Butlins' new waterpark opens

One of our region's biggest attractions has just got even bigger. Butlins in Skegness now has a new 16 million pound water park including several slides and pools. The resort's investment has also created dozens of new jobs for the town. James Webster reports.

Butlins has raided its video archives to find footage of the previous swimming pools it has had in Skegness. The footage shows how people have enjoyed playing in the water at the site since it opened in 1936 as the area has been redeveloped several times.

The 2010 winners of Britain's Got Talent, Spelbound, helped to officially open the new waterpark at Butlins in Skegness. They performed for crowds gathered outside the centre. Here is their exclusive performance:

Hundreds of visitors arriving at Butlins in Skegness are trying the newly opened waterpark for the first time. Among them are the Offords from Scotland who are regulars at the resort. Mum Ginny, Dad Matt and son Lachlan say they have noticed the difference and think it is a big improvement.

Two of the new lifeguards who have been taken on to staff the waterpark at Butlins in Skegness say they are pleased with their new jobs. George Griffiths and Charlie Hodgson both moved to the area when the job opportunities came up and say they are impressed with the new facilities.

The resort director at Butlins in Skegness says the opening of a new £16m waterpark is part of a plan to make tourism a year-round proposition. Chris Baron estimates that up to 100 new jobs have been created and hopes more money will be brought into the town as a whole.

Splash Waterworld opens at Butlins in Skegness today. Here's a sneak peak of what you can expect.

As Butlins in Skegness is set to open a new £16m water park - Splash Waterworld - we take a look back at the kind of fun visitors had in the pool in the 1950s.

Three-legged swimming races were very popular.

Butlins in Skegness may open its £16m water park today - but in the 1960s, heated pools were as good as it got.

Here's some archive footage from the 1930s-60s showing how people were back then were just pleased the pool was warm.

A very modern feature opens today at the region's most historic holiday park.

The new £16m waterpark - Splash Waterworld - opens at Butlins in Skegness, and is billed as the biggest investment on the Lincolnshire coast since 1999.

It features three new flumes, a wave pool, rapids, a whirlpool, tots pool, rope tunnels and a DJ booth.

The park, which was the first one opened by Sir Billy Butlin in 1936, will see 100 new jobs created.