Britain's summer in 1982: 14 magnificent photos of crowds enjoying Butlins in Skegness

As millions currently enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend during the summer holidays we take a look into what many Britons were doing at this time more than 40 years ago.

Here's our gallery of images from Butlins in Skegness back in 1982, a time when Margaret Thatcher was in her early years as prime minister, England had just been dumped out of the World Cup in Spain and the nation was at war with Argentina over the Falklands.

Butlins were conceived of by Sir William Butlin based on his experiences at a Canadian summer camp in his youth and by observation of the actions of other holiday accommodation providers, both in seaside resort lodging houses and in earlier smaller holiday camps. The Skegness camp began opened in 1936, when it quickly proved to be a success with a need for expansion.

Butlins included dining and recreation facilities, such as dance halls and sports fields. Over the past 75 years the camp has seen continuous use and development, in the mid-1980s and again in the late 1990s being subject to substantial investment and redevelopment. In the late 1990s the site was re-branded as a holiday resort, and Skegness remains open today as one of three remaining Butlins resorts.