After the reduction in leisure activities during World War II (1939-1945), sport and leisure activities increased during the 1950s.

Both playing and watching football has been popular in Scotland since the start of the 20th century and the sport is still played all across the country today.This shows a line up of the Loganlea Amateurs team at Addiewell, West Calder, 1949 - 1950.
They are wearing distinctive hooped team strips.

Clubs and societies were also important for recreation.

Masonic and benevolent societies have traditionally taken part in sporting events with their contemporaries. Shooting and bowling competitions were particularly common.The text engraved on this trophy reads 'McLennan Urquhart Trophy presented to Lodge Dalkeith Kilwinning No. 10 for annual competition, Single Handed Bowling Competition, July 1952'. A number of winner's names, dating from 1952 to 2000 are also listed.

The co-operative movement has been important in Scotland. As well as providing shops, it was common for co-operative societies to open clubs and societies for their staff. These could range from educative societies to dramatic clubs to bowling clubs.This clip shows the Penicuik Co-op Employees' Welfare Club Dramatic Section performing in a play. Also shown is an employees' dance.

The first Girl Guide companies were formed in 1910 by Agnes Baden-Powell. The Guiding movement is an international one, with links throughout the world. In later years when foreign travel became more common, many camping trips were taken abroad, most commonly in Europe.This photograph shows a group of guides posing during a camping trip to Holland.

Cinemas were still very popular at this time. In 1951, the entire Scottish population went to the cinema an average of 36 times a year (compared with 28 in England).

This shows 2 posters. The first is advertising 'The Master of Ballantrae', starring Errol Flynn and made by Warner Brothers in 1953. The film was based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. The second advertises 'Lassie Come Home' with Elizabeth Taylor produced by MGM in 1943.

In 1950, there were only 350 000 combined radio and TV licences (compared with 12 milllion radio-only licences). However, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 transformed the popularity of television.This is a souvenir programme of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which took place on Tuesday 2nd June 1953 in Westminster Abbey, London. It contains pictures of various events from the day.

Shows were still very popular at this time.

Sir Robert Fossett's Circus visited Lanark in 1951. It included acts such as Captain Bailey Fossett's herd of elephants and Sir Robert Fossett's group of lions. It also had a large proportion of equestrian acts.Tickets for the show cost between two shillings and seven shillings and sixpence for adults, and between one shilling and three shillings and sixpence for children. The seating capacity was 3,000. A separate zoo also accompanied the circus.

Trips and holidays were becoming increasingly popular again following the War, with more and more people going away on holidays. As car ownership increased, many more motoring holidays took place.

This shows an essay written for an English class about a family holiday. The writer was George Hastie, a pupil at Inverkeithing Junior Secondary School.The essay concerns a family holiday in the Highlands. The Hasties were travellling by car. They stopped in Aviemore, Golspie, Latheronwheel, and Perth, often for food. This sort of holiday became more popular from the 1950s, with more people having cars.

As travelling holidays became more popular, where people did not stay in the same place, motorails were useful. Cars were transported by rail in specially designed rail carriages. This allowed people to take their car on holiday with them, without suffering a long, arduous car journey.This shows a car being secured in the carriage of a train, for the trip south. The photograph was taken in Perth in April 1957.