Holidays for Working People C.1919-2000? the Competing Demands of Altruism and Commercial Necessity in the Co-Operative Holidays Association and Holiday Fellowship
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Hope, Douglas G. (2015) Whatever happened to 'rational' holidays for working people c.1919-2000? The competing demands of altruism and commercial necessity in the Co-operative Holidays Association and Holiday Fellowship. Doctoral thesis, University of Cumbria (awarded by Lancaster University). Downloaded from: http://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/1770/ Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria’s institutional repository ‘Insight’ must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. 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Alternatively contact the University of Cumbria Repository Editor by emailing [email protected]. Whatever happened to ‘rational’ holidays for working people c.1919-2000? The competing demands of altruism and commercial necessity in the Co-operative Holidays Association and the Holiday Fellowship Douglas George Hope BSc(Hons) DipTP MA FRGS MRTPI A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the PhD University of Lancaster August 2014 Whatever happened to ‘rational’ holidays for working people c.1919-2000? The competing demands of altruism and commercial necessity in the Co-operative Holidays Association and the Holiday Fellowship A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the PhD, University of Lancaster by Douglas George Hope BSc(Hons) DipTP MA FRGS MRTPI, August 2014 ABSTRACT The focus of this thesis is on two pioneering organisations that were at the forefront of the provision of ‘rational’ holidays for the working-class during the early twentieth century: the Co-operative Holidays Association (CHA) and the Holiday Fellowship, founded by Thomas Arthur Leonard in 1893 and 1913 respectively. This research seeks to establish how these pioneers of recreative and educational holidays for working people dealt with the far-reaching changes in social, economic and cultural conditions during the period 1919-2000. It makes a significant original contribution to twentieth-century leisure and tourism history, especially that of the outdoor movement. Utilising important original source material, the research analyses the continuities and changes in these two organisations during the period 1919-2000 and the linkages and differences between them. The thesis explores the way the CHA and Holiday Fellowship dealt with the often conflicting demands of altruism and commercial necessity as the twentieth century progressed and assesses the extent to which they drifted away from their original ideals in order to combat the challenges of consumerism. i The research takes a cultural history perspective, contextualising both organisations within a wider history of leisure, with specific reference to ‘rational’ recreation and the Victorian principles of respectability, co-operation and collectivism, and voluntarism. The research shows that the CHA and Holiday Fellowship were distinguishable from other ‘rational’ holiday providers; they had a distinct rural focus and the emphasis of their holidays was on healthy recreation and quiet enjoyment. They were almost unique in that they were equally attractive to women and men. However, both eventually served the middle classes rather than the working class for whom they were originally intended. Nevertheless, these pioneers of recreative and educational holidays unquestionably made a significant contribution to the democratisation of the countryside as a leisure space. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to the University of Cumbria for providing me with the opportunity to research and write this thesis. I am particularly indebted to Professor Mike Huggins, who has, in his inimitable fashion, guided me unerringly through the labyrinth of doctoral research. Many thanks are also due to my other supervisors, Dr Cliff O’Neil, Dr Robert Poole, Dr Carol Osborne and Dr John Swift, for their valuable comments and advice; to Sonia Mason for her invaluable support; to the many and varied presenters in the Graduate School Research Sessions; and to the University’s library staff in Ambleside, Carlisle, Lancaster and Penrith. I could not have undertaken this research without the help of the staff of the Greater Manchester County Record Office, where the CHA archive resides, and Harry