Saturday 20 April 2013

Looking Forward to a Vintage Season

Everyone loves a bit of nostalgia. Do you remember when Red Rum won his third Grand National in 1977? The size of the flairs, the brown ties and long side-burns!
 
If you look at photographs of Cartmel in the 1960’s the first thing you’ll notice is that everyone is wearing a tie – except the ladies of course, they’re all wearing hats. In the 1950’s all the men are wearing hats too – mainly broad-brimmed trilbies, except for the stable staff and hound-handlers who are all wearing flat caps.
 
At our first race-meeting of this season, we’ll be travelling down memory lane in company with the North West Evening Mail who are sponsoring our first ever Vintage Race-night on Saturday 25th May. Prior to racing there will be live 1950’s music from the Houndogs and between races visitors can jive to the sound of our gramophone-DJ.
 
There will also be £5,000 of diamond jewellery to be won in the best-dressed competition. A stunning art-deco diamond necklace  has been put up as the top prize by Wave Jewellery, who have shops in Kendal, Bowness, Lancaster, Manchester and Knightsbridge. All you have to do is pick a decade, any decade you like, and dress accordingly. 
 
Apart from the hats and ties, the other really notable thing about old photos of Cartmel is the vintage cars. Then, as now, loads of racegoers turned up with a picnic in their car-boot to enjoy next to the rails as the horses whizzed past. In an effort to replicate some of those nostalgic scenes, we’ll be allowing all vintage cars to park for free on the night – so if you’ve got an old banger in the garage or a Silver Shadow Rolls, as long as it is zero-rated for road tax, you’ll be able to park for nothing. Normal admission charges apply for all occupants.
 
We’re looking forward to a vintage season at Cartmel this year, but I know what you’re thinking - what about the tip for this weekend’s racing? Well to keep in with the theme, how about Changing Times in the Future Champions Novices Chase, the 2.05 at Ayr on Saturday.

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