Walking into Ascot via 'The Royal Enclosure' entrance you immediately get a feeling that you're in a place where you better mind your P and Q's... as well as your ABC's.
While fake tans seem to get in wherever you go (there is no way of escaping that slightly off yellow/orange glow), it's definitely not a place you'd be allowed to wear a short skirt, strapless top, fascinator and thongs while sipping on a cold stubbie of beer. The posh birds would almost faint in horror if they succumbed to such a horrid sight. Oh dear!
When we received our tickets in the mail, it was accompanied by a booklet carefully explaining a strict dress code. Now for those of you who know me well you'd have thought I'd just ignore the damn rules and do what I liked or possibly not bother with it at all. However, how can you pass up an experience in the posh part of Ascot with an opportunity to see a Royal or two?
So what were the dress standards? For women there's a full page of criteria including things such as no straps less than one inch in width, no fascinators and hats have to be at least 10 centimeters in diameter. For men it's easy, tails and a top hat.
And what was the fashion like on the day?
I have to admit it was nice to see everyone really dressed up. For men, grey top hats appeared to be a trend (although it could be like that year on year).
For women the day really was all about the hat. The more creative, big, fluffy, twirly, stripy, spotty it was the better. The dresses were a mix. I don't think wearing a fluoro orange and green dress is particularly flattering by the way.
I did hear stories on the news that a celebrity got escorted out for having too short a skirt but then on the same news page an Australian was photographed in the same area wearing the same length skirt and she was allowed in. As for hats, well I definitely saw a few that would not have been anywhere near the minimum 10 centimeters in width, so I don't think the dress standards were strictly adhered to or policed by the local fashion police (yes that is a job at Ascot).
The Royal Enclosure itself is a lot larger than we expected. Spread around the parade ring and an area trackside, it leads up 4 floors to various restaurants, bars, cafes and of course betting areas.
We had already investigated restaurants online and with some offering lunches at just £800 per person (yes a bargain I know!), we decided to opt for a cheaper version.
Our delight of the day was a good bottle of bubbles.
The Royal Procession, a tradition that started back in the 1820's, was the official start of the race day. The Queen and the Royal party paraded along the track in front of the crowds in horse drawn carriages. So yes we got to see the Queen, just a bit further away than what we had expected.
Bet's are always placed on what colour the Queen wears each day. And if you're interested she was in a lovely shade of pale blue on Saturday.
After enjoying our bubbles, watching a few races and having a few bets (and yes we did have a bit of a win), we lined up with the thousands of others shuffling (some stumbling) down to the train station for the long ride back to London.
A fun and successful day out to add to my Blighty experiences!
Bye for now.
While fake tans seem to get in wherever you go (there is no way of escaping that slightly off yellow/orange glow), it's definitely not a place you'd be allowed to wear a short skirt, strapless top, fascinator and thongs while sipping on a cold stubbie of beer. The posh birds would almost faint in horror if they succumbed to such a horrid sight. Oh dear!
When we received our tickets in the mail, it was accompanied by a booklet carefully explaining a strict dress code. Now for those of you who know me well you'd have thought I'd just ignore the damn rules and do what I liked or possibly not bother with it at all. However, how can you pass up an experience in the posh part of Ascot with an opportunity to see a Royal or two?
So what were the dress standards? For women there's a full page of criteria including things such as no straps less than one inch in width, no fascinators and hats have to be at least 10 centimeters in diameter. For men it's easy, tails and a top hat.
 |
| Enjoying the view from The Royal Enclosure |
I have to admit it was nice to see everyone really dressed up. For men, grey top hats appeared to be a trend (although it could be like that year on year).
 |
| The Top Hats out on display! |
I did hear stories on the news that a celebrity got escorted out for having too short a skirt but then on the same news page an Australian was photographed in the same area wearing the same length skirt and she was allowed in. As for hats, well I definitely saw a few that would not have been anywhere near the minimum 10 centimeters in width, so I don't think the dress standards were strictly adhered to or policed by the local fashion police (yes that is a job at Ascot).
 |
| One of the rather big hats ... inside the Royal Enclosure |
We had already investigated restaurants online and with some offering lunches at just £800 per person (yes a bargain I know!), we decided to opt for a cheaper version.
Our delight of the day was a good bottle of bubbles.
The Royal Procession, a tradition that started back in the 1820's, was the official start of the race day. The Queen and the Royal party paraded along the track in front of the crowds in horse drawn carriages. So yes we got to see the Queen, just a bit further away than what we had expected.
Bet's are always placed on what colour the Queen wears each day. And if you're interested she was in a lovely shade of pale blue on Saturday.
 |
| The Royal Processions... yes that's the Queen way down there! |
A fun and successful day out to add to my Blighty experiences!
Bye for now.
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