England

It may not be the location of the first ever Grand Prix but the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit is definitely the oldest of the most consistently held Grands Prix in the Formula 1 series. The first British Grand Prix was won by Louis Wagner and Robert Sénéchal at the Brooklands Course in 1926. It was first held in Silverstone in 1948, only two years before it hosted the British Grand Prix in its participation in the very first Formula 1 World Championship in 1950.

The race would alternate between Silverstone and Aintree, and later with Brands Hatch, until 1987, where it would be the permanent home of the British Grand Prix. Silverstone was originally the site of a WWII airfield and bomber base, with the first track actually laid out on one of the runways.

Silverstone was once one of the fastest tracks in the Formula 1 series, so dangerous that officials had the circuit renovated in 1991 and again in 1995, although some criticize that the new safer track had lost its edge. Before then, the tight hairpin corners were some of the most challenging, separated by long straights, which allowed drivers to go at very high speeds, even when several chicanes were added to the circuit through the years. In 1985, Keke Rosberg held a 16-year record for the fastest qualifying lap in the Formula 1 Championship series at the British Open, clocking in an average speed of 258.9 km per hour.

France’s Alain Prost won that year, one of his 5 wins at the British Grand Prix. He ties with the Britain’s very own Jim Clark for most multiple wins, followed by Nigel Mansell’s four, and three wins each with Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher. Aside from Clark and Mansell, many British drivers have been triumphant at the British Grand Prix, including Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard, who won the GP twice each, and Peter Collins, James Hunt, John Watson, Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert.

Despite the modifications to the track, Nigel Mansell had a very memorable win in 1991, finding enough time to give his stranded rival, Ayrton Senna, a ride on his way to the finish line. But after Coulthard’s win in 2000, a Briton has yet to win another British Grand Prix, with Fernando Alonso winning in 2006 and Kimi Räikkönen in 2007.

Silverstone is actually a village not far from the circuit, found in Northamptonshire in England. International fans get to Silverstone by flying into London, then driving to Silverstone, rather than taking a train, which still requires a half hour drive to the circuit. Given that, a few drivers are known to take the long ride from London each day of the GP because they would rather stay in a London hotel during the duration of the race, rather than in a slightly less upscale hotel in the nearby towns.But if you don’t mind rural hotels, those at Northampton, Towcester, Oxford and Buckingham will do nicely, as with several Bed and Breakfasts in the surrounding area.

Other fans also resort to camping near the circuit, although there have been problems with rain when the race was moved to April in 2000, especially for fans wishing to find parking and getting stuck in the muddy fields. Many have resorted to finding helicopter rides to the circuit after this parking fiasco.

There are four different price ranges for British Grand Prix tickets on the grandstands, and to accommodate the many spectators, it is not unusual for the officials to erect extra temporary grandstands for the race weekend. Views are also quite good for holders of general admission tickets, but make sure you find yourself in a spot where you can catch the action between Copse and Beckett corners.

The fifth of November is an explosive date on the calendar in many parts of England but few places can match the flaming intensity of the small East Devon town of Ottery St Mary, with its Tar barrel tradition. The custom probably stretch nearly as far back as 1605 itself, although the precise origins have long since been forgotten. There are stories of the barrels being burned to destroy plague-bearing rats, ward off evil spirits or even warn of invading Spaniards but no one is absolutely sure. Suffice it to say, though, that if it’s noise, heat, congestion and danger that you’re looking for – then this is the place to go.

The town of Ottery, as it is usually simply known, has barely 7,000 inhabitants but this number can double each November 5th – unless that date happens to fall on a Sunday, when the festivities all take place the day before. Basically, the focal point of the whole occasion is when seventeen large burning barrels – they have been coated with old-fashioned coal tar – are carried from the town’s four pubs so that they reach the town square at about midnight.

