THE English social season is
in full swing …
The Grand National, Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool – April 5.
Oxford-Cambridge Boat
Race, between Putney and
Mortlake, London –April 6.
Cricket at Lords, St. John’s Wood, London – Various fixtures, including Test
matches, from May to July. Cricket might be one of the strangest games on the
planet (how can a match lasting five days end in a draw?), but even the most
unenthusiastic sports fan would struggle not to get excited by a day out at
Lord’s, celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
Opera at Glyndebourne, East Sussex – May 17 to August 24. There’s no place in the
world like Glyndebourne for experiencing opera. The quintessentially English opera
house sits in the green hills of East Sussex, surrounded by gardens and a lily
pad-topped lake. www.glyndebourne.com
Epsom Derby, Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey – June 6 & 7. The
Derby dates back to 1780, and is still ranked the greatest flat race in the
world. With winnings of £1.25 million,
the Investec Derby has one of the biggest prize money’s in UK racing.
Summer Exhibition,
Royal Academy of Arts, London – June 9 to August 17. Held without interruption since 1769,
the Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission exhibition of work
by new and established artists.
Royal Ascot, Berkshire. June 17
to June 21. Along with Wimbledon and the Henley Royal Regatta, this has to be
one of the most quintessentially English sporting days out. It’s probably also
the poshest. Dating back to 1711, the five-day, Champagne-soaked jolly is
steeped in tradition – with a strict dress code for those privileged enough to
get access to the Royal Enclosure.
Wimbledon, London. June 23 to July 6. A fortnight of world-class
tennis played out on an amazingly compact site in South West London.
Henley Royal Regatta, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. July 2 to July 6. When it
comes to English sporting events, they don’t come much more spiffing than this.
Every first weekend of July, a mixture of rowers, socialites and sun
worshippers gather on the banks of the River Thames in Berkshire for five days
of racing.
BBC Proms, various locations. July 18 to September 13. One of the
world’s greatest classical music festivals, with the finest musicians
performing everything from classical and opera, to jazz and modern experimental
works. The Royal Albert Hall is the beating heart of the Proms, holding the
majority of concerts.
Cowes Week, Isle of Wight. August 2 to August 9. The world’s premier
sailing regatta, with almost 1,000 yachts and 8,000 competitors taking part in top-class
sailing. www.cowes.co.uk
Go Holiday news
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.