Public meeting: What A Lot Of Collops

The date is actually quite pertinent, being Ash Wednesday and, historically, ‘clear up’ day in Kingston after Shrove Tuesday!

At 10.59am, every Shrove Tuesday, Kingston Market Place fell silent, except for a few expectant murmerings. This silence was no mark of respect or remembrance; the 200 or so assembled there were waiting for a signal.

At 11.00am, the signal (the sounding of a church bell) was given and Kingston Market place, the town, the river and surrounding areas became a battleground – the annual Shrovetide Football match had begun. The fighting, pulling, hugging, gouging, kicking would continue for the next 6 hours until the pre-arranged truce would be sounded by a further bell, at 5.00pm.

But, behind the scenes, people were drawing up separate battle plans, focussed on how to prevent this annual tradition. The full story of Kingston’s last ‘tradition’ has sat for 150 years in the fading pages of The Surrey Comet, and other regional and national papers, until now.

Local Kingston Tour Guide and Local History author, Julian McCarthy has trawled through the newspapers and, in his book, ‘What a Lot of Collops’ has transcribed the reports, letters, Council Meeting reports, etc., to tell the full story of the Kingston game, its subsequent banning and what happened thereafter. The story is not one of a sport, but of working class, tradesmen, gentry, police and homeland security.

• Free admission for members of the Society. Members of the public are very welcome to attend and are asked to pay £2 toward our costs, alternatively they can join the Society on the night for just £10.

• Meetings begin promptly at 7.30pm. Doors are open at 7pm.

About Julian McCarthy

Julian McCarthy is a Kingston-based author, tour guide, and retired Chartered Design Engineer whose work is dedicated to uncovering the town’s hidden histories and overlooked stories. A qualified Kingston Tour Guide and former Chair of the local guides, he is also a committee member of the Maldens and Coombe Heritage Society. Julian is widely known for his engaging talks and walks, many of them offered free to the public, which explore subjects ranging from Saxon kings and early English history to the town’s more unusual and quirky traditions, including the historic Shrovetide football game.

He is the author of Secret Kingston Upon Thames and A–Z of Kingston-upon-Thames: Places – People – History, both of which reflect his passion for discovering forgotten details in old maps, photographs, and archival records. Through his writing, tours, and lectures, Julian brings Kingston’s lesser-known past vividly to life, making local history accessible, lively, and full of surprise.