As you may already know, I met the queen earlier this year. It was such a great experience that last weekend I took the opportunity to spend a day at the races in her presence at Royal Ascot!

An article in the Sunday Times described the socio-economic demographic of Ascot visitors as a blend of the 'Haves' and the 'Chavs'. Although not obviously belonging to either of these groups, I can see what the Times was getting at.

Ascot is no longer the place to take Eliza Doolittle in pursuit of good grammar. Pursuit of a good gram a' coke is more like it. Most of the patrons of the "Silver Paddock", where we spent the day, had their tickets tattooed on their arms…

But I digress - the experience was brilliant fun and a great day out no matter whether you're a "Have" or a "Chav" or somewhere in between (and to my mind the two groups aren't mutually exclusive). A flutter at the races, in the presence of the queen, is the quintessential 'English' experience.

Here's the good, the bad and the ugly…

The Good
The cost - Yes you can spend a fortune going to see the horses at Ascot - with a corporate hospitality box costing around £50,000 for the week. However - £12.00 gets you into the silver paddock - a furlong or two from the winning post, but opposite a giant tv screen so you can see your winners as they cross they line. 
Facilities - Loads of seats, food & drink although costs a little excessive - save a few quid and bring your own. Loads of people brought their own food, lager, picnic tables etc…etc…

The Bad
Ladies Loos - not enough of them - this is the same at all events I have been to - so nothing new here - extensive queues outside the ladies loos - and many drunken ladies staggering around inside the gents toilets - waiting to use our cubicles.
Transport - it's a boozie event and so many people hop on a public transport system that's jut not built to cope. We arrived at a station just 5 stops from Ascot and we had to let 6 full trains go by as we had no hope of getting on they were so cramped. In the end we drove. Ascot town centre is also not ideal on race day. Parking was £15, but very close to the racecourse. Driving meant I couldn't drink… which is why I was unfortunate enough to witness the ugly…

The Ugly
Booze Britian - the bits that don't get coverage on the BBC… yep - it's another event touched by the "Booze Britain" brush. 12pm - (2 and a half-hours before the first race!) I witnessed booze fuelled tears, arguments, fights and sickness. On the way home – I saw ripped frocks, ruined suits, collapsed hair-dos and women staggering barefoot down Ascot high street, Stilettos in hand.
Series of bad bets - only won £10 and lost £25 but then again the experience was more than just about the gambling.

Would I go again? Course I would. Great fun, good event, highly recommended!