Horne revives forgotten games for BBC4

Alex Horne has made a BBC Four documentary about forgotten sports from history.

The Games That Time Forgot is based on the comic’s attempts to revive the pastimes described in Joseph Strutt’s Sports And Pastimes Of The People Of England, published at the end of the 18th century, including quintain, the jingling match and hot hasty pudding eating.

But his favourite was described in an advert in the Kentish Gazette of April 29, 1794 – for cricket on horseback.

The ad read: ‘A very singular game of cricket will be played on Tuesday, the 6th of May, in Linsted Park, between the Gentlemen of the Hill and the Gentlemen of the Dale, for one guinea a man. The whole to be performed on horseback. To begin at nine o'clock, and the game to be played out.’

The Games That Time Forgot will be broadcast on BBC Four on July 26.

Published: 17 Jul 2010