Send your tails to the dry
cleaners, dust off your panama and get the picnic hamper out of storage,
the English summer season is upon us, chaps. Some believe the Cheltenham Gold
Cup or the Grand National kick off the season but nothing says the
beginning of summer like a glass of Pimms at Royal Ascot, an annual favourite
of HM Elizabeth II.
There is nothing more
quintessentially English than a gent in top hat and tails perusing the gleaming
horses in the parade ring, eating strawberries and cream at
Wimbledon, ogling gaggles of decadently dressed women or cheering on
rowing boats along the side of the Thames.
Although some may
say quintessentially British others would argue that all of our classic
summer social occasions are very much English. Of course Scotland, Ireland and
Wales all have numerous globally renowned cultural and sporting events but it
is only the English who insist on attending theirs in the right kind of hat. It
also cannot be denied that the more popular events take place within easy reach
of London. These esteemed events attract the world's rich and successful, not
least because London is the magnet for the world's billionaires. No city draws
the superrich from elsewhere like London.
Although these events
scream English tradition, they are almost entirely funded by international
money. It used to be just eccentric Englishmen who enjoyed our changeable
summers but now it seems our social calendar has been globalised and in most
opinions the effects have been nothing but positive. Events such as Ascot that
was once amateurish and faded has been replaced with a professional and
slick operation.
Far from globalising the
events, which still hold their great English charm and traditions,
international money has simply rejuvenated and supercharged them. We should be
flattered that England attracts the worldwide ultