for wartime damage to be repaired and enabled Butlin to reopen the camp to the public on 11 May 1946. After reopening, some signs of military occupation remained with it being observed the blankets supplied to campers still had the insignia of HMS Royal Arthur. Later history In 1947, Butlin had experimented with opening an airfield attached to his camp at Pwllheli. Patrons could fly in, to be collected by a Redcoat and transported to the camp. Flight magazine reported that "flying visitors were unanimous in their praise of what they saw and experienced", observing that the experience contrasted to the poor reputations the camps were being given in the media at the time. Welcoming the experiment as a success, Butlin announced his intention to open airfields at his other camps. The following year he opened his next airfield at Skegness and announced that visitors could fly to the camp on a service run by BEA from 26 June. The airfield also allowed Butlin's to offer services such as pleasure trips and sightseeing trips, as well as allowing private charters. In 1948, Butlin's also opened the Ingoldmells Hotel, which was situated outside the camp on the main road. In 1949, the hotel became the first in Skegness to have a television for the use of guests. Situated in the hotel's palm court function room, the TV was manufactured by R.G.D. but could be subject to interference from the hotel's refrigerator. Butlin's had a long history of combining amusements with transport, starting with their first miniature railway at the Empire Exhibition in 1938. Skegness was to receive its own miniature railway in 1962. A chairlift system was installed at the same time. In 1965, the camp became home to the UK's first commercial monorail system. According to Peter Scott, who has researched the history of Butlin's transport systems, Butlin apparently gained the idea for the system from Disneyland. Construction began in 1964 with the cars being manufactured locally; the total cost of the system was £50,000 (2011:£). In 1974, a fire broke out in the kitchens of the Beachcomber Chinese restaurant leading to the complete destruction of the Princes building. In the Ballroom upstairs, a "Miss Personality Competition" was taking place when smoke was first spotted. The Redcoat in Charge of this event and the compère acted quickly, and were able to evacuate the building with no loss of life. To