Leisure activities share with sport the element of competition so essential to the English way of life. The high-flying executive who plays with model helicopters in the local park is subconsciously waiting for another high flier with similar toys to compete with. The man who cleans his car in a suburban street on a Sunday morning is running a polishing race with his neighbour’s every grunting sweep of the chamois leather. Even a peaceful pint in the pub can easily turn into a drinking competition if the right adversary turns up. Theme parks reign as top pleasure outlets on the simple
...more
