What Britain Looked Like When It Last Had a Wimbledon Men's Singles Champ

Impact

After letting a good 77 years pass by, the tennis gods decided it was time that Brits got a chance to bring a men’s singles title home. Thus, about came the victory of Andy Murray, which put an end to the British drought at Wimbledon. The last time Britain had a male Wimbledon champion was in 1936 when Fred Perry won and since then, a lot has definitely changed in Britain and the world of tennis.  

1. India was still under British rule

This is a picture of a British man apparently getting a pedicure from an Indian servant while another Indian man fans him. This picture is not the best depiction of Britain’s old relationship with India. Imperialism really is not cute.

 

2. The queen was 10 years old

Here is a picture of PRINCESS Elizabeth in all her royal glory, and what must be a royal corgi (yes, corgis predate the internet).

3. Tennis garb was way different

Here is a pic of Wimbledon in 1936 with Fred Perry shaking his opponent Von Cramm’s hand. Interesting how they used to wear pants during games. These pants they are wearing look loose and breathable but were still quite conservative. As expected, women’s tennis clothes also draped over their bodies a bit excessively, likely making it more difficult to move. This montage of the Wimbledon finals from the 1910s to the 1970s perfectly depicts the change in tennis fashion.

4. In 1936, the BBC launched the world’s very first regular television service

Now, the BBC has become a mega international network (yay for BBC America!) with lots of fun programs for all our viewing pleasures. Oh, and news. They report things too.

5. The 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty ends the British occupation of Egypt

The Suez Canal provided a route to India and imperialistic Britain was not going to give this up. Therefore, the treaty allowed the UK control of the canal for 20 years after.

 

6. The average house in Britain was priced at £550

That is only $815.65 in U.S. money. Now the average cost of a home in the UK is £238,976. Wages were much lower then but according to the UK's Parliament site, when comparing wages from then to those of today, the cost of living is comparatively cheaper now.

7. Tennis racket strings were not vegan-friendly

Tennis racket strings in 1936 were mostly made from fibers extracted animal intestines. Now most are made from synthetic materials but some players such as Roger Federer still use natural gut strings. Don't worry animal-rights activists, you can play tennis too.