Lady Sheila Butlin visits to celebrate the brand’s 75th Birthday

True Butlins royalty came to the resort in Bognor Regis this weekend when Lady Sheila Butlin, wife of the late Sir Billy Butlin, visited Butlins for the first time since Bourne Leisure bought the brand in 2000.

Accompanied by her daughter, Jacquie, son-in-law, Andrew, and three grandchildren, including Jacquie’s daughter, Laura, and son, George, and Billy Butlin Jr’s son, Oliver, Lady Butlin took great delight in showing them the brand her husband created in 1936.

After a tour of the resort Lady Butlin said: "You have done a wonderful job – Sir Billy would have been over the moon, just as I am. I’ve seen parents and children laughing and playing together all around the resort. And showing it to my family has made me smile too."

Dermot King, Managing Director of Butlins said: "This visit is a huge honour for everybody at Butlins – Lady Butlin is royalty as far as we're concerned. It's all the more poignant taking place in our 75th Birthday year. We're extremely proud of our heritage and are aware of Sir Billy looking down on us watching what we're doing with his baby"

Lady Butlin worked alongside her husband at both the head office and the parks, taking responsibility for team members. Although they had a young family – his ethos was "In my world, everybody works" – she was his right hand woman.

The company had been trying to contact Lady Butlin to invite her to celebrate their 75th Birthday but hadn't been successful. However, she sent them a congratulatory birthday message and the visit plans were developed. In the course of the weekend the party watched a special 75th Birthday show honouring her husband and the iconic Redcoats that were his creation. They all stayed in the Ocean Hotel & Spa named after the iconic Ocean Hotel in Saltdean which Sir Billy opened. The party were flown into Goodwood in a classic 1946 de Havilland Dove, and then chauffeured to the resort in a gleaming 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom. Both vehicles will be part of the celebrations at Goodwood's Revival festival in September which Butlins will also be taking part in.

Butlins now has three beachside resorts, Bognor Regis (West Sussex), Minehead (Somerset) and Skegness (Lincolnshire) and welcomes around 1.5m guests per year. From 2003 to the end of 2011 approximately £150m will have been invested in the resorts with 2011 being the biggest single investment year, £34m, since the original 'camps' were opened.

The chalets of Sir Billy's era have been replaced with modern apartments and hotels and activities such as fencing, archery, climbing walls and state of the art Spas. The large dining halls are being replaced with more personal smaller restaurants including the joint venture with Brian Turner and his restaurant, Turner's, which opened at Bognor Regis in April. One thing however remains the same – Butlins specialises in breaks for families who want to enjoy a holiday together.