Wroe, HF Holidays voluntary archivist. Others who have provided assistance include Colin Doyle, Chief Executive at Countrywide Holidays in its final years; Stephen Broughton of Countrywide Holidays; and Steve Backhouse, Head of Holiday Operations at HF Holidays. Special thanks are also due to Nancy Green, T A Leonard’s great grand- daughter who has kindly allowed me access to the personal papers and other memorabilia held by the family. The staff of a number of other organisations have also provided assistance, including: the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham; Cumbria County Archive Service; Cumbria Tourism; Devon County Archives; Lake District National Park Authority; Lancashire County Archives; the Mountain Heritage Trust; and the Society of Friends. iii A number of individual people have also given of their time to assist me: Barry Ayre, Chris Bagshaw, Liz Brooking, Dr Bob Gomersall, Roz Hughes, Dr Terry Marsh, John Martin, Dr Neil Matthews, David Oglethorpe, Godfrey Owen, Brian Padgett, David Peacock, Tom Price, Robert Speake and Dr Jean Turnbull. Thanks are also due to a number of mountaineering and rambling clubs who have responded to my requests for information about their activities and, particularly, to the following CHA affiliated clubs: Bolton CHA Rambling Club, Bradford CHA Club, Crosby CHA Club, Manchester CHA Club, Newcastle & District CHA and HF Rambling Club and York CHA & HF Rambling Club, and to the one hundred members/former club members who responded to my membership survey, particularly Wendy Acres, John and Cathy Annetts, Roger Bell, Margaret Bevan, John and Janet Booth, John Crosby, Jeff Halden, Margaret Ives, Bridget Jones, Elizabeth Luedemann-Ravit, Johanna McLaren, and John and Chris Mounsey. Finally, I would have been unable to undertake this research without the encouragement and strong support of my wife, Brenda, and the help of my son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Trudy iv CONTENTS Page Abstract i Acknowledgements iii Contents v List of figures vi Abbreviations viii Introduction: The aims of the study 1 Chapter 1: Background: The origins and evolution of the concept 32 of ‘rational’ holidays c.1875-1919 Chapter 2: Deconstructing the ideals and philosophy of the CHA 69 and Holiday Fellowship, as they stood in 1919. Chapter 3: The impact of the changing demands of the twentieth 105 century c.1919-2000 on the CHA and the Holiday Fellowship. Chapter 4: Continuity and change in the CHA and HF, c.1919-2000: 146 Activities and accommodation. Chapter 5: Continuity and change in the CHA and HF, c.1919-2000: 231 Constituency and Identity. Chapter 6: The CHA and HF in the English Lake District: 301 a detailed case study Conclusions: The research question answered? 352 Bibliography 373 Appendix 1: Timeline of accommodation providers Appendix 2: CHA centre dates Appendix 3: HF centre dates Appendix 4: CHA/HF Accommodation Appendix 5: YHA Accommodation Appendix 6: CHA/HF Membership Survey Questionnaire Appendix 7: CHA/HF Membership Survey Summary Appendix 8: CHA/HF Members Questionnaire Summaries Appendix 9: CHA/HF Membership Survey: Selected Quotes Appendix 10: CHA Local Groups 1982 Appendix 11: HF Local Groups 1980 Appendix 12: Lake District CHA and HF Centres Appendix 13: YHA Lake District Hostels Appendix 14: Memories of Glaramara, 1951-1956 Appendix 15: Lake District Mountaineering Club Huts Appendix 16: Lake District Licensed Adventure Activity Centres, 2000 v LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1: Research design conceptualisation 18 Figure 2: CHA/Holiday Fellowship Life-cycle 20 Figure 3: Poster advertising 1893 Summer Holidays 72 Figure 4: Distribution of CHA Guest Houses, 1891-2000 151 Figure 5: Distribution of HF Centres, 1913-2000 153 Figure 6: CHA and HF British centres 1919-2001 154 Figure 7: Architect’s drawing of CHA Moor Gate Guest House, Hope 156 Figure 8: HF British centres in 1975 179 Figure 9: CHA Accommodation charges and inflation, 1913-1999 192 Figure 10: CHA Special Interest Holiday subjects, 1999 207 Figure 11: Chart of CHA and HF guest-weeks, 1919-2001 236 Figure 12: HF Holiday brochure covers of the 1930s 247 Figure 13: Photograph of CHA group at Glaramara, 1935 248 Figure 14: Photograph of CHA group at Porlock, 1939 249 Figure 15: Photograph of HF group at Newlands, 1938 250 Figure 16: Photograph of HF group at Fairlight, 1938 250 Figure 17: Photograph of CHA group at Glaramara, 1949 251 Figure 18: Photograph