05/10/2026
As another wonderful season draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped make 2026 on Shell Island a year we certainly won’t forget.
We started the season with Shell Island making its way onto our TV screens in Sky TV’s “Under Salt Marsh”. It was amazing to see just how many days of filming can quite literally go into around 60 seconds of television! It certainly got everyone into the Shell Island spirit and gave us a very different glimpse of the place we call home.
We then started the camping season with a bang, quite literally, with our spectacular fireworks display lighting up the sky. This was the display we had planned for the closing weekend of 2025, but as many of you will remember, Storm Amy had other ideas! It was certainly worth the wait and was a fantastic way to kick off another season.
Easter came and went, but sadly April brought something none of us were prepared for.
We unexpectedly lost George, who passed away peacefully at home. As a family-run business, his absence has been felt enormously throughout the Island this season.
Not seeing him cycling across the causeway on his bike, hearing that unmistakably loud laugh, or seeing the life and soul he brought to the Tavern has taken some getting used to.
Oktoberfest was perhaps one of the moments when his absence really hit home. George and Gwen started the Oktoberfest here, and seeing it take place without him leading the parade was incredibly emotional. But seeing Gwen, Christine, Robert, Seren and Tyler step up and lead the parade this year, was something very special. We hope it marks the beginning of continuing George’s dream of bringing people together to celebrate, not just Oktoberfest, but the many events and traditions he helped create and loved being part of here at Shell Island.
As for the weather… it took its time getting started! It didn’t really arrive properly until the summer half-term, but once it did wow, did it stay! It felt like we had a heatwave virtually every week… right up until, you guessed it, the August Bank Holiday weekend!
Driving around the Island during those hot spells, there were two things that seemed to unite every camper. Firstly, trying to hammer a windbreak pole into ground that felt more like concrete. Secondly, the only patches of green grass left anywhere on site seemed to be directly underneath the water taps!
One particularly hot weekend brought one of the biggest football crowds we have ever seen for an England World Cup match. We have never seen so many people gathered to watch a game, whether they were sitting in front of the TV, spread across the park or perched up on the hill behind the Gift Shop. The atmosphere was incredible, the result wasn’t!
And who could forget the Slip ’n Slide… THE BIG ONE! The organisation from the camping parents would have put a school geography field trip to shame. There was even a “Fast Track” system, if you carried water back up the hill, you earned yourself a quicker trip to the front of the queue!
From early morning walks to spectacular sunsets, we hope that everyone who visited us this year has taken away something special.
Thousands of photos have been taken, videos captured and memories made. We’re lucky enough to get a glimpse of some of them when you share them online. The Shell Island fan pages have given us plenty of opportunities to see your camping setups, incredible sunsets and, of course, some of your antics along the way!
This was also our biggest ever season in terms of the number of people we employed. Some joined us before the gates even opened, while others came aboard just for the busy summer months. Altogether, an incredible 96 members of staff worked with us during the 2026 season.
If you fancy joining us next year and becoming part of the enormous team that keeps Shell Island running 24 hours a day, keep an eye on this page in January when our 2027 vacancies will be advertised.
Running a business of this size is no easy task,in fact, running any business is hard work! But everything we do here simply wouldn’t be possible without the hardworking team behind it.
Tomorrow, many of them will go their separate ways. Some will head home, some will travel abroad, and others will move on to new jobs and adventures.
Their dedication, energy and sheer hard graft are a huge part of what makes Shell Island the place it is. From those working behind the scenes to the familiar faces you see every day, every single member of staff plays their part.
Quite simply, without our staff, we couldn’t do what we do.
And finally, to every single person who camped with us, visited for the day, came to an event, enjoyed a coffee, watched a sunset, shared a photograph, stopped for a chat or simply chose to spend part of their year with us, thank you for being part of our 2026 season.
The winter shutdown might sound like a long one, but we know only too well how quickly the months disappear.
Before we know it, 19th March 2027 will be here, the gates will open again, and another Shell Island season will begin.
Until then, take care, stay safe and hold on to the memories and the friendships you’ve made here this year.
We’ll see you in 2027.
Shell Island
“If you don’t leave, you cannot come back!”
