Here we have a very atmospheric card which you may think has nothing to do with the boat race save the sport of rowing. However the back tells us that "The University Boat Race is held annually over 4 1/2 miles between Putney and Mortlake on the Thames. This race was instituted in 1829"
It is first catalogued in our original British Trade Index part II, which reads :
SPORTS AND GAMES. Sm. Nd. (25) See D.386
This is almost identical in our updated British Trade Index except that the year of issue replaces the initials "Sm." and the handbook code is now HX-154.
Now any mention of a "D" or an "HX" sends us scurrying to the handbook, which is at the back of each book in the original set of books and as a separate volume in the updated version. That is because those codes mean this set was issued by at least one other company.
In this case it is revealed to be quite a few companies, and with other titles. The full excerpt is as follows except for the dates in bold which I have added where known :
D.386 SPORTS AND GAMES or DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SPORTS AND GAMES.
Amalgamated Tob. Corp (Mills) - Set A46-36. Nd. (25). Tobacco Issue [1958]
Ewbanks - Set EWB-6. Nd. (25) [1958]
Horsleys Stores - Set HOM-3-10. Unnd* [1968]
Lamberts - Set LAM-14. Nd. (25) [1964]
The Stamp Corner, Doncaster - Set SRM-2-10. Unnd*
Star Junior Club - Set SSO-2. Nd. 1.10 (Do You Know about Sports and Games) and 5 unnumbered (see under set SSO-2)* 10 issued
Association Football (17)
Bob-Sleighing (7)
Canoeing (10)
Climbing (21)
Cricket (23)
Flat Racing (13)
Greyhound Racing (14)
Ski-Ing (11)
Tennis (2)
Yachting (25)
We also know that other companies issued this same set, these being A.C.W. Francis (of Grenada, West Indies) and The Universal Cigarette Card Co. Also it can be found as an anonymous version.
The reason for the asterisked "ten cards only" is that these were issued by Horsley and by The Stamp Corner as part of a set made up of several cards from various series. Horsely`s all have the additional heading of "When in Gainsborough" as some kind of incentive as to what to do and see in the local area, whilst The Stamp Corner cards were produced to advertise that they bought coins, stamps, cards and medals. However the Star Junior Club (whatever that was - there being no clue on the cards) issued two sets of just ten cards, "Do You Know About Animals" and the other, our cards "Do You Know About Sports and Games". They also issued five other cards though, as "Swap Card"s and these were Climbing, Fencing, Flat Racing, Golf, and Ski-ing.