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Football, cricket, horse racing and tennis became popular spectator sports, though not on Sundays. It was many years later before any professional sport was allowed on Sunday, which was a day of complete rest, no work, no play, no shops open. Children would have to put toys away Saturday night. In rich and middle class families, Sunday might be the only time children saw their parents. Despite this, church going was declining. In 1851 only 40% of people were in church on Sunday and by 1881 this figure was 30%. Most sports were for men although in 1884 there was a women's championship at Wimbledon. Music Halls became popular. Here you could listen to comedians and sing along with popular songs. There would be a chairman to keep the sometimes rowdy audience under control. Dan Leno, who was born in the slums of King's Cross in London, was a famous male star. He did everything from comedy songs to pantomime where he would usually play the dame. Marie Lloyd was the female equivalent with her songs such as “The boy I love is up in the gallery”. Seaside holidays were popular but not as we know them. People would go down to the coast and then walk along a promenade that had been build along the seafront or stroll down one of the many piers jutting out into the sea. These piers would also allow the paddle steamers from the cities to drop off their passengers at the seaside for the day. People would be almost fully dressed and, if they wanted to swim, men and women would not only change separately but sometimes have different areas to swim in.

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