Ian Handford: Entrepreneur who built an iconic holiday camp empire

It was by sheer accident that thirty years ago I came across the family grave of the Pontin family in Stoke Gabriel Churchyard. In appreciating Sir Fred after a long career with the Stock Exchange had a second career and been very active with Torbay his new venture.

Fred's wish to create cheap holidays came after watching the success of the Billy Butlin camps and after the Second World War he purchased an eight acre site to build the first Pontin camp at Brean Sands. This had been the site of an American training camp but once developed Fred Pontin's slogan appeared "There's no place like PONTINS for value for money". Supported by Barclays Bank and with his stock-exchange experience Fred went on to create sixteen holiday camps all across Britain. His main rival was always "Butlin" although he remained a lifelong friend of Billy even though he copied his uniform concept. Pontins staff were dressed as "Bluecoats" mirroring Butlin's Redcoats.

By 1957 there was Barton Hall Pontins complex in Torquay and within six years it provided the first outdoor artificial ski-slope seen in Britain. Mr Pontin in his private helicopter came to the official opening to witness the first ski-training facilities ever created in Britain. Brixham would also benefit from Fred's investments as he quickly created no less than five camps in Higher Brixham at - Bay View, Dolphin, Homelea, St Mary's and Wall Park before building a large camp at Kings Ash Road Paignton which oddly was my first employer in Torbay. I became Assistant Company Secretary of the  Pontins Camp at the time when Len Pontin (Fred's brother) was its General Manager.

Fred's investment in camps did not stop as he now invested in self catering and by late 1963 had even opened his first Hotel in Sardinia;  The Pineta Hotel. This was followed by more Pontin Hotels at Majorca, Ibiza and Torremolines in Spain and in addition by the mid 60's Fred's empire in Britain alone had risen to a phenomenal twenty three camps. Yet unlike "Butlins" many "Pontins camps" were far from profitable.  Yet being as continuous prolific buyer/builder of property everywhere Fred returned to Torbay and purchased the Berry Head Hotel where our first Civic Society Chairman Mrs Sheila J Hardaway wanted to unveil her first Blue Plaque in Torbay. It would honour Rev.Henry Lyte whose home it had been during the Victorian era. Later it would be renamed Berry Head Hotel after being expanded in 1936.

Mr Pontin was Knighted in 1976 after which he still continued to invest and returned to us and purchased the Torbay Chalet Hotel. We think this was the time he met Sheila Hardaway who gained his permission to erect that first plaque at the Brixham Hotel. Having achieved the approval of Torbay Borough Council the Blue Plaque at the Berry Head Hotel was formally unveiled in 1987.

At age seventy three Sir Fred finally sold his empire to Coral Leisure Company in order as he said - "to take up golf and yachting" but nevertheless remained as an Honorary President and was even instrumental in establishing the Magic Tour Coach Company plus other innovative schemes for Coral. In 1998 the Coral Company sadly made a loss of £1.5 million and by 1999 even Torbay's Barton Hall complex was sold.

Sir Fred often stayed in Torbay and certainly outlived all his contemporaries by surviving to the amazing age of 94 - a time when a significant reporter wrote of him "Fred simply ran out of breathe". Sir Frederick left behind his second wife Lady Joyce and a daughter after dying of a stroke in Blackpool Hospital on September 30th 2000. Yet his funeral was arranged and held in South Devon and with other members of the family today he lies still in the cemetery of Stoke Gabriel Parish Church Devon, where my story commenced.