Holidays for the Disabled
In 1953 the Norfolk Association for the Handicapped introduced a scheme for holidays for the handicapped and found an ideal place at Gorleston Super Holiday Camp. It had the space, the facilities and few steps. Managing Director at the time was Lin Thrower. His widow Grace remembers why they gave the idea their full support:
'I think it was because the handicapped had never had a holiday and didn't think they could go on holiday and didn't think the people would have them. It hadn't been done before. We certainly did start it, and that was why Lin thought it was a good idea and felt quite proud!'
The whole camp was put at their disposal for the last two weeks of the summer season. They had the same sort of holiday as the summer visitor, all inclusive of meals and entertainment. It was such a good cause that celebrities appearing in the seaside shows in Yarmouth would lend their support:
'We used to have a fancy hat competition and wanted someone to judge it, and the people at the pier came in the afternoons to judge it. One was Harry Worth and also Bob Monkhouse. It was a great treat for them to see these famous people. We found that they'd like to go out on outings and if we could do something to help to pay for their outings - they really hadn't got a lot of money, so Lin suggested to the visitors that perhaps it would be nice to give their odd pennies and change from whatever they were buying, to start a Pile of Pennies. The bar manager made the pile and he would start it while the summer visitors were there at so they could see how it was going. They kept giving us more - they were most generous!'
