Thoughts
about recreation began to change at the beginning of the Victorian era. There
was concern in Britain that, “Recreation was in a slump, and it was showing in
the national character.”*
In a society
were power and policy came from the top, the upper and middle classes took a
rather paternalistic view about recreation for the working class. There was
a class divide when it came recreation, as different activities were available
to the upper echelon who could access venues with entry fees. The problem was
the lack of public spaces available for the working class. Where could they go
to play and, if public spaces were made available, what activities could be
allowed there?
This is
where that paternalistic attitude came in, the upper echelon looked down on many
of the working classes’ preferred activities. If public parks were to be
provided, it was felt that they should be places for placid walks and mild
entertainments, not an ideal way to let off steam. But there were places for
working class men to pursue their preferred activities. Many pubs had attached
grounds. Publicans capitalized on these available spaces, providing support for
the sports that their working class customers preferred. The close relationship between the working man and his pub was frowned upon and proved to be a spur to the provision of public
parks.
Sources
Brailsford,
Dennis. British Sport: A Social History, The
Lutterworth Press, Cambridge, 1992.*
Flanders,
Judith. Consuming Passions: Leisure and
Pleasure in Victorian Britain. Harper Perennial, London, 2007