Visitors who arrive with the ambition of turning the evening into their fiery equivalent of Pamplona should be very aware that the ‘Barrel Rollers’ are all local men who have been chosen well in advance and there will be no opportunity of becoming involved. The barrels are balanced precariously on the shoulders of the rollers, who then make their way through the crowded streets. There is a junior equivalent during the afternoon, when the streets are less crowded. If you have young children, this would be the safest time for them to attend – the night runcan be much wilder and thousands of people are crammed together in extremely narrow streets. Apparently, the most prized possession at the end of the evening is a metal ring from one of the burnt out barrels.

There is also a giant bonfire, at St Savious’ Meadow, next to the River Otter – usually more than 35 feet high and with a ceremonial Guy, made by the same family for more than 50 years, perched on the top. There is also a fairground quite close to the bonfire site.

Some of the town shops will be boarded up for safety reasons but there are plenty of mobile food outlets – and the pubs do stay open all night long. By the time the firework display takes place, the atmosphere is distinctly ‘celebratory’!

The streets of Ottery are completely shut off from the late afternoon, with traffic being directed to car parks on the outskirts – but they do tend to be fields so can be quite muddy at this time of the year. Although the car parks cost about £10, you would be unwise to leave your vehicle on roadside verges, as there is a strict ‘tow away’ policy which will result in you having to collect it from Exeter! Those people coming by car might consider leaving it at Exeter and taking one of the coaches into Ottery from there. There are rail stations at both Exeter and nearby Honiton with good connections to the town.

If you’re looking for accommodation, there is only one local hotel, The Tumbling Weir, with just ten rooms and, although there are some good ‘Bed and Breakfast’ places, you might need to look at Honiton, Exeter or perhaps the coastal town of Sidmouth.

The Ottery St Mary tar barrel tradition is a wonderful example of how an essentially local custom can attract thousands of people from outside the area without losing any of its intimacy or connections with its roots. You can get more information at http://www.otterytarbarrels.co.uk/.

The Notting Hill Carnival – the best attended spectator event in Britain each year which, ironically, as well as being a tribute to its street roots, also generates £100 million worth of economic activity. Having started in 1966 as a purely local festival, established by the West Indian immigrants of the Notting Hill neighbourhood, more than two and a half million people now throng to the area for one of the world’s biggest multi-cultural celebrations.

Back in 1966, the Caribbean immigrants, predominantly from Trinidad, organised for a steel band from the Colherene Pub in Earls Court to participate in a street festival in Notting Hill. The rest, as they say, is history. Now, every August Bank Holiday weekend, people come to celebrate alongside the locals – and nowadays there are faces of all colours enjoying the atmosphere alongside each other.

The Carnival has always adopted the slogan of ‘Every spectator is a participant’ and, although you might not be able to match the colourful costumes of some of those taking part in the parades – this is still a most apt saying; no-one comes to carnival just to stand and watch – the atmosphere doesn’t let you.

What is Notting Hill?

So how do you go about trying to define the spirit of the Notting Hill Carnival?

Well, to television viewers, the first thought will probably be of the parades. More than three miles of parades of colourful, original floats, group and individual dancers, street entertainers and musicians meander their way along the route. Sunday is traditionally Children’s Day whilst Monday, with more people present, is the day of the main parade. And it’s no longer just a steel band from an Earls Court Pub – now musicians and participants come here from all over the world – notably Africa, South America and, naturally, the West Indies.

One of the joys of the parades is to see the exuberant costumes which have been painstakingly created during the previous months Professionally produced or totally home-made, they all bring vibrant, evocative images to the London streets.

Much of the atmosphere generated at Carnival stems from the music which pounds through the streets. As well as the calypso, soca, reggae and steel band music you’ll hear on the parades, there are now many static stage systems pumping out an eclectic mix of contemporary dance sounds.

And, of course, what would Carnival be without the food? This is where you’ll find the best jerk chicken outside the Caribbean – 5 tonnes a year is eaten someone estimated. In addition, amongst the 300 or so stalls you’ll find Nigerian, Chinese, Thai and many, many more varieties – the smells alone will drive you crazy.

