‘A Spectacle for the Cameras’: The survival of a Lakeland leisure tradition, 1930- c.1955
Authors
Andrew, RebeccaAffiliation
University of ChesterPublication Date
2020-04-27
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This article examines the survival of rushbearing, a rural leisure tradition in the English Lake District. As a region popular with tourists throughout the 20th century, this case study offers important insights into how their presence shaped this ‘traditional’ leisure activity. Not only did annual rushbearing ceremonies offer opportunities for the region’s sense of place to be presented to outsiders, they were also an important way for local communities to reaffirm their connection to the Lake District and its past. These occasions were, however, increasingly influenced by an awareness of external influences and outside judgements, as the region’s popularity as a tourist destination boomed from the inter-war years. Although youth culture was increasingly standardised at a national level during this period, at a local level, young countrymen and women played an integral role in rushbearing’s survival, which promoted an idealised version of ‘traditional’ country life. This annual community event is therefore a useful example through which to examine the interplay between rural leisure traditions, tourism, and the role of young people in the countryside during this period.Citation
Andrew, R. (2020). ‘A Spectacle for the Cameras’: The survival of a Lakeland leisure tradition, 1930- c.1955. Journal of Tourism History, 12(2), 95-115.Publisher
Taylor & FrancisJournal
Journal of Tourism HistoryAdditional Links
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1755182X.2020.1734104?journalCode=rjth20Type
ArticleDescription
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Tourism History on 27/04/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182X.2020.1734104ISSN
1755-182XEISSN
1755-1838ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/1755182X.2020.1734104
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/