Groups

'Leisure time' was something that existing only for the very wealthy, until the social benefits of the Industrial Revolution began to be felt among first the middle, and then the working classes. The twentieth century saw the steady expansion of leisure time and a corresponding growth in leisure activities - such as sailing. This image shows the pier at Largs, a popular seaside holiday resort on the West central coast of Scotland, and the starting point for a number of cruises to nearby islands, such as the Isle of Bute (the destination for the paddle steamer in the photograph).

The Meadows area of Edinburgh is another example of a 'green island' of public leisure space, set in the middle of densely developed areas which surround it. This was originally the South loch area of the city (the companion to the 'North Loch' at the edge of what is now Princes Street). Both were drained and turned into public garden space in the 18th century.

Glasgow Green dates from the 15th century, and is the city's oldest park. Originally, 'parkland' was recreation land set aside for royalty and nobility - for hunting, for example - but as the Industrial Revolution progressed, open spaces like this increasingly became essential places for city-dwellers to access fresh air, open space and relative peace and quiet.

View of Cardiff Arms Park

View showing Swansea Football Pitch

View showing Chepstow Racecourse

View showing Llandudno pier tourist attraction

Piers were often originally built so that steamers bringing Victorian tourists could tie up to unload their passengers. They developed into places for walking and entertainment. See more images of the seaside from the English Heritage Archive collections on Heritage Explorer http://www.heritage-explorer.co.uk/web/he/imagebytheme.aspx?ctid=4

People enjoying the beach at Ramsgate. Many seaside towns developed rapidly after the railway arrived there. See more images of the seaside from the English Heritage Archive collections on Heritage Explorer http://www.heritage-explorer.co.uk/web/he/imagebytheme.aspx?ctid=4

Twickenham stadium was opened on Saturday on the 9th of October 1909. Less than 2,000 spectators turned out to see the New Ground’s tenants, Harlequins, beat Richmond 14-10. The first Varsity match was played in December 1921, by which time the popularity of Twickenham had soared. A North Stand was built in 1925 by the legendary football stadium architect, Archibald Leitch. By 1931, the famous ‘Twickenham Look’ was complete. It was made up of the concrete slab of the South Terrace, Leitch’s North Stand and two great double-decker East and West Stands that spoilt the view from Richmond Hill. When this image was taken the new West stand was still to be built.

Founded in 1735, this claims to be the oldest golfing society in the world, and one of only 10 clubs in Scotland which has received the Royal edict (in its case, from George V in 1929).

See the Canmore record at http://bit.ly/TLzm95 for contemporary images of the site