The Notting Hill Carnival’s reputation for public safety has improved immeasurably over the last decade. Although you would be foolish to carry around signs of conspicuous wealth, as in any large gathering of people on the streets you have to be wary of pickpockets, it is now a generally safe environment. People are too busy having fun and the overall ambience is joyous, not threatening.

Practical Carnival Information

When you go, it is advisable to take the latest edition of Time Out magazine, as that always has a good map showing where all the different stage sound systems can be found. Also, make sure you have some sunscreen, water, an easily carried waterproof top and a good pair of walking shoes.

It’s as well to check the transport system in advance, too. You’ll find that many of the local Underground Stations are closed for at least a part of the day. Ladbroke Grove, for example, is usually closed on Carnival Sunday and Monday and Notting Hill Gate has limited access. The bus service is probably the easiest way of arriving, with route numbers 7, 18, 23, 27, 28, 31, 36, 46, 52, 70, 94, 148, 295, 316, 328, 390 and 452 all taking you right to the edge of the Carnival’s streets.

There is more information about the wonderful Notting Hill Carnival on the official website, it’s a great way to spend an August Bank Holiday in London.

The Leeds Festival has become an essential element of the late August Bank Holiday weekend for many followers of rock and indie music in the north of England – about 70,000 of them each day of the Festival. Now held in the ample grounds of Bramham Park country house, the Leeds Festival shares more or less the same bill as the Reading Festival, as they are jointly promoted and organized by Festival Republic. In addition to the Main Stage, which regularly features some of the world’s leading rock, alternative and indie performers, festival-goers have access to the Radio I stage featuring less well-known artists, the Unsigned stage featuring local acts, a Dance tent and an Alternative tent featuring mainly comedy and cabaret performers.

The Leeds festival became linked with Reading in 1999, when the latter was finding it impossible to meet the demand for tickets. Originally, the festival took place in Temple Newsam Country Park but, especially in 2002, there were security problems which led to the relocation to the current site. Thankfully, recent years have been much safer and the Leeds Festival has developed a good reputation with music fans. With the very best British acts regularly performing here and with artists such as Eminem, Marilyn Manson and Iggy Pop coming from the USA, it’s easy to understand the festival’s appeal. The current arrangement is that the Leeds’ opening day line-up is repeated on the last day of the Reading Festival and the first two days at Reading become the second and third days at Leeds.

Bramham Park is about 5 miles south of Wetherby, half way between Leeds and York. Car parking on the site is possible, although it’s much cheaper to reserve your space in advance. During the festival, access roads to the park are strictly controlled. The only routes into the site by car are via the A1 and M1 – organizers are at great pains to stress that drivers should ignore their SatNavs and just follow signs!

Many people arrive at Bramham Park using the excellent shuttle bus service from Leeds, which takes about 45 minutes and can deliver you straight to the festival entrance from both the main train and bus stations.
Most music fans prefer to camp at the Leeds Festival site, although it is possible to also have caravan and campervan permits – again, they are much cheaper if booked early. The camp site itself has plenty of useful facilities such as cash points, an Information tent, Left Luggage, a Welfare Tent and the Samaritans. Additionally, of course, there are plenty of bars and food and gift stalls – as well as hot showers. All of the site areas are accessible from car parks. It is possible to purchase Day tickets.

It is worth noting that there is no separate programme for children at Leeds; although those aged 12 and under are admitted free, accompanied by an adult, the organisers stress that they don’t really consider it a suitable event for them. For information on tickets and the line-up of artists take a look at the official website of the Leeds Festival.

Now one of the most famous acronyms in the music world, WOMAD, the World of Music and Dance, actually seems as if it has been around for much longer than it really has. The first WOMAD Festival in England, at the market town of Shepton Mallet, was as recent as 1982, just two years after Peter Gabriel had the original idea after seeing, and listening to, a previously unknown African group’s concert.

Along with his two collaborators, Thomas Brooman and Bob Hooton, Gabriel set about establishing WOMAD as a festival designed to bring music from all over the world to the west of England. Now, WOMAD festivals are held annually in over 20 countries and, in most months of the year, there will generally be a WOMAD taking place somewhere!

