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SPORTS ARTICLES
CRICKET. . .MORE THAN A GAME?
What is it about cricket? Is it the vision of traditional cricketing
"whites" set against the fine-textured turf of picturesque village
greens – a reassuringly "English" scene of balmy summer afternoons?
Or perhaps the familiar crack of leather-covered ball against well-oiled willow
bat and the courteously restrained hand-clapping? Or maybe it has something to
do with the prospect of whiling away the afternoon pleasantly in anticipation of
tea. . .? Read the article
ARCHERY – AN ANCIENT AND NOBLE SKILL
On the walls of the celebrated Lascaux caves in the Dordogne, evocative
paintings of bison shot by arrows date back some ten to fifteen thousand years.
This early artistry and other archaeological findings reinforce the contention
that the bow and arrow date back many millennia. Conceived as one of the
earliest human survival skills, archery came to be used almost universally for
the purposes of hunting. In rather more recent history the bow and arrow became
an important weapon of warfare, bowmen battling alongside lancers in empires as
far flung as China, Egypt, Greece, Mongolia and Rome. Read the article.
TENNIS – GAME OF KINGS
The history of tennis reads like a listing of European monarchs. Considered the "game of kings and king of games" from its earliest days, it was played widely as a refined, courtly game. Even today, while football, in its various forms, is probably the world's most popular game, tennis is surely one of the most prestigious – as the tongue in cheek "anyone for tennis?" comedy line reflects.
Read the article.
 THE SWORD – A SYMBOLIC ARM, A NOBLE SPORT
How did such an extraordinary aura of mystique grow up around the sword, and what made it, of all weapons, such an object of admiration, if not veneration – and possession such a significant mark of rank? Why should swordsmanship, above all other combat, have been considered such a noble art?
Read the article.
IN THE NORTH COUNTREE - HORSE RACING IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY
A commentary on the horse racing scene in northern England.
Perhaps the most sporting little town in the whole of England is Malton, the Newmarket of the North; and if flat racing can no longer be carried on in its precincts, owing to its time-honoured racecourse being ploughed out, the sporting inhabitants have a successful steeplechase meeting over Mr. I'Anson's farm at
Highfield, and save in one particular it takes quite a lead in the world of sport.
Read the article.
EAST LOTHIAN A GOLFING STORY
If St. Andrew's was the birthplace of golf, then East Lothian was its
nursery. By the mid-fifteenth century the game was played widely on the east
coast of Scotland - to the consternation of the then monarch, James II. The
problem was that his nobles were enjoying this game, and football, to such an
extent that they were neglecting to practise their archery, a skill at that time
essential to the defence of the realm. Read the article.
ROWING – "NO MORE UNSELFISH SPORT"
by Sarah Powell
With a long and colourful history stretching back to the boats of classical times and perhaps beyond, rowing as a competitive sport singularly captures the public imagination. From the spirited race between galleys described by Virgil in the Aeneid to the no less passionate University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge on the River Thames, there is something extraordinary about the way in which oarsmen as a single body propel their craft so powerfully and swiftly, yet seemingly effortlessly.
Read the article.
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