Page 54 - Revistas Identidad de valparaiso.pptx

social life

The British colony had many spaces for sociability, which allowed this community to enjoy great cohesion and
durability. Within these spaces are schools, churches, sports clubs, charities, hospitals, the press, social

gatherings, among others. Education was paramount for the British, especially to maintain their culture. That
is why from the nineteenth century they began to found schools in the Valparaíso region. It is interesting to

note that the British-founded colleges followed a rigid discipline, and furthermore, they prepared their
students with a technical education. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the tradition was maintained, by some

British families, of sending their children to be educated in England: It was customary until 1950 more or less,
that families that had the economic means sent their children to study in the UK, this was the norm until the

war. When they couldn't send them to England, they sent them to Buenos Aires to Saint George College,
which was the most English school in the southern cone. For those who were educated in Chile, the existence
of several British schools within the Valparaíso region during the first decades of the 20th century can be

appreciated. An exemplary case is that of the Saint Peter schoolSport was also something essential within
the British community, which could be seen reflected in the many sporting activities that they organized.

What's more, they introduced sports such as soccer, tennis, cricket, golf, athletics, and hockey, among others
in Chile. From a very young age, sport was encouraged by the schools, which rented courts at the Sporting

Club, to take their students to train. As Dr. Jones puts it, sport was something that elevated the esteem of
each person. The vast majority of young people, after leaving school, continued to play sports, either through

the company team or personally. In addition, sports activities acted as spaces for socializing the British
colony. Gilian MacQueen says that hockey games were an important part of her social life. We would play on
the Sporting Club courts and then go to have tea at the O'Higgins Hotel or the Miramar. For its part, the large

number of British companies that existed during this period gave a great boost to the sport. As there was a
large British population that worked for these companies, there was a high demand for the practice of all

sports activities, and as Kenneth Tolson points out, Before you could build up to three cricket teams, with
eleven players each. The press media were also essential to maintain the identity and cohesion of the British

colony of Valparaíso.