DOES anyone remember when Butlin's in Minehead opened?

Well, don't worry if not because it was actually a really long time ago...May 26 1962 to be precise.

So we took a look in our archives to find the story that announced the opening.

Unfortunately we couldn't find any pictures of it back then, but if you have some please let us know.

Butlin camp to open on time - 2,000 visitors for Minehead today

NEARLY 2,000 visitors from many parts of Britain will converge on Minehead for the opening of the Butlin Holiday Camp today. To many people who live in the locality it still seems impossible that this vast township which did not exist ten months ago is now ready for action.

Rumours of eleventh-hour disasters which would delay the opening have been rife in the town but have not disturbed Mr Billy Butlin himself, who took up residence on the camp a month ago.

"There have been all sorts of scares but without foundation. The biggest story here is that, in spite of the bad weather, the work has finished on time without any snags," said the newly-appointed public relations officer, Mr Peter Ewing.

Where, only a few weeks ago, lorries and excavators churned around the building on muddy tracks, there are now pretty coloured trains of carriages in which the holiday-makers will ride around the camp over spic-and-span surfaced roads.

Along the lawns flowers bloom in neatly-arranged beds as if they had always been there. A pair of wild swans mingle with Mr Butlin's imported ducks and drakes on the ornamental boating lake, by the side of which stands an inviting array of rowing boats in gala colours.

This year's staff will number nearly 800. On the last three nights, staff have been getting to know each other at dances held in the Regency Ballroom.

"The dances are held to make the staff happy," said Mr Ewing.

"It is Mr Butlin's belief that you can only have happy holidaymakers if you have a happy staff."

Music for dancing was provided by Sid Roberts and his band, of Taunton, which makes them the first musicians to perform on the camp.

For more memories of Somerset, join our Facebook Group, We Grew Up In Taunton.