Royal Ascot Ladies Day with Appletiser

When Appletiser invited me to attend Royal Ascot Ladies Day I couldn’t wait to return to the place where I grew up. My family moved up to the East of England when I was four years old so I don’t remember much about my time there, but I do clearly recall waving my plastic Union Jack flag enthusiastically as the Queen rode past in her carriage at Windsor Castle. I’ve always been a big fan of Queenie!

Royal Ascot Ladies Day

I arrived with Sophie, my plus one for the day. Having spent a few hours in the car as torrential rain lashed down we found Ascot miraculously dry and sunny as we joined the excited throng of racegoers heading over the bridge and through Sovereign’s Gate into the grounds.

Around the Parade Ring bunting spilled down as the military band belted out tunes. If Mary Bell and Paul Hollywood brought out a big cake and declared a bake off it couldn’t have got more British!

We had tickets for the Queen Anne Enclosure (formerly known as the Grandstand) which meant that we had the run of the place other than the Royal Enclosure and private sections.

We even got to see the beautiful horses in the parade ring before each race.

What I Wore

I’d been panicking over what to wear and had been looking at all sorts of pricey dresses, then managed to find everything that I needed in New Look which saved me a small fortune!

Fascinator: Style, a boutique shop in Westgate Arcade, Queensgate Peterborough
Dress: New Look (can’t find on website – but it is in stores!)
Handbag: White Circle Handle Tote Bag
Shoes: Cork Platform Sandals

Of course regardless of what ticket type you have, everyone goes to town and half the fun was simply admiring all of the gorgeous hats and dresses and accessories that everyone had picked.

The Royal Procession

We wandered down the racetrack and then out to the Parade Ring, arriving just as a crowd began to gather.

We decided to stick around to see what was happening and I’m so glad we did, as we had somehow managed to bag ourselves a prime spot right at the front. The crowd fell to a silent hush and the band started up with the National Anthem. I’ve never felt so patriotic whilst simultaneously making a complete hash of something, as I loudly sung out the bits I knew and then incoherently mumbled the bits I couldn’t remember.

There was an electrifying roar of cheers as the anthem finished and then we watched with growing excitement as regal horses slowly trotted towards us pulling a carriage containing…

THE QUEEN!

…oh and Prince Phillip too, but THE BLOODY QUEEN!

Oh yeah, and Princess Anne… but did I mention I SAW THE QUEEN?

Her Majesty a mere 4 metres in front of me! Just like that I was a four years old again, waving excitedly and wishing I had my plastic Union Jack.

We spent the rest of the day in an ecstatic bubble, placing our bets and taking position in the grandstand to scream them on to victory (which totally didn’t work and all my horses lost!).

A Few Thank Yous

I have to say a massive thanks to Appletiser for the tickets* to Royal Ascot Ladies Day, we had an absolute blast!

Also a big thanks to Sophie’s other half M who drove us down to Ascot so that we wouldn’t have to brave the train in our posh frocks, then sat in Costa Coffee all day waiting for us as we lorded it up at the races. (Worry not, he was quite happy as he got to watch the England game on his laptop!)

Planning A Visit to Royal Ascot? Read On!

Here are my top ‘things you should know’ to make the most of your visit!

Travel

• The gates open at 10.30am but the procession isn’t until 2pm, so if you plan on getting there early it’s worth taking a picnic to sit and eat on the lawns.
• Ascot is a small town and gets chock a block with traffic and footfall from 11am onwards. If driving either arrive early and bring a picnic, or be prepared to sit in some lengthy queues!
• If your feet can take it, bypass the worst of it by driving in through South Ascot and park up a bit farther away. We saved all parking fees by finding a quiet road to park down (taking care to be courteous and not block anyone’s drive of course!) then had a nice little stroll up the main road past all the gridlocked traffic. Far easier!
• You can get a train in from Waterloo or Reading direct to Ascot station but these fill up fast and can be pretty heaving, so be prepared for a wait and a squeeze to get on one.

Ticket Types

• The Windsor enclosure is the least formal with no official dress code, although you’re encouraged to dress up. You can bring your own picnic and sit on the grass to eat it. Things are more relaxed but it’s also the least sheltered so bring some warm layers in case it gets chilly. This ticket type only gives you entrance to the racecourse itself.
• The Queen Anne Enclosure gives you lots of extras like entrance to the pre-parade ring and the sheltered, tiered grandstand. You have to dress formerly to be admitted, with a suit and tie acceptable for men. You can’t bring your own food in but there are many food stands and restaurants on site. Some are pricey but we were able to find chips for £3. (Yes I know, we’re so classy).
• The Royal Enclosure is for members only and their guests and has a very strict dress code, making it incredibly fun to spectate upon from the Queen Anne Enclosure!

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