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� �� � ��� � � � � � � In the Victorian period, work inside and outside the home took up much more time than it does today and working people had far less leisure time. There was little money to spare and no radio, television, cinemas or sports centres. People found all sorts of ways of enjoying what free time they had. Whilst the Victorians dreamt of improvement and progress through work, the years between 1837 and 1901 saw the greatest development in leisure pursuits ever witnessed. The period gave a more structured approach to leisure, with the creation of parks, libraries, art galleries and museums. In most large towns there were theatres and music halls that were popular and cheap. Men played or went to watch rugby, football or cricket. Technology changed as well, allowing the production of cheap books, newspapers and musical instruments. ‘The National Trust’ came into being, which helped conserve the countryside and improved transport, which made days out more accessible to everyone. Victorian class differences also existed in leisure activities. Although the lower classes attended the same events as the upper class, they had there own entrances and locations within music halls, restaurants etc.

� � �� � � �� �� �� � �� In 1871 Bank holidays were created, this allowed working people to escape for a day or a long weekend trip to the coast. During Victorian times certain seaside towns began to become popular such as Blackpool, Bognor Regis, Skegness and Scarborough. Blackpool became the leisure capital of the North. Families went to the seaside because the sea air was believed to be healthy, and held medicinal properties as did the sea. No-body went to sun-bathe as this was not fashionable, most people went on the sand and in the water fully clothed, or in a special bathing costume. As the seaside became more popular larger towns created entertainment such as music halls, zoos, theatres, fun fairs, gardens and exhibitions. Music Halls were originally bar rooms which provided entertainment in the form of music and specialty acts. By the middle of the nineteenth century the first purpose built music halls were being built in London. The style of music evolved from traditional folk songs being played on the piano. Later on they were replaced by films and cinemas. The development of the railways had a major effect on the growth of the holiday industry. Although it was still out of reach of the poorest of the Victorians, many made use of the ever increasing rail network. In 1855, 7000 miles of track linked London to most major cities in Great Britain. By the 1880’s rail companies had started to introduce the ‘cheap day return’ tickets allowing more people to use the railways for day trips. By then the network had expanded to 15,500 miles of track.

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In 1841 Thomas Cook arranged the world’s first advertised excursion train. This trip was a days outing from Leicester to Loughborough for a picnic. Today the high streets are full of his shops advertising holidays all around the world.

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� �� � ��� �� �� �� ��� � � Victorians were known for their love of games. At family gatherings the Victorians often included witty word games and silly activities that amused adults and children alike. The Victorians also popularised board games, many of which we still play today including chess, draughts, darts and backgammon. Wealthy Victorian children had many toys and games to play with. They even had special toys for playing in the parlour on a Sunday afternoon, such as a Noah’s ark or religious jigsaws. Poorer children did not have much time for playing games, when they were not at school they had domestic chores to complete. Those children who did not have a garden to play in, used the streets, which did not have any cars in as they hadn’t been invented. Many games were played outdoors and used either a simple penny toy made from wood by the local toy maker (that cost one penny), or made their own toys from found materials. For example the ‘hoop and stick’ could be made from a stick and a bicycle wheel or a metal band from a barrel. Group games included marbles. Marbles can be played anywhere, the marble arch is a simple game in which you get points depending on which arch you shoot your marble through. Pick up sticks or ‘spillikins’ were also popular. The sticks were made of wood or bone with the ends painted in different colours, each colour referring to a number of points. The sticks are put into a pile in the centre of the circle, each child has to remove a stick without disturbing the others. If a stick moves then the child must replace the stick on the pile. When all the sticks have been successfully removed, add up all the points and the one with the most is the winner.

�! ���� Having survived many attempts to ban the game, football remained an unruly game until the mid 1840’s. Teams from schools wanted to play against each other, in 1848 representatives from the major public schools sat in a meeting that produced the first formal set of rules. In 1855 Sheffield FC, the worlds oldest club came into existence. The oldest existing league club is Notts County which was formed in 1862. In 1863 the Football Association (FA) was formed. In 1871 the FA Cup was first played, the oldest football competition in the world. By 1880 the FA had 128 clubs. Prescot football club was formed in 1884. �

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# �� ��� � � The idea of riding by means of pedalling met its full development in the Victorian era. In 1816 the father of bicycles the German inventor ‘Baron Karl von Drais’ created the ‘dandy horse’ or ‘hobby horse’, this wooden bicycle had a front wheel that pivoted and a handlebar for steering. The device was moved by pushing your feet against the ground, with the rider making a sliding walk. It was introduced to England were it became ‘the thing to have’. $ �� �# � � ���� � � � �� � � �� � � � �% �� �� �& � In 1865 pedals were applied to the bicycles front wheel. Boneshaker was given the name as it was made entirely of wood, creating a very uncomfortable ride on the cobbled streets of the day. These quickly became a fad and indoor riding rinks were found in large cities. � ���' �� � ��# �� ��� � In 1870 the first all metal bicycle appeared. Solid rubber tyres and the long spokes of the large front wheels provided a much smoother ride, if the rider did not fall off head first! The front wheels became larger and larger as makers realized that the larger the wheel the further you could travel with one rotation of the pedals. These machines cost an average worker 6 months pay. � ���' �� � ��$ � �� ��� � While men risked their necks on the high wheels, ladies with their corsets and long skirts took a spin around the park on an adult tricycle. Many mechanical innovations now associated with the car were originally invented for the tricycle. � ���' �� � ��� �(� �� � Improvements to the design of the bicycle slowly began to be seen. The front wheel became smaller to eliminate the tipping forward problem. These designs became known as high wheel safety bicycles. � �� � )$ � � � �� �(� �� � The next innovation was gears, which enabled the bicycle to have 2 wheels the same size but be able to change the speed of each wheel turn.

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* ��� �� �0 �) � �� �� � � Have you ever been on a seaside holiday in Britain? Describe your last day out to the seaside:

How did you get there? What were the smells like? What noises did you hear? What did you have to eat? What did you do?

Ask your Grandparents if they went on holiday to the seaside when they were children. How did they get there? Where did they stay? What do they remember? �

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* ��� �� �� �)�2 � � ��* �2 �� �$ � � �� � �� � ��- Pretend you’re a travel agency like Thomas Cook and design a poster for a holiday destination. Remember to include the colours, the buildings and the people you saw.

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* ��� �� �� �)�� �� � ��$ � � � Make your own Victorian cup and ball. You will need:-

1x paper cup Coloured paper Glitter A ball of rolled up newspaper Fabric/Material String Glue

To make your cup and ball :

1. Decorate your cup using coloured paper and glitter. 2. Cover the ball of newspaper with the material making sure the ball will fit in

the cup. 3. Gather the material together at one side and tie tightly with the string. 4. Attach the other end of the string to the cup. 5. Hold the cup and try to catch the ball in it.

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������������ ����������� - Can you place them in the order they were invented?