Hello everyone and welcome to the History of England episode 1082, Games and Beasts.

Where I am sad to announce that I appear to have completely lost the plot. The plot

being the history of England, you know, remember that, which now seems an awfully long way away

what with all this economic and social stuff. And to make it worse, I have yet another episode

that keeps us away from Edward IV, a chair of Gloucester, Henry Tudor. Because I mentioned in

a couple of episodes that I hadn't managed to cover livestock and games, and so I started to

write up a couple of little segments just to spice up a political episode somewhere. And unfortunately,

or fortunately depending on your viewpoint ended up with this, a complete episode on the two

topics. So I formally apologise. Before I start, let me remind you that I'm a proud member of the

Agora Podcast Network, a group of independent minded folk who like a bit of a cast now and again.

You can find out more at agorapodcastnetwork.com.

So, every so often, the gentry would presumably let down their collective hair,

put aside the book of ours and have some fun. Now, it's always seemed to me that without Wi-Fi,

life can surely hardly be worth living. I mean, what on earth did they do before Wi-Fi?

There's probably a bit in the dramatisation of pride and pledge on the beab ages ago,

and they're all sitting around grandly in the evening looking bored. And so Caroline Bingley asked

Mr. Darcy to take a turn around the room, on the grounds that it will be most diverting.

I mean, by the stage you walk around your living room to spice up your life, you've got to be

desperate, haven't you? So, how did folks in the middle ages have a good time?

For kiddiewinks, play and games were seen very much as a natural part of what I think one of my

daughters would call the gender binary. There was no messing about here, with what kind of

pursuits boys and girls should pursue. Boys were provided with mass-produced metal soldiers

...