theme 4 the changing quality of life 4c leisure and travel

Spectator sports 1918-39

Mass audiences gradually became profitable for the participants one hosts - it was possible to see a horse race for free

Epsom, Aintree and Derby race courses free areas:

Crowds of 200k-500k

Throughout the 20’s & 20;s on average —million people attendee professional football

22 million

Greyhound racing

The 2nd largest spectator sport - June 1927 White City Stadium - up to 100k people would attend races

50K people payed to see the — Cup in 1933

Ryder

By 1936 BBC begun broadcasting football matches

FA concerned that people would stop attend matches - helped to extend sporting events and create national spectator culture

Sport during the 2nd world war

Originally closed due to fear of bombing - morale and demand led to reopening

1943 55,000 attended a football match in Chelsea which raised £8k for naval welfare charities

Cricket - surge in popularity post 1945

1948 Ashes test between England & Australia

In 1955 there were 3,500 matches 1965 there was only 2,300

Rejected in the 1960’s as a sport of the upper classes

1966 World Cup Final

32 million England defeat West Germany

Sports Council of Great Britain

Developed by govt in 1972 - designed to promote sport both among elite athletes and the public

In 1948 — million tickets were sold for Football League Matches, fell by — million 2 decades later

41, 30

Why did football ticket sales decline

Economy boomed and living standards improved football had to compete with other pass times - the growth in the availability of sport on television

The growth of violent clashes between violent suppporters

Football hooliganism

From the 50’s violent outbursts on terraces -

Mainly in football not other sports

Football matches were almost exclusively WC - older men that may have been a calm influence could afford leisure time away (gardening, holidays) left young men

Tourism pre period

A luxury reserved for the aristocracy and UMC

By 1925 1.5 million working class employees hand access to:

Paid holiday and bank holidays as result of social reforms

Tourism for the wealthy

Expensive seaside hotels and spa resorts

Sailing on the Norfolk Broads

International: French Riviera, Italy and Greece

In 1936 coaches transported — million passengers to rural parts of Britain and by 1939 there were - million cars on the roads

82 million, 2 million

— thousand people a year attended the Lake District during the 1930’s

72

By the 1920’s there were — boarding houses in Blackpool and many families went to the same one yearly

4,000

Many boarding hoses were run by spinsters or widows

Often they were women who had lost their husbands in the war

Boarding houses became less attractive as disposable incomes increased

Guest were not given their own keys and were unable to stay out late - many had strict behaviour rules

Butlin’s business model:

‘A weeks holiday for a weeks wages’

Cheap chalet accommodation, activities and entertainment, 3 meals a day

In 1939 Skegness And Clacton Butlins had — visitors a year

100k

Changes to butlins:

People didnt like the regimented nature of The camp

Started to offer holidays to teenagers with disposable income - tabloid stories of vandalism drinking, sex and antisocial behaviour

Caravanning

Popular in 1930’s - in 1934 there were 90 models of caravan available to buy (increase in car ownership)

20% of all holidays in 60’d - over ½ of the population had a caravan holiday in 70’s

By 1965 full employment and broader rights for workers meant that —% of workers had - or - weeks of paid holiday a year

—% had no holiday entitlement

60%, 2 to 3 weeks, 25%

Holidays abroad 1960’s and 70’s

1.5 million holidayed abroad in 1951 compared to 8.5 million in 1972 - declined again 1973 due to the rise in prices

By 1934 there were nearly — million cars on British roads

2.5 million, ½ were privately owned

1920’s cars were expensive - prices fell in early 1930’s

In 1939 the Rover 10/25 cost £250 - the Morris Minor SV was £100 in 1931

The Road Traffic Act

Removed speed limits from all but the most dangerous roads - original 20 mile an hour was unenforceable - introduced compulsory 3rd party insurance, the Highway Code

The Mini

1959 most iconic British car of the post war era - British Motor Corporation - extremely popular sold nearly 1.2million in Britain and globally - early 1960’s made a loss in every vehicle sold

1960’s car ownership increased

2.2 million cars were registered in london alone

By 1972 there were 13 million drivers - buying cars from Japan and Germany

1/3 of cars were imported in 1975 - half by 1979 - up from 1% from the 1940’s