The Original Seaside Squad

The Death of the Jungle Theme

By 2013, Haven realized that a "jungle" theme felt a bit disconnected from their actual holiday parks, which were almost exclusively located on the windy, beautiful British coastline .

They retired the "Zoo Troop" name and rebranded the characters as The Seaside Squad. The high-tech "Zoo TV" concept was scrapped in favor of ice creams, beach buckets, surfboards, and British seaside fun.

The Great Costume Transformation

This era features some of the most iconic and recognisable mascot designs of the modern era. The characters underwent a massive visual overhaul to fit the beach vibe:

• Bradley Bear: Dout out went his denim jeans. Bradley became the ultimate beach dude, rocking a sky-blue unbuttoned shirt over a white tee, a backwards baseball cap, board shorts, and a pair of Converse-style trainers.

• Rory the Tiger: Handed in his red puffer vest for a bright red-and-white striped short-sleeved beach shirt and casual denim shorts.

• Anxious the Elephant: Embraced a bright summer look with a pink, floral-patterned sundress and a matching pink bow in her hair.

• Greedy the Gorilla: Wore a casual yellow t-shirt featuring a palm tree logo and tropical swim shorts.

The Human Characters Are Dropped

A massive detail for your timeline: DJ Ned and Polly Popkins were unofficially retired during this transition. Haven decided the brand should focus more on the core four animal characters. The "Funstars" still hosted the live shows on stage, but Ned and Polly only made rare appearances.

The Stage Shows & New Anthems

The entertainment in the ShowBars became heavily beach-themed. The evening started with the Seaside Squad Passport, where kids would get physical stamps for attending the shows. The soundtrack shifted from mid-2000s techno-pop to a brighter, summer-holiday pop sound:

• "The Seaside Squad Song" (The brand new anthem that replaced the Zoo Troop track)

• "Rory's Tiger Roar"

• "Bradley's Bear Hug"

This era lasted nearly a decade and is the definitive version of the characters that Gen Z and younger Millennials remember from their family holidays before the world changed in the 2020s.