Fred Pontin

Sir Frederick William Pontin (24 October 1906 – 30 September 2000) was the founder of Pontins holiday camps and one of the two main entrepreneurs in the British holiday camp business in the 30 years after World War II, alongside Billy Butlin.

He was born in Highams Park, the son of Frederick William Pontin, an East End cabinet maker, He had a successful career in the city's Stock Exchange before World War II.

During the war, he was involved in helping to establish hostels for construction workers. Based on this experience, he decided to move into the holiday camp business after the war. In 1946, he formed a syndicate to buy an old disused camp at Brean Sands near Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset which was the beginnings of the company known as Pontins. He gradually expanded his business to encompass thirty sites including the popular Southport and Prestatyn resorts.

In 1960, he bought Farringford House on the Isle of Wight, the former home of Alfred, Lord Tennyson which had been turned into a hotel. Pontin kept racehorses in stables near the hotel, one of which, Specify, won the 1971 Grand National.

He became Chief Barker of the Variety Club of Great Britain in 1968 and was president for 16 years, raising over £1 million. aged 93.