If you’re a regular on the UK holiday scene, and holidays to the West Country are your thing, but it’s possible that you in the past may have stayed in a John Fowler Holiday Park. The gentleman is the founder of the John Fowler holiday company, who own 15 holiday parks in Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset, and as such a local celebrity it’s little wonder than the whole area is in mourning as it’s announced that Mr Fowler has died of cancer.
Originally a member of the Merchant Navy, Mr Fowler left the force with £300 and wanted to get a hold on the tourism industry in Newquay in Cornwall. While the cash was not enough to buy a hotel, he did in 1953 buy a pre-war caravan and completely refurbished it.
A local farmer let him have the corner of a field with no roads or electricity but its proximity to Newquay beach meant that the bookings rolled in. Investing every penny of his profits straight back into more vans meant the business quickly grew and today John Fowler Holidays is the biggest privately owned holiday firm in the West Country.
If you’ve holidayed in the area then you may well have stayed at one of the company’s parks. From the humble beginnings and a £100 caravan to a company with an annual turnover of £20.5 million shows the popularity of the brand.
In recent times, Mr Fowler had been suffering a long battle with cancer and that battle has now come to an end as his family announced on 28th September that the parks founder had passed away.
While it’s a great loss to the industry, the death won’t affect holiday park bookings and so patrons have nothing to worry about if they have a break booked with the firm, although Mr Fowler did take a very hands on approach to the business, right to the end.
By: Kath Cross