For many years the English version of this spectacular celebration of global music took place in Rivermead, Reading but it is now firmly established in the delightful setting of Charlton Park, just outside Malmesbury in Wiltshire at the end of each July.

Everyone who has been to WOMAD will happily tell you that WOMAD is different. You won’t find big name acts on the summer festival circuit appearing here. There won’t be international superstars making their ‘long-awaited appearance’. WOMAD is about bringing emerging, original acts from Britain and combining them with a completely eclectic mix from overseas. African drummers, Chinese dancers, Spanish rap artists – there really is no limit as to the type of musician you will encounter. Many will be household names in their own countries but known only to a few devotees in England. All of them will be representative of what WOMAD is about.

Someone once wrote in a review, many years ago, that WOMAD doesn’t really appeal to Festival-goers: instead, it attracts music lovers. There’s a lot to that thought.

There are many of the elements that you would expect to find at a summer festival in England, however. There are more than 250 food, drink and merchandise traders – although perhaps a greater share of ‘ethical’ stands than at some places. There is a fun fair, some ‘General Stores’ for the campers to use, cash points, 5 bars, radio WOMAD and a shuttle bus into Malmesbury for those who want to escape the scene for a little while.

Most of the visitors to WOMAD at Charlton Park will either camp at the family camp site or bring a caravan or camper van into the specially provided field – although note that there are no power points there. Even the camp site appears different at WOMAD, though. You definitely won’t get sound systems or amplified music through the night, no open fires, and no drumming between sunset and dawn, and there always seems plenty of space between tents, despite the numbers. There’s even a special field with tents already erected and ready for use – if you really want camping the easy way. The always clean showers and toilets will urge you to use eco-friendly cleaning products. You’ll also find WOMAD Spa, with its luxury showers, jacuzzis, hair dryers and cocktail bar. Buy a weekend ticket for this and you get access to the Backstage Bar!

Charlton Park – Wiltshire

Charlton Park is between Cirencester and Chippenham on the A429, only 7 miles from Junction 17 of the M4, so access is fairly straightforward. There are train stations quite near at Chippenham and Kemble, which are well served by First Great Western trains and have bus connections to the festival.

Tickets are available either online or by telephone – the latter method carries a larger booking fee. Details of the festival can be found at on the official WOMAD website.

Children under 13 can gain free entry to WOMAD and there is a special price for those between 14 and 17, although they must be accompanied by adults. Residents of SN16 can purchase tickets at a special discounted price – up to 6 per household – so if you know anyone who lives down there you might be able to get yourself a bargain. The English version of WOMAD has stayed true to its roots for over a quarter of a century now and is sure to excite lovers of international music and dance for many more years to come.

In just a few years the annual Latitude Festival has emerged as one of the highlights of the English summer festival season. And it’s little wonder because an absolutely packed programme of music, theatre, comedy, art, poetry, cabaret, literature – and even politics – is one of those events that is sure to have ‘something for everybody’. All of this in the glorious setting of a Repton designed parkland estate, Henham Park in Suffolk.

Latitude is organised by the same people who run the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Festival Republic, and, like those much larger events, it can boast an unbelievably wide range of artists appearing each year. Since it began in 2006, Latitude has broadened its scope such that it’s impossible for most people to see half of what they hope to during the weekend.

Music, of course, is at the core of Latitude and there are four arenas dedicated solely to a wide range of performers – in 2009, for example, Grace Jones, The Pet Shop Boys, Nick Cave and Little Boots were amongst more than 100 separate acts playing. Because of the space available at Henham Park, there is considerable space between the arenas and festival-goers never feel cramped for space. Each arena has its own special qualities but for many the Lake Stage, where the performers literally play whilst floating on a lake, has an atmosphere all of its own. With only around 12,000 spectators, this makes for a very relaxed ambience to the whole weekend.

And there is so much more than music at Latitude. The Theatre Arena hosts quality drama such as offerings from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Young Vic and the National Outdoor Theatre, amongst many more. The Waterfront Stage has seen performances from the Royal Opera House company and Sadler’s Wells. The Comedy Arena generally sees shows by nationally well known comedians.

