I was just reading in a book that is the "Top 10 Lists for Everything 2000) And for the Top 10 Most Expensive Items of Furniture Ever Sold At Auction, the #1 was an 18th-century "Badminton Cabinet" (whatever that is), sold for $16,070,340.00 (US dollars). Just thought I'd share that.
check out this <a target=top_ href="http://www.ca.britishcouncil.org/archive/6pic.html">link</a>. i have no clue what it is for either. but doesn't the Duke of Beaufork has something to do with Badminton?
who's that duke History Badminton probably originated in India as a grownup's version of a very old children's game known in England as battledore and shuttlecock, the battledore being a paddle and the shuttlecock a small feathered cork, now usually balled a "bird." Played for centuries by children in India, Siam, and Japan, this was a cooperative game in which the players worked together to keep the "bird" in the air for as long as possible. A net was added and the game had become a competitive sport called "poona" by the 1860s, when British Army officers were playing it in India. Some of them brought equipment back to England and introduced the new sport there during the early 1870s. It was played at a lawn party held by Duke of Beaufort at his country place, Badminton, in 1873, and it became known as "the Badminton game" among various guests who introduced it to other friends. The Bath Badminton Club, organized in 1877, developed the first written rules, which have remained essentially the same. In 1893, the Badminton Association of England was founded as the first national governing body and the first All-England championship was held in 1899. The Badminton Club of New York was organized in 1878, but it was primarily a social club. The Badminton Health Club of Boston, founded in 1908, devoted more time to the sport and grew to more than 300 members by 1925. But badminton didn't become genuinely popular in the U. S. until the 1930s.
Re: who's that duke *that* will be the Mecca for badminton players. we should organize a trip to there. i also know of a school nearly Bristol, Avon, England named Badminton. i wonder what connection does that have with our game?
Re: who's that duke Another thing named after the Duke of Beaufort's estate: badminton is a kind of drink made of claret (a dry red wine), sugar, and carbonated water; invented at Badminton estate. Popular in the 18th century, probably early 19th century also. I made some once. It's about like a wine cooler ( disgusting, and a waste of wine, sugar, and soda water). This explains why we have water or sports drinks in our gym bags instead of the 'official' badminton drink
