Steve Beauchampe reviews this book by a world-renowned local author.
A sumptuous new large format 360 page book by Birmingham-born author and sports historian Simon Inglis charts the spaces, buildings and sports that have shaped London’s cultural and urban landscape for over a millennia. Beautifully designed and profusely illustrated with a mixture of both original and historic photographs and detailed maps, Played in London is the result of over ten years of in-depth research and is part of the critically acclaimed Played in Britain series, of which Inglis is the editor.
Britain has shaped many of the world’s favourite sports and several of London’s principal venues – Wembley, Wimbledon, Twickenham, Lord’s and the Oval – are known around the globe. As the first city to host three modern Olympic Games, London has also led the way in the development of athletics, boxing and gymnastics and, in the 20th century, greyhound racing, speedway and even darts, which is now contested in front of massive crowds at the O2 Arena at Greenwich.
From its first century Roman amphitheatre at the Guildhall to the 21st century Olympic Stadium and Park, London has always been a city of spectacle and sporting fervour. Played in London highlights such sporting surprises as the tennis court behind 10 Downing Street, from where Anne Boleyn was dragged away to be beheaded, the world’s oldest bicycle shop in Sutton, the lucky intervention of Prince Albert to rescue the Oval cricket ground from demolition and the revelation that polo rather than football was the first sport in the world to be played under floodlights. Through such tales does Played in London bring to life the sporting heritage and social history of the capital as never before.
Played in Britain is a groundbreaking series on sporting heritage produced in conjunction with English Heritage. Other titles in the series include Played in Birmingham and Great Lengths, a celebration of British indoor swimming baths and pools. Work has now commenced on Bowled Over, which investigates the cultural and social history, and architectural legacy, of bowling greens.
Played in London (£25, signed by the author), Played in Birmingham and all other titles in the Played in Britain series are available to order at www.playedinbritain.co.uk