On Saturday 18 June 1966, Butlin's Barry Island opened for the first time. In its heyday, it was a vibrant and bustling camp that provided affordable family fun.

Though the site is no more, many Barry residents will remember the camp and know of its legacy. So, lets step back in time and revisit the camp from inception to demolition.

Mr Butlin himself

Billy Butlin's name is synonymous with the British holiday camp empire. Born in South Africa in 1899, he started building his business 26 years later, opening some permanent stalls on Barry Island.

As he developed his trade, Mr Butlin eventually opened amusement parks around the UK.

It's rumoured that the inspiration for his holiday camps came from an unfortunate holiday to Barry Island in his youth, where Mr Butlin was locked out of his B&B by the landlady, something that often occurred for families on vacation.

He toyed with the idea of providing accommodation that encouraged holidaymakers to stay on the site and provided entertainment for them between meals.

In 1936 Butlin's Skegness was opened to the public, and two years later another camp opened in Clacton.

When World War Two began, these sites were requisitioned by the War Office for use as training camps. The ministry needed further camps, and contracted Mr Butlin to build them.

He agreed, on the condition that he could purchase the sites when the war was over, to use as holiday camps. Camps in Filey, Pwllheli and Ayr opened after the war.

Butlin's Barry Island is born

The Barry Island camp was the smallest of the Butlin's Holiday Camps, and the last to be built. Construction began in the winter of 1965, and it opened the following summer.

It had all the tried and tested Butlin's features: the iconic Butlin's Redcoats, a funfair, the early morning wake-up with Radio Butlin, dining hall, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a ballroom; boating lake, tennis courts, sports field (for the three legged and egg and spoon races and the donkey derby), table tennis and snooker tables, an amusement arcade, medical centre, theatre, arcades of shops and the Pig and Whistle Showbar.

A 430-metre chairlift system was opened in 1967. There were 800 basic, 'no-frills' chalets, designed to 1960s standards, which meant wooden panels on the outside and flat roofs.

Until the 1980s the camp saw huge success. But on 29 October 1986, Butlin's announced that it would have no place in the company's future and would close after Christmas.

Butlin's Barry Island shut on 31 December 1986.

A Majestic makeover

The camp was not shut for long, reopening on 23 May 1987 having been sold to Majestic Holidays.

Now 'Majestic Barry Island' (and later The Barry Island Resort), there were plans to demolish the camp and rebuild from scratch, but instead the camp was completely refurbished.

The Redcoats lasted until 1989, but they became Bluecoats in 1991, following Butlin's threat of legal action over the name.

By 1996, with storm damage causing more maintenance problems, the Vale of Glamorgan Council threatened to refuse renewal of Barry Island Resort's entertainments licence, unless work was done to improve the now 30-year-old site.

The camp closed for good on 7 November 1996. Nearly one year later, in October 1997 the Vale Council bought the site for £2.25m. The camp was demolished and sold to Bovis homes for housing development.

The legacy lives on

While Butlin's Barry Island is gone, memories of the holiday camp live on in our town through fond recollections of summer days gone-by.

Seven years ago, on 27 September, the then Mayor of the Vale Council Howard Hamilton unveiled a blue plaque in the 'Seafront Garden'.

The plaque, designed and paid for by former Barry Redcoats, and dedicated to the late Entertainments Manager, John Wilson, commemorates the Butlins Holiday Camp and its operator, showman and philanthropist Sir William 'Billy' Butlin.

Sir Billy's widow, Sheila, Lady Butlin, sent a letter expressing her delight at this tribute to her husband and "one of his favourite camps."