the camp was entertaining up to 11,000 visitors a year. Warner’s at Dovercourt Bay seemed to have everything — a swimming pool, tennis courts, bowling green, cricket pitch and putting green. Inside, it had a grand ballroom with its own resident band and an ample dining room. It had accommodation for 850 people.
Used for exterior scenes in the BBC comedy 'Hi-de-Hi'• Sadly, perhaps with the popularity of holiday camps dwindling everywhere, Dovercourt Bays last season was 1990. They were still advertising and taking bookings for the 1991 season but closed at the end of 1990 and demolished in the early 1990's to form a housing estate.
An early photograph covering the construction of the Dovercourt Holiday Lido (1932)
The Dovercourt Holiday Lido (1935)
Warner's Holiday Camp ~ Dovercourt Bay 1937 - 1990
An aeriel shot of Warner's Holiday Camp, taken in 1947
A very early aerial postcard by Photo Precision Ltd, of St Albans, showing the holiday camp (looking East towards Harwich). The buildings in the background on the adjoining fields, are now the location of the Cricket Ground, with Low Road and Wick Lane running vertically to the left.
Photo Precision Limited was started in 1946 shortly after the end of WW2 in St Albans, the company founders were two photo-recognizance officers ex-RAF officer Arthur Smith, and Tom English. The firm re-located to Caxton Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire in the early 1970s from where they produced huge quantities of postcards - including the colourful "collectors series".
Photo Precision Limited was started in 1946 shortly after the end of WW2 in St Albans, the company founders were two photo-recognizance officers ex-RAF officer Arthur Smith, and Tom English. The firm re-located to Caxton Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire in the early 1970s from where they produced huge quantities of postcards - including the colourful "collectors series".
