2012 was a busy year for the Sport and Recreation Alliance in the media. But even we didn’t expect to turn up in this 1959 documentary about ‘Brits at Play’, recently repeated on the BBC.
This fascinating snapshot of life in Britain illustrates how much the times have changed for the Alliance, or the Central Council of Physical Recreation as we were then (start watching at 18:45 for Bisham Abbey).
Up until the 1970s, when the CCPR handed over its assets to the nation, the organisation focused on the provision of sporting opportunities for all, offering courses and holidays at the national sports centres it developed, like those at Crystal Palace, Plas y Brenin, Lilleshall and Bisham Abbey.
However, there are still a number of similarities to our operation back in the 50s.
Communications assistant Patrick Coyne can be found teaching weight training at all good Kennington gyms today and many of our staff are still proudly sporting the knitwear handed down to them by their 1950s predecessors.
For more more information about the history of the Sport and Recreation Alliance contact James Stibbs.
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