Village Playing Fields A humble but interesting little quarterly magazine,
called Playing Fields, has just come to birth and will be welcomed by both athletes and naturalists. Lieut.-Col. Webster, its editor, is the arch-priest of physical fitness, and has shown convincingly how rehabilitation—among over-tried soldiers as among athletes—can be secured by the mere use of the right exercises. The emphasis in the first number is put on the provision of more playing fields for villages, and Sir Lawrence Chubb has many wise things to say. As things are, the villages, but not the towns, are left in the lurch ; and my belief is that better facilities for games and sports would materially check the drift to the towns. The contrast of the village to the university or public school is abrupt. Even in good open country village-youth can find no football ground, no decent cricket pitch or tennis lawn. More battles of more sorts may be won on recrea- tional facilities for youths in our villages than ever were won on the playing fields of Eton. I wonder how many parish councillors know that they have the power to buy land (compulsorily, if it comes to that) for recreational purposes? They should read the new magazine.
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