In the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot

(Photo from www.zimbio.com taken on the day we were there.)

Through the embassy, I managed to get tickets to the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot, which is the racing event of the year. It's been a British tradition since 1711 and the Queen attends each year, arriving every day in a horse-drawn carriage. The Royal Enclosure has a strict dress code - I had to wear a "formal day dress" and a "hat or substantial fascinator", while the men had to wear a top hat and three piece suit with tails! I'm not into racing, but it was a cultural experience for me.

There were only 6 races on the day we went. So you get a drink inside (like Pimm's which is SO good and very British), put down some bets, then come out here to watch a race before going back in to grab some food or wander down to the green to watch another race, and so on.

Check out all those top hats!

Each jockey wears distinctive colours and patterns on his outfit, and these are detailed in the racing program, so that we know who we've bet on and whether they're winning.

This is where the Queen watches from. You can't see her at the moment though. The Queen has her own horses that race as well and you can bet on them.

You can also watch from the green. There's actually space to do so in the Royal Enclosure, whereas the General Grandstands are packed!

Taking the tube home. Very posh!
Posing by this cute Mini Cooper outside my building.

I bought this dress especially for this event because I needed something fancy that meet the dress code (straps thicker than 1 inch, no halter necks or off-the-shoulder, no mini skirts, etc.) I found it in a free (and fun) session with a personal shopper at House of Fraser (a department store)! They offer this for free at a lot of department stores here but I don't think many people take them up on it.