Abso-bloomin-lutely Ascot

Whenever I think of Royal Ascot, I think of Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in Cecil Beaton’s amazing cream and black creation with that huge hat, yelling out, “Move your bloomin’ @rse!” to the horror of the smart set that Henry Higgins has insinuated her into. The fabulous thing is, of course, that Royal Ascot isn’t a fictional event that only appears in a Hollywood musical but a real event that has been happening for centuries and still continues today - and anyone these days can enjoy a abso-bloomin-lutely lovely day at the races, whether you’re a Queen or a flower girl.

We were heading out on a commuter train from Waterloo to Richmond this morning to go for a walk by the river and to our delight, found ourselves on the Ascot train. Normally, the commuter route is a dreary one, with washed out office workers sitting glumly reading the papers or just staring out of the windows. To be fair, the reverse commuter train that heads out to the dormitory towns is less grim in that it’s usually fairly empty and conveys people like us, heading out of the Big Smoke for a day trip or to visit friends.

This morning, Waterloo station was a-buzz with ladies in shimmering dresses and amazing hats. They stood out like shining creatures amongst the bemused travellers wheeling trolley bags and late commuters rushing to the office. We found our train and as we walked down the platform, it felt like we had stepped out of time into another more glamourous and beautiful time as groups of gorgeously dressed men and women bubbled around us.

When we got onto the train, it was such fun to see the glorious sea of hats bobbing up and down over the tops of the carriage seats. The carriage was noisy with laughter and excitement! There was a lively group of ladies sipping cappuccinos and chatting excitedly. In another group, there were a couple of dashingly handsome gentleman in morning coats, their top hats on the hat rack above their seats. They were all thrilled when I asked to take their picture - check out the slideshow below:

We felt like such slobs in our jeans and walking shoes!

Background

Ascot is a racecourse near Windsor and while there are races round the year, Royal Ascot is THE annual summer event where everyone dresses up to the nines and what the ladies are wearing, especially their hats, is as important - if not more so - than the racing.

The Ascot website has a good summary of the History of Ascot.