Victorian England, in the late 19th century was a place of contrasts with the desire for industrialisation, the growth of the railways, the building of the Firth of Forth Rail Bridge, and further afield the magnificence of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris.
Massive urban poverty existed in the less affluent population, there was disparity between the classes; strikes by the Match girls (1888) due to poor working conditions, education was seen as a privilege for the upper classes even though the schooling age was raised to 13 years with so few able to attend, as child employment was rife.
A new growing desire to seek pleasure away from the squalor and poverty. The West End saw the openings of new concert halls, whilst the East End of London saw brutal murders by Jack the Ripper.
The river Thames was opening as a place of leisure an opportunity to divert oneself from ‘the hum drum day to day living’ - shifting the outlook on the river from industry to pleasure…Boating became a past time for all classes.
