theme 4 - leisure and travel Flashcards
popularity of spectator sports in the interwar period
popularity in 20s and 30s
- crowds of 2-500,000
- average of 2 mill people a year watched professional football
mainly middle-class sports (tennis, golf, etc)
1936: BBC began broadcasting live football matched
- strengthened participation and developed an audience to become a national spectator sport
why did spectator sports decline during the Depression?
sports clubs in deprived areas experienced decline due to financial struggles
impact of interwar spectator sports
added to quality of life as it provided affordable entertainment
1936 BBC broadcasting led to national culture
little impact on women as audiences were mostly male
sport during WW2
initially closed due to fear of mass casualties from bombing
reopened due to demand to boost morale
often used to aid charity
- 1943: 55,000 attended a football match in Chelsea which raised £8,000 for naval welfare charities
spectator sports in the 50s
most popular sport was cricket
- rejected in the 60s as it was viewed as an upper-class sport
spectator sports in the 60s
dominance of football
increased ownership of TVs increased access to sport
- 1966: 32 mill watched World Cup final
- caused decline in ticket sales
spectator sports in 70s
government funding as a result of national culture
- 1972: developed Sports Council of Great Britain
impact of economic hardship on spectator sports
austerity led to increase in football spectatorship due to escapism
tourism in the interwar period
predominantly for the wealthy as it wasn’t affordable for working-class people
growth in car ownership caused development in tourism
seaside holidays were popular
The boarding house
developed to accommodate growth in seaside tourism
cheaper option to hotels
1920s: 4,000 in Blackpool
less attractive as people became more affluent
Butlin’s
created to accommodate growth in seaside tourism
holiday camps for working-class families
declined in 60s as felt similar to army camp - tastes changed due to improvement of living standards
what led to increase in foreign tourism (50s-70s)
growing income
normalisation of paid annual leave
foreign tourism in the 50s-70s
facilitated by growing affluence
beachfronts in Spain and Portugal became popular holiday destinations
1971: British people took 4 mill holidays abroad
- 1981: 13 million
caravanning
developed in the 30s
made possible due to increased car ownership
appealed to those who wanted more independent holidays
made up 20% of holidays in the 60s
The ‘Hippy Trail’
appealed to young people who wanted more authentic experiences when travelling
developed in the 60s
only a small proportion of people participated
demonstrates diverse approach to leisure and travel - improvement of living standards provided greater choice
limitations within development of tourism
working-class had greater choice than interwar period, but still limited compared to middle class
- 1/3 of middle class took regular holidays, compared to 1/5 of working class
increase in tourism from 50s to 70s
1951: 1.5 mill went abroad on holiday
1972: 8.5 mill
car ownership in the interwar period
1935: 2.5 mill cars on British roads
exclusive to middle class as prices were unaffordable for working class
impact of increased car ownership in interwar period
expansion of roads (e.g 1939 Great North Road)
increase in accidents
- 1926-30: over 4,800 deaths
accidents led to new legislation (1934 Road Traffic Act)
1934 Road Traffic Act
result of increased accidents
reduced speed limit to 30mph in built-up areas
introduced pedestrian crossings
required drivers to take tests
interwar car industry
emergence of car workshops, garages, and petrol stations - growth of car ownership created an industry
driving became a leisure activity
impact of WW2 on car ownership
interrupted car production by focusing on fighter aircraft
petrol rationing - continued to 1950
many models after had faults and Britain’s car industry became synonymous with poor quality by 70s
- increase in imports
- although this decline had very little impact on living standards
how did the consumer boom impact car ownership?
60s - rise in wages increased ownership
- 1970: 2.2 cars registered just in London
- 1972: 13 mill drivers on Britain’s roads
- decline in bus and coach journeys
car ownership wasn’t spread equally
- 1950s: middle-class families often had 2 cars
- working-class families in the north-east least likely to have cars
development of roads and motorways
1958: Preston bypass, first 8-mile stretch of motorway
1959: M1 opened
60s and 70s saw multiple motorways completed
