[2][3] In 1964 accountant Peter Harris, with business partner David Allen, purchased Alberta caravan park in Whitstable, Kent.

A few years after this acquisition John Cook joined with Harris and Allen, and in 1972 the three entrepreneurs floated the company, Leisure Caravan Parks, on the London stock exchange.

Meanwhile, Harris, Cook and Allen started over again with a new set of parks which they then expanded in October 2000 by buying The Rank Group’s holiday business.

This purchase included the Haven caravan sites, the three remaining Butlins resorts, Oasis Holiday Village and Warner Leisure Hotels.

The deal however does not include Butlins property assets which were sold earlier in the year to the UK’s biggest private pension fund, the Universities Superannuation Scheme for and estimated £300 million.