rounds on an allotted portion of the Edgbaston Botanical Gardens
Athletics.—The Birmingham Athletic Club opened the Gymnasium in King Alfred's Place, in Aug 1866, and hold their annual display and assault-at-arms in the Town Hall in the month of March. Certain hours are allotted to the ladies' classes, and special terms are made for young men and schoolboys.
Bowling Greens and Quoit Grounds were once favourite places of amusement, many even of the town taverns having them attached. There was one at the Salutation, bottom of Snow Hill, in 1778, and at an earlier date at the Hen and Chickens, in High Street. In 1825 a bowling green was laid out at the corner of Highfield Road and Harborne Road, for "a very select party" of Edgbastonians. There was also one at the Plough and Harrow, and several may still be found in the neighbourhood.
Chess, aristocratic game as it is, is far from being unknown here, a Chess Club having been established half-a-century back, which has nearly a hundred members. Its present head-quarters are at the Restaurant, 1, Lower Temple Street.
Cock-fighting.—Early numbers of Aris's Gazette frequently contained notices of "mains" fought at Duddeston Hall.
Cricket.—There was a Cricket Club in existence here in 1745, and it has been chronicled that a match was being played on the same day on which the battle of Culloden was fought. Of modern clubs, whose name is Legion, the oldest is the Birmingham C.C, started in 1819, the members including the young elite of the town, who had their field opposite the Monument at Ladywood. The Birchfield C.C. was organised in 1840. Among the noteworthy matches of late years are those of the All England Eleven against a local twenty-two, at the Lower Grounds, June 5, 1871, the visitors winning; the Australian Eleven v. Pickwick and District Twenty-two, at Bournbrook, June 24 to 26, 1878, the game not being finished, the first innings showing 105 runs for the Eleven, against 123; the Australians v. Eleven of England, at Lower Grounds, May 26, 1884, when the Colonials put together 76 against 82 in the first innings, the second innings of 33 against England's 26 being won with five players left to bat.
Croquet was introduced in 1867; the first code of laws being published in October, 1869.
Cycling, though quite the rage at the present time, is by no means a modern amusement, as running a race with "dandy horses" was considered good sport in the days of the fourth Royal George. These vehicles consisted of two wheels united tandem fashion, the bar being fitted with saddle-shaped seat as in the first bicycles, but the motive power was applied through the contact of the riders' feet with the ground.—The "track" at the Lower Grounds measures 501 yards.
Football is again as old as the hills and there are hundreds of clubs in the town and district, the best meadow for the purpose (at the Lower Grounds) being about 12.t yards long by 75 yards broad. The Aston Villa is the chief club.
Hare and Hounds.—Every suburb and district has its club of Harriers or Hire and Hounds, an annual cross-country amateur championship contest being started in 1879. At the last (Feb. 9,1884) the Birchfield Harriers scored their fourth victory against the Moseley Harriers twice.
Hunting.—Time was when the sight of scarlet coats and hounds was no novelty in Birmingham, but those who would now join in the old English sport of hunting must go farther afield, the nearest kennels being at Atherstone. The announcements of the meets in this and adjoining counties
