Highclere Hotel

Check the weather forecast...

by iaint

If you are in the Royal Enclosure, you will have plenty of cover if the weather is wet. Otherwise, there is very little.

If the forecast is for rain, think about umbrellas (a big golf umbrella or small expanding ones which you can put in a small backpack). Also think about your feet. Maybe not such a problem for men, but for women in high heels... Put "something sensible" in the backpack just in case.

As an aside, the backpack will be useful for carrying all your winnings. Many people have picnics in the carpark before the racing starts. I was astonished by the degree of sophistication and preparation. Gazebos, folding chairs...you name it. I was half expecting to see someone with a patio heater or chemical toilet.

Having flown in for the event, and just having a rented car, we felt quite the poor relatives sitting in the car with our Marks & Spencer sushi (roof up, due to uncertain weather.)

Next year we'll be better prepared. Anyone know if you can take a gazebo on the plane as hand luggage?

Less IS less!

by mwe

I think the most stylish & impressive lady in this picture is the girl in the long overblouse & trousers. She's made the effort, I notice the matching hat (elaborate & stylish, but not OTT), shoes (not plain, but not excessively high-heeled or tarty) & classy Chanel-esque bag.

Sorry women in the short skirts, they do nothing for you & I'm not keen on the long jacket/ short skirt combination. 1996 Ascot pictures taken with a 1990 Sigma 35mm compact with Kodak Gold 100-5 colour print film.

The Silver Ring.

by mwe

This is the Silver Ring, one of the less expensive places to watch the horseracing. If you're not going in the grandstand, bring a towel/blanket/deckchair to sit on.
Binoculars & camera/camcorder to take souvenirs of your day out are a good idea.

Ascot.

by mwe

"Getting to Ascot."

The above picture is a still from footage taken by my Panasonic NV-GS400EB camcorder, as the train I was on pulled into Ascot station.
Ascot has a good train service, so there is no need to spend ages in gridlocked traffic in Ascot on racedays.
SouthWest Trains run trains every half-hour in both directions (Bracknell, Wokingham, Reading NW-bound and Egham, Staines, Richmond, London Waterloo SE-bound).

If you know when you'll be going to Ascot, you can save cash by purchasing train tickets in advance.

If you travel to Ascot from the Reading area, you can 'park & ride' using the free carpark at Winnersh Triangle railway station.
If you insist on going by car (or want to Google Earth it), the address is Ascot Racecourse, SL5 7JX.
The racecourse is on the main London Road (A329) adjacent to the shops, pubs, restaurants, clubs, etc. of Ascot town centre.

"Royal Ascot."

In 2007, this takes place from Tuesday 19th to Saturday 23rd June, inclusive.
The cheapest tickets are £15 per person on the Tuesday and Wednesday in the Silver Ring.
Premier tickets start at £54. Group discounts are available.
Contact www.ascot.co.uk for exact details of this & other meetings.

Royal Ascot - A Day at the Races

by jrgentle

"The Royal Enclosure - When only the best will do."

An audience with the Queen? OK, if she really wants to meet me. So there I was with an invitation to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. For those of you who don't know, This is about as Ritzy as it gets. I went with a friend named Betzy, and we had an absoulute ball. The day starts with everyone arriving at about 10 to 11 am. Then they proceed to have these fab picnics right in the fields where they park. We went on Ladies Day and were treated to some of the wildest things to ever be placed on a head. The day is spent drinking Pimms and Champagne, and betting on a few horse races. In pure British style, the racecourse seating area is divided into several "classes." The elite Royal Enclosure is restricted mostly to Brits who have attended before or been sponsored by prior attendees. Alternatively, the Grandstand Enclosure is easier to get into, but still a little snooty. The Silver Ring seating is where the proletariat plops down. While the dress code isn't too strict in the Grandstand Enclosure, and there's no dress code in the Silver Ring, the Royal Enclosure has rigid rules. (Think, Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady," which featured these Races.) Ladies must wear "formal day dress with a hat that covers the crown of the head." Men must wear top hats and morning coats. Outfits appearing at this high society "English Season" event, particularly on "Ladies Day" Thursday, will be seen in the British tabloids for weeks to come!....

"Hobb-Nobbing - There is no substitute"

....Being in the Royal Enclosure was a treat unto itself. They have a serious guest list going on here. A lot of Earls, Barons, Lords, and a few Viscounts thrown in to make it interesting. Of course there were all the minor royals, but we focused on the big wigs. As a result, my charm and Betzy's good looks got us a lot of free Champagne. We had to submit our names 6 months before just to be vetted. Up until a few years ago, if you were divorced or bankrupt, you were not allowed in. On that day, the Queen and the Queen mother were present. After the races were over we were invited to a polo match just down the road. What an simply marvelous way to spend a day. I highly reccommend it.