Pastimes and Leisure

In our late Victorian, suburban family of London, Sidney has a variety of pastimes and other leisure activities, including reading, cycling, football and visiting the theatre.

During the evenings when they do not have guests, or are visiting friends, Sidney enjoys reading and music. His eldest daughter, Constance, is doing well at the piano and a few songs are very entertaining after dinner. Sidney and Julia sometimes visit the local music hall or enjoy a play at the theatre.

On Sunday, after church and lunch, Sidney sometimes plays quiet games with the children.

Sidney and his brother have each bought a bicycle - Sidney owns the man's model and Arthur the lady's; they take it in turns to borrow the other on Sundays for a ride round the local roads to the nearby fields. Bicycles are becoming widespread by this time; Sidney hopes that his brother and he can buy second bicycles in the near future so they do not need to share them.

Sidney is not keen on tennis, has tried cricket, but enjoys football. He plays for the parish team.

His other major interest is the garden; he likes to grow some different vegetables such as celery, lettuces, asparagus and broccoli, as well as flowers. Julia loves to have plenty of flowers in the house, and Sidney likes to enter some in the church shows.

In the summer, he has a week's holiday. If they cannot afford to take the family to Brighton, they just go to the seaside for a day, and perhaps visit London Zoo on another.