Additionally, Latitude has a Film and Music Arena, with a number of screenings and Question and Answer sessions with notable representatives of the industries. There’s also a Literary Arena and even a Poetry Arena. Art is not forgotten at Latitude, as, in addition to various specific art happenings, a number of installations are spread throughout the park.

Children are welcomed at Latitude and have many activities organised specifically for them. Those between the ages of 5 and 12 will receive a free ticket – although organizers do point out that some of the productions or performers might not be considered suitable for everyone and ask parents to exercise their discretion.

During recent years the BBC has taken a keen interest in the festival, with many Radio 2, 4 and 5 Live programmes being broadcast directly from Henham Park or recorded for later transmission.

Henham Park is a wonderful festival venue and many people choose to camp there. As well as bars and food stalls, there are plenty of other facilities such as First Aid and Paramedics, showers, a Welfare tent, lockers, phone recharging points and cash points.

Henham Park is a few miles south of Lowestoft and 5 miles to the west of Southwold in Suffolk. The nearest train station, Halesworth, has a very limited service and rail users are recommended instead to consider travelling to Ipswich, 34 miles away, and transferring to the regular festival Shuttle bus service, which operates from both stations. Full details of the Latitude Festival including programme and ticket availability appears on the official festival website.

Every year since 1965, one of the highlights of the festival summer in England has been the Cambridge Folk Festival. Mainly held in the beautiful grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall on the outskirts of the city, this annual feast of music has maintained its reputation of being one of the friendliest amd most musically eclectic events of the year.

The Cambridge Folk Festival posts ‘Sold Out’ notices well in advance of the three and a half days it occupies at the end of July or beginning of August each summer. Indeed, many people will proudly boast of their long-term allegiance to the event and will regale you with tales of their children being taken as babies and now attending as adults – Cambridge is that sort of place.

Musically, the word ‘folk’ doesn’t begin to be anywhere near adequate as a description of what is on offer at Cambridge. The idea of Ken Woollard, the first organiser, back in 1965, who had been inspired by a film of the Newport Jazz Festival, was to recreate the atmosphere found in the local folk clubs at that time. Since those beginnings – you can’t really call them ‘inauspicious’ as the young Paul Simon was amongst the first artists to appear – it’s not just been British and Irish music that has been showcased. Many world-famous international singers and musicians have appeared, from the fields of country, blues, soul, roots,jazz and many more. The Festival has been known as a place where ‘the new and the old collide’, with names such as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, James Taylor, Bill Wyman, Ralph McTell and even, a few years ago now, Bo Diddley all appearing at least once. Many artists, though, have taken Cambridge by storm that the majority of the visitors wouldn’t previously been aware of – Richard Hawley, a late ‘stand-in’ booking in 2008, being a good example.

Some artists appear almost every year – Billy Bragg comes to mind – and one of the festival’s great joys is the Club Tent, in which unbilled artists who have simply turned up at Cherry Hinton, join in with the scheduled guests. There are two other main venues, Stages 1 and 2, where a tight programme of events is presented but much of the magic of Cambridge can be found in the impromptu music that goes on around the site. Couple this fabulous music with clean toilets, the availability of good food, craft, music and instrument stalls, a youth area and creche and free internet access and you’ll begin to understand the allure that the Cambridge Folk Festival has.

There are two camp sites that are specific for festival-goers each year. The larger site, at Cherry Hinton, is a 15 minute walk from the main car park, although free shuttle buses are provided. There is a quieter – relatively – and more child-friendly site at Coldhams Common, nearer the city centre, where there is on-site parking, free buses to the festival and access to the enarby indoor swimming pool.

For those not wishing to camp, there are, of course, many hotels and guest houses in the Cambridge area. And, as it’s summer and the majority of students have gone home, it’s always worth checking out possible Halls of Residence deals, as they can be quite reasonably priced.

The Cambridge Folk Festival website provides details of ticket sales. Customers are usually limited to 4 festival tickets and 1 camping ticket per booking and tickets are available both online and by telephone. Only residents of Cambridge are able to purchase tickets in person.

For those people who have only seen the Cambridge Folk Festival when it has been shown on the BBC television screens, it is well worth going to Cherry Hinton Hall and joining in this wonderfully unique celebration of good music.

The Wimbledon tennis tournament, sometimes known as the Championships, and often simply referred to as Wimbledon is the oldest of the four ‘Grand Slam’ tennis tournaments and the only one still played on grass courts. It is, undeniably, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

What and Where is Wimbledon?

Getting There

Wimbledon itself is a suburb of the London Borough of Merton and, although access by car can sometimes be very difficult, it is extremely well served by public transport. Wimbledon Station is served by trains of both South West Trains and also First Capital Connect and is a terminus for the Croydon Tramlink and the District Line of the London Underground. There are also Underground Stations at Southfields (District Line) and Wimbledon South (Northern Line). During the Championships, there are special bus services to the Stadium from both Wimbledon and Southfields stations. Wimbledon Station also has a well-advertised taxi-sharing scheme at that time. There is a strictly enforced No Parking rule in the streets around Church Road but there are some car parks in the vicinity and there are Park and Ride schemes available.

Practical Wimbledon Information

The Wimbledon Championships are held annually during the last week of June and the first week of July. Normally there is no play on the middle Sunday, although if the tournament has been delayed by weather problems, it is sometimes necessary.

Wimbledon organises a public ballot for tickets every year; applications for entry have to be received by the All England Club over six months in advance. However, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event at which fans can queue for tickets for the three main courts – Centre and Number One and Two Courts. Many fans regard this as an integral part of their Wimbledon experience and queue overnight to obtain one of the 500 or so allocated seats for each of the three courts. This practice only lasts to the end of the quarter finals, however. Additionally, there are approximately 6,000 Ground Admission tickets available every day which allow spectators unrestricted access to the Grounds and courts 3 to 19. Full details can always be found on the Official Wimbledon Website.

The Stonehenge Summer Solstice celebrations, the re-enactment of a ceremony reaching far back into our past, have only recently become popular with large numbers of people and, even now, the atmosphere is far more of a celebration of life than a conventional festival. Its popularity has developed to such an extent, though, that nowadays around 30,000 people can be expected to watch the sun rise over the Heel Stone at about 4.45 am on June 21st each year.

What and Where Is It?

Stonehenge, that gigantic prehistoric calendar that has intrigued and amazed Britons for centuries, is to be found on Salisbury Plain, some two miles west of Amesbury, Wiltshire, at the junction of the A303 and the A344/A360. It is surrounded by 1500 acres of open land. The nearest railway station is at the beautiful cathedral city of Salisbury, just over nine miles away, from where there are Stonehenge Tour buses available to take you to the site.

The Summer Solstice has long been connected with the Druid religion – they have been celebrating at Stonehenge for 800 years. However, the stones considerably pre-date druidism – no stage of the building being later than about 1200 BC. All that historians really know about the monument is that it was started as a Neolithic construction and has been built and re-built several times; some of the stones being transported by sea from Wales. It is, however, clearly some kind of astronomical computer – midwinter moonrise, as well as midsummer sunrise, falls inside the horseshoe of stones.

By 1900, visitors were causing considerable damage to the stones – indeed two actually were knocked over that year and so, for the first time, the site was fenced in. It was then given to the nation in 1918 and placed under the control of English Heritage in 1984.

It is English Heritage who now allow what they term ‘managed open access’ to Stonehenge for the summer solstice – the only time of the year that visitors can get truly close to the monument.

From the evening before there is likely to be casual musical entertainment from salsa bands and drummers – no amplification is permitted –and there will probably be several food and drink vans on the site. However, the rules strictly forbid camping, dogs (except for guide dogs), fires, fireworks, glass bottles – and definitely no climbing on the stones. English Heritage have a photograph dated 1966 which, quite scarily, shows whole groups of people dancing on top of the stones at that year’s solstice.

Contemporary celebrations are undoubtedly exciting – lots of whooping, cheering, horn blowing and drumming – but are, despite the noise, essentially peaceful occasions, celebrating life. There have been large numbers of police at times, but little trouble and the few arrests have generally been for minor drugs offences. Many of the flamboyantly dressed revellers squeezed among the stones will be on their way to Glastonbury for the festival there and treat the Stonehenge Summer Solstice celebrations as an annual prelude to the event.

Practical Stonehenge Information

The English Heritage website dedicated to Stonehenge gives more information, although not about the summer solstice celebrations themselves. There is not at this time a site dedicated solely to the Summer Solstice festival, although information and photographs can be found on the New Age site. Although an entrance fee to the Stonehenge site is normally applied, the festival has, in recent years, been free of charge.

The Royal Ascot Meeting is one of the horse racing highlights of any year, as well as being an integral part of England’s social calendar. Since 1711, this attractive part of Berkshire has attracted thousands of visitors – hoping to see some of the world’s best thoroughbred race horses and to mingle with some famous faces.

Ascot itself is a small town not far from Windsor Castle, on the A329 and A330 roads. It is, therefore, situated conveniently close to the M3, M4, M40 and M25 motorways and also to London Heathrow Airport. The local railway station, a mere seven minute walk from the Race Course, has frequent services to London Waterloo (46 minutes) and Reading (27 minutes).

The race course itself was the idea of Queen Anne, and the very first race was in August, 1711, ‘Her Majesty’s Plate’, with a prize of 100 guineas to the winner. At the Royal Ascot Race Meeting there is still a Queen Anne Stakes – but the prize fund is considerably higher. The famous Ascot Gold Cup, still the feature race of the third day of the meeting, ‘Ladies’ Day’, was introduced in 1807.

Traditionally, the British Royal family attend the meeting, arriving each day in a horse-drawn carriage and driving along the course, waving to the spectators. Her Majesty the Queen is famously interested in horse racing and has been the winning owner of many races at the meeting. It is usual for the Queen herself to present the winning trophies to the owners of the winners of the Gold Cup, the Royal Hunt Cup and the Queen’s Vase. Quite unusually in top class sport, these trophies are made annually so that the winners can keep them rather than return them at the end of their year.

Although Ascot Race Course has been established for over three hundred years, it is continuing to develop to keep abreast of the times. The most recent significant change to the course was the opening, in June 2006, of a spectacular new grandstand which, as well as being a glass and aluminium structure of impressive dimensions, also has the latest in fittings and facilities.

The restaurant areas at Ascot are unsurpassable for a sporting venue, with at least eight top-class establishments open to the public and many other smaller food and drink outlets. More than 300,000 spectators attend the Royal Ascot Race Meeting and it has a famous dress code for visitors. People who obtain a Grandstand ticket are expected to wear clothes ‘appropriate to a smart occasion’ – with most ladies wearing hats and all gentlemen definitely wearing a shirt and tie. Although the less expensive Silver Ring ticket does not insist on a formal dress code, racegoers are, nevertheless, ‘encouraged’ to wear smart clothing.

Additional Information

Although there are race meetings at Ascot throughout the year, only one of them is designated as ‘Royal’ and that takes place in the middle of June annually, There are different categories of tickets available but it is not generally possible to purchase tickets for the Royal Enclosure unless they are part of a complete package, including dining in one of the more exclusive restaurants. But with live music, large screen televisions and many added attractions Grandstand tickets and Silver Ring tickets still offer a good day out. It is also important to note that, unlike the other race meetings at Ascot, it is not possible to upgrade your ticket on the day at the Royal Meeting.

There are, of course, a large number of hotels and guest houses in the area around Ascot but these do tend to be fully booked a long time in advance. Given the proximity of such good transport links, it would probably be more economical to stay a little further away from the course, in any case. Further details about Royal Ascot can always be found at http://www.ascot.co.uk/ .