Changes in travel and leisure in the 20th century Flashcards
Why did sports develop mass spectator audiences?
- During 20s and 30s you could see major events like horse races for free
- Large free areas at Epsom, Aintree and Derby race courses attracted crowds of ~200k-500k
How popular was professional football in the 20s and 30s?
Average of 22 million people a year attended pro football. Statistics suggest a similar-sized auidence for amateur football as well.
What happened to football, rugby and cricket clubs in the most deprived parts of the country during the Great Depression?
Many found declining ticket sales and cheaper tickets made it hard to survive financially eg nearly all rugby leagues closed outside Yorkshire and Lancashire due to low attendance. Matches that had 50k+ spectators held after worst of crisis passed.
What was the next largest spectator sport after football during the interwar period?
Greyhound racing.
What was the largest greyhound track in the country?
- June 1927: White Stadium, one of largest athletics arenas in UK became biggest greyhound track in the country.
- In 1933 Walthamstow Stadium opened. On busy race nights up to 100k would attend to bet on their fave dogs.
What does the development of major arenas for sporting events suggest?
Spectator sport as a means of leisure had become central to many people’s way of life.
In the interwar period, what sports flourished?
Tennis, show jumping, and golf all attracted large, mainly middle class audiences, with 50k people paying to see the Ryder Cup (golf tournament.
What effect did mass sporting events have on quality of life?
Added to spectators’ quality of life by providing affordable entertainment. However, in most cases, the audience was almost exclusively male, so these sports had little impact on women.
When did broadcasting of sports begin?
By 1936 the BBC had begun to broadcast live from footie matches.
How did the Football Association (FA) feel about BBC broadcasting live from football matches?
Concerned them as they believed ppl’d only listen from home and not attend matches
How did radio broadcasts boost football?
- Radio broadcasts help strengthen + increase mass participation in footie and enabled it to develop its audience, ensuring it transformed into a national spectator sport.
- Created national spectator sport culture, meaning the amount of money sport could generate began to grow
What happened to sports stadia during WW2?
Initially closed- fear of mass deaths if bombed- but like cinemas later reopened for morale and demand.
Did professional teams play sports during WW2?
Normal league competitions halted as many pro sportsman joined war but military was able to form highly talented teams. Spectator sport oft took form of games between forces in aid of charity.
What types of matches were held during WW2?
- May 1943: 55k attended footie march at Chelsea- raised £8k for naval welfare charities
- Successful cricket matches staged between British Empire XI and the London Counties XI
Were any of the matches played during WW2 in danger?
- One match at Lords in July 1944 of RAF v. Army temporarily delayed as a V1 bomb landed nearby
- FA Services team played France and Belgium in their respective capitals in Sept 1944 shortly after their liberation winning 5-0 and 3-0.
Generally, was sport encouraged during WW2?
Military personnel and civilians encouraged to keep fit through organised sport and it was generally seem as important for boosting morale.
What was the country’s favourite sport in the late 1950s?
County cricket, but this football later dominated this in the 60s as cricket seemed to represent all that 60s pop culture rejected- perceived as a sport of upper and middle classes.
When was Cricket especially popular?
Big surge in popularity after 1945; by 1948 the Ashes test between England and Oz attracted as many spectators of London Olympics that year.
How had Cricket’s popularity changed by the 1960s?
Gradual decline, both in no. of spectators and no. of matches held.
- 1955: 3,473 matches
- 1965: 2,268 matches
Why had Cricket’s popularity declined by the 60s?
- Popularity of football
- Power of TV
- Wider choice of leisure activities
- Associated with Imperial past and class system, out of step with the Britain of the early 60s
In the 1960s and beyond, who were the most passionate cricket fans?
West Indian and Asian immigrants, esp when their nations were against England or the other major cricketing nations.
Example of how developments in technology increased British TV audiences’ access to international sporting events
Football World Cup and the Olympic and Commonwealth Games enabled viewers to support Brit teams and sportspeople competition worldwide. In the 1966 World Cup final, 32M watched England defeat W. Germany.
What was a direct benefit of the development of a national sporting culture?
Increased govt investments in sporting facilities in 60s and 70s. Govt developed Sports Council of GB in 1972 to help Brit athletes compete internationally and win so many Brits would tune in. Designed to promote sport both among athletes and public. Motto: ‘Sports for All’
When was the first official Paralympics held?
Rome, 1960. Similar events had previously only been open to war veterans, but were now open to any disabled athletes.
How many tickets were sold for Football League matches in 1948 compared to the late 60s?
1948: 41 Million tickets
Late 60s: 30 Million tickets
What were some causes for the decline in Football ticket sales?
- Economic hardships of austerity
- Football offered escape from austerity but as economy boomed in 60s and living standards grew it had to compete with other pastimes.
- Growth of availability of sport on TV
- Violent clashes between rival supporters alienated ppl
Before 1918, who were tourist facilities aimed at?
Few-working class ppl had been able to take holidays so they were mainly geared towards the wealthy eg expensive hotels in seaside and spa resorts, and leisure facilities such as golf courses.
What domestic holiday activities were popular for the wealthy?
- Sailing was popular both off coast and in inland areas eg the Norfolk Broads
- Many went to seaside resorts for health, brochures oft featured their health-giving qualities
- Increasing popularity of resorts led more affluent tourists to find alternative venues
What abroad holiday activities were popular for the wealthy?
Few went abroad; those who did went to exclusive locations eg French Riviera or for tours in art galleries and museums in Italy and Greece. Went on into interwar years.
How did rich people know where to go on holiday?
Many followed guidebooks eg Baedeckers (est Germany)- focused on most dear hotels, art and cultural pursuits and gave advice on how much to tip staff.
How did the growth in the affordability of cars throughout the 1930 affect tourism?
Led to the development of tourism across Britain that wasn’t reliant on train travel to seaside resorts.
- 1936: coaches transport 82M passengers to rural parts of Britain
- By 1939: 2M cars on the roads
What were the more popular tourist destinations for caravanners, campers, and hikers?
Scotland, the Lake District, and north Wales- 72k ppl visited the Lake District in the 30s. Attraction of the Lake District grew w/publication of Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons novels 1932-1936.
How were cheap hiking holidays made easier?
By growth in the Youth Hostel Association- dormitory rooms and breakfast.
What did better education result in in terms of tourism?
More visits to places of cultural and historical significance, eg Stratford-upon-Avon for the annual Shakespeare festival and Hampton Court Palace. Holidays to seaside resorts stayed popular, their no. of boarding houses and holiday camps grew to accommodate growth in tourism
What was a cheaper accommodation option compared to hotels?
Seaside boarding house. 4,000 of these in Blackpool by 1920s and many families returned year after year to the same one. Many were run by single ‘spinsters’ or WW1 widows
Why did boarding houses become less popular in the 20th century?
- Disposable incomes of holidaymakers increased
- Guests not given own keys and had curfew
- Many landladies had strict rules of behaviour; while many offered a ‘home away from home’, others were overbearing.
Who created the first holiday camps?
Businessman Billy Butlin imported idea from Canada, building the 1st one at Skegness in 1936, promising ‘a week’s holiday for a week’s wages’.
What did Butlin aim to offer at his holiday camps?
Cheap holidays in chalet accommodation with activities and entertainment whatever the weather and 3 meals a day- knew it would be popular. He was correct and his holiday camp empire grew for 30 years.
How successful were Butlin’s Clacton and Skegness camps?
- In 1939 they had 100,000 visitors a year
- By 60s six more holiday camps had been built but numbers across his empire began to decline in early 70s