Willerby, one of the UK’s leading holiday home manufacturers, recently took a journey into its past by welcoming Jean Morris, the daughter of the company’s founder, Walter Allan. Nearly 80 years since the business began, Jean was invited to explore a modern Willerby holiday home and witness first-hand the growth and transformation of her father’s vision.
Jean, aged 92, was invited to tour a modern Willerby holiday home at the award-winning Hendra Holiday Park in Cornwall. Accompanied by her son Simon and daughter-in-law Deborah, Jean received a special Willerby Owners Club welcome pack as recognition of her family’s legacy.
The visit offered a unique opportunity to reflect on how far the business has come since its humble beginnings.
Jean said: “When my father started the business, the first caravans were two berth, tiny and really light. They were made from metal tubes with a canvas cover and later they were built from painted hardboard.
“There’s just no comparison between the original Willerby caravans and the holiday homes built today. I think my father would be absolutely thrilled to see how far they’ve come.
“He started the business hand-building caravans from a small shed. I don’t think he could ever have imagined what it is today. He would be delighted.”
The visit was sparked by Jean contacting Willerby after reading about the company’s recent achievements. Her call to the head office led to this memorable reunion.
Jean also shared insights into her father's extraordinary life. Born in Russia to a Scottish family, Walter came to the UK as an 18-year-old refugee fleeing the Russian Revolution. Despite being profoundly deaf due to scarlet fever in childhood, he became a driven and successful entrepreneur.
After settling in the Hull area, Walter launched a timber and sawmill business, followed by the country’s largest beekeeping operation during the war. In 1946, spotting the post-war demand for leisure holidays, he began constructing caravans—transforming a beehive workshop into a caravan enterprise.
Willerby grew rapidly, taking its name from the site Walter secured in the village of Willerby. Over more than two decades, he led the company to success across the UK and parts of Europe before selling the business in 1970 due to ill health.
Jean said: “My father lived through the Russian Revolution and two World Wars and had a remarkable life. He worked very hard and his brain was always on the go.
“He was very personable and I can say with great confidence that his employees thought a lot of him. It’s fantastic to be able to share my memories with Willerby and know that they will keep my father’s memory alive.”
Walter’s legacy includes innovations that shaped the modern holiday home industry. Jean recalled working with him in the early days and witnessing his technique of joining two caravan units to create extended models—a method still used in today’s park homes and lodges.
Willerby’s Marketing Manager, April Court, met with Jean during the reunion. She said: “When Jean reached out to us, we were so touched. We’re incredibly proud of our heritage, so we were delighted to have the opportunity to open a window into our history.
“Meeting with Jean and hearing about the earliest days of the business from someone who lived through them was very special.
“We have colleagues working with us at Willerby who have been with the business for more than 40 years, and can remember moving to our current site on Hedon Road in Hull. That was a significant milestone for us as a business, but, by speaking to Jean, we’ve been able to go back much further.
“It was a privilege to be able to reconnect Jean with such an important part of her family history and show how we’ve looked after the business which her father worked so hard to create.”
The reunion was hosted at Hendra Holiday Park, a family-run business in Newquay, Cornwall.
Jon Hyatt, Managing Director of Hendra Holiday Park, said: “As an independent and family-run business in our 53rd year, we really value our history and heritage, both of which play important parts in defining our values and, indeed, our vision for years to come.
“We’re therefore delighted to have played a part in making this special reunion possible for Willerby, Jean and her family, enabling them to discover more about their shared heritage.
“As part of the third generation of our family running the business and having grown up on site, Willerby have been a firm fixture for as long as I can remember. In fact, we currently have over 300 Willerby holiday homes on site for our letting fleet and staff accommodation.”