What game is this and where? Grandfather Simpkin

[BumbleB]

Good job I wasn't actually drinking my glass of wine at the time - Morris dancers on roller skates    I must put forward the idea when I next visit Saltburn Folk Festival 

Sorry - seriously - perhaps the location of Grandfather Simpkin might give us a "genuine" clue.

[carom]

My husband did suggest a Morris dancers roller derby, could catch on!
As far as I know Grandpa Simpkin was a Londoner, will see if I can find out more.

[ThrelfallYorky]

How about Archery without the targets, just the easels?
-Whoops, couldn't be "Knurr and Spell" could it? On tiny tricycles?

[KGarrad]

The waistcoats look to be leather? And fleece-lined?
Or just inside-out fleece

And the frame does look to be like a goal - the inside of each side looks to be perpendicular, but with a slanting piece of wood outside.
Sort of like:
  __
/|   |\

[Fresh Fields]

Hi.

Just a suggestion, has anyone tried finding out more about Roller Polo. It is said to have originated in the UK.


What is the assumed dating ? Pre or post, WWI ?

Quite a substantial grand stand, presumably normally used for a more established sport ?

Had a quick look but have not found similar "skates" on-line.  Only the patented contraption, I have seen before, where weight is transferred from one leg to the other, to ratchet the wheels forward.

Alan.

[carom]

I've found out a bit more on Fred Simpkin, he was born in 1894 and lived and worked in the London docks for Harland &Wolff.

Have also found some skates from the 1920's which look very similar, so I would guess the photo to be late 1920's.

Any old photos of roller polo or hockey have all had sticks more like a standard hockey stick.

There does seem to be quite a crowd watching, wonder if it was a company sports day?

[Trishanne]

This does appear to be a real mystery. I have tried to find a sport that fits the photo but I can't find anything, it is the sticks which are a mystery as you say.
I have found images of similar skates from 1898 so it seems they were used for quite a period of time but as you say the 1920s would seem to be right for this photo.
I will keep looking.

[Mike in Cumbria]

They do look more like cudgels than bats, so perhaps Morris dancing on skates isn't a bad suggestion, as a novelty item at an agricultural show perhaps?

Alternatively, it could be a late revival of single stick fighting which had pretty much died out by the 1920s - again, in a humorous roller-skate version.

[dublin1850]

Those sticks would not be much use for hitting anything like a ball, unless they were for maybe collecting hoops on?
I too wonder was it for a comedy display of some sort, a la ice skating on grass. The skates wouldn't be much use on the grass either. Quite a mystery.

Could a local librarian's association help by forwarding on the photo? I don't suppose they would have gone very far out of London on holidays in those days.

Always worth a chance sending it to something like 'The One Show'. They might do a feature on funny old sports/photos.