Interesting Pastimes in History 1

 Every now and then, as I am writing, I investigate an era. Sometimes I am very surprised what I find out about different eras and what was popular.

In looking at the time period around 1910 in England (I wrote a really fun book, but did not use this fact), I found this tidbit.

For about 5 - 8 years around 1910, London and the surrounding areas in England became enamored with Roller Rinks.

In 1910, England was in the peak of a massive roller-skating craze known as "rinking". Over 526 indoor rinks existed nationwide, featuring polished wooden floors, live orchestras, and upscale cafes. This short-lived but intense boom faded by 1912 as the fad died out. [1, 2, 3]

It turns out that the reason for the boom had to do with sex and dating. There were very few places where men and women could interact with a chaperone, and Roller Rinks were among the most popular. Kind of cool.

Olympia Rink (South Shields): Opened in 1910 by the sea, this prominent skating palace was a fixture of coastal entertainment until a fire destroyed it in 1932.