The Holiday Makers is an audio documentary about the holiday industry that transformed Hemsby — a seaside village in Norfolk, UK, where people come for the golden dunes and the North Sea.

At its heart is Pontins holiday camp, once the backbone of the local summer economy until its sudden closure in 2009. Through candid interviews, the story is told from the inside: the people who cooked, cleaned, served, performed, repaired and organised — and the guests who found freedom, friendship and confidence in its vibrant communal world.

You’ll hear about the behind-the-scenes graft that made “a proper holiday” possible, the rituals that turned visitors into regulars, the mischief and camaraderie of seasonal work, and the small local businesses still shaped by the summer crowds.

Made by volunteers from Hemsby and beyond and funded by Historic England, The Holiday Makers celebrates working-class history.

It arrives at a tender moment. Hemsby is facing the harsh realities of coastal erosion, with parts of the shoreline changing rapidly. The documentary holds this with care, while letting the joy, humour and pride of the place speak for itself.

Recorded in summer 2025. Narrated by Ben Randall Stone.

The Holiday Makers is a SOUNDYARD production.

With special thanks to all of the volunteers who made this documentary. Some music samples provided by Mobygratis.

With demolition looming, Norwich residents gather for a People’s Assembly to discuss the plans for Anglia Square. Sarah chats to Cany and Robert from Ash Sakula, an architecture practice with a different vision for the site, and representatives from Norwich Renters’ Collective, Magdalen Street Traders Association, and Norwich City Council about what the future could look like.

Credits:

Written, recorded, and edited by Sarah Herman

Title music (“24 inst”) and additional music (“death in the afternoon”) provided by Moby Gratis – www.mobygratis.com

Cover art photo by Craig Frost

Find out more about:

Norwich Assemble: www.facebook.com/groups/NorwichPA/

Norwich Renters’ Collective: Norwich Renters Collective - Shelter England

Ash Sakula’s vision for Anglia Square: https://www.ashsak.com/projects/anglia-square

Soundyard: www.soundyard.org

Built in the late 1960s, Anglia Square is but a recent blip in the history of this colourful neighbourhood. Sarah takes a walking tour with historian Neil, heads to St Augustine’s Church to find out who used to live nearby, and hears all about the square in its heyday from former Hollywood Cinema owner Trevor.

Credits:

Written, recorded, and edited by Sarah Herman

Title music (“24 inst”) and additional music (“death in the afternoon”) provided by Moby Gratis – www.mobygratis.com

Skating Squirrels by Shane Ivers – https://www.silvermansound.com

Cover art photo by Craig Frost

Find out more about:

Neil Storey: www.facebook.com/neilstoreyhistorian/

St Augustine’s Church: www.staugustinesnorwich.org.uk/

Stuart McClaren: https://www.poppyland.co.uk/products/B79689

Soundyard: www.soundyard.org