BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE PASTIMES
FOX HUNTING HISTORY
The earliest known attempt to hunt a fox with hounds was in Norfolk in 1534, where a farmer used his dogs in an attempt to catch a fox.
Most hunts believed it to be beneath their status to hunt "vermin" and continued mostly, to hunt deer until the 1830's.
Due to the Industrial Revolution, roads, rail and canals split hunting country. People began to move out of the country and into towns and cities to find work. It became more convenient to hunt foxes rather than deer as hunting deer requires great areas of open land, such as Dartmoor and Exmoor, where it continues today.
By the late 19th century foxhunting was probably at it's most popular. This is thought to be as a result of railways giving access to the Shires for people who would otherwise be stuck in the towns. The rising middle-classes who wished to improve their social standing ensured that hunting became further expanded.
It is said that during the late 19th century a shortage of foxes in England forced hunts to import foxes from France, Germany and Holland.
In fact, the Swedish Red Fox, which was known to be a larger animal than the one found in Britain, has been introduced to Britain to create the more substantial "European Red Fox" that we see in our towns and countryside today.
YOUR INVITATION TO MEET BRITAIN´S GARDENERS
Gardening has always been Britain’s favourite pastime, but in the last decade it has become a phenomenon - the inspiration for everything from peak time TV programmes to multi-million pound retail concepts.
As well as the beautiful RHS gardens at Wisley, Rosemoor, Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr, RHS members have free access to a wide range of outstanding and inspirational gardens around Britain, Europe and the USA (see above). Some are open all year, others for just their peak season, but all have generously agreed to offer free access to members for certain times of the year. Established in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is now the UK's leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening.¨
GOING TO PUBS
The key to a popular pub:
o Going to the pub is still one of Britain’s favourite pastimes. Over a quarter of adults (26%) visit
pubs at least once a week, but 27% never visit pubs.
o While cleanliness of bar areas and toilets and friendly bar staff are the main reasons for
choosing a particular pub, quality of food (90%), value for money (80%) and the people who
use the pub (72%) were also key reasons.
o Only 21% of adults regard sports on TV as important in pub choice, despite the huge growth in
the number of pubs with TV sport.
o Country pubs are Britain’s favourite kind of pub with nearly half of all adults (46%) preferring
country pubs to community locals and town centre pubs. Younger people (18-24 year olds)
prefer community locals (32%) over town centre theme pubs (29%), but only 15% prefer
country pubs.
o Nearly a fifth of people (17%) first met their spouse or partner in a pub and a quarter of adults
spent their first date in the pub!
CRUISING AND ROWING
ABOUT THE RIVER THAMES
Old Father Thames is famous for its history, its culture and its amazing variety. Based on its size, a mere 215 miles, from its source in the Cotswolds through to the estuary at Southend it should hardly evoke great passions.
But ask a Londoner what is the city’s greatest asset, or one of the many boaters in a punt or cruiser, or a man from rural Oxford what they think and you will find a great number of reasons to spend time by the Thames.
