Royal Ascot Races

Today I'm marking off a bucket list item - attend the Royal Ascot Races. I'm excited for many reasons. One - it's the races, Two - we get to take picnics and Three - we get to bring in our own alcohol to a licenced event AND it's encouraged by Ascot themselves! Something you'd never see in Oz. I'm marking this occasion with Marian, Britt and Niki and a bunch of Britt's friends.

But, in true English fashion, the weather is not playing ball. It's overcast, cold and predicted to rain, but off we go! With our picnic baskets brimming with cheese, jams, biscuits and fruit, our champagne cold and umbrellas at the ready.

To get to Ascot I arrange to meet Marian at Waterloo station and catch the train out to Ascot. Whilst walking in I'm about to text Britt, only to hear a familiar voice and I look up to find her leaning on a fencing spinning a yarn to an eager onlooker haha. Perfect!

From here it's a little walk around a giant park area, across a bridge and into the gates. We head towards the area signposted as 'Silver Circle' and find ourselves an appropriate patch of grass to lay our picnic blankets out on. We are barely seated when the heavens open and everyone scrambles to find some space under a brolly.

Accepting our fate we dig into the bubbles and picnic baskets. The whole thing feels incredibly British haha. All we can do is laugh.

When the rain clears Marian and I go for a walk around the grounds. We take the best pictures, put out on some bets, listen to a band and watch the royal parade. My third royal outing, mind you.

There are 8 races today and we stay for six of them. It rains periodically throughout the day, usually just after you've finally dried out from the last downpour. We eat and drink, and put up umbrellas every now and then and chat away.

My fav part of the day was when one of the follys escaped! And rans around the track repeatedly until she finally slowed down and was captured. It was quite funny, there was a 4WD in pursuit and everytime she rounded our corner four guys (workers) scrambled to slow her down, and then went back to leaning on the fence after she'd past. Needless to say, she didn't run the big race, but it was probably the best one of the day!

A day at the English races - a bucket list item completed!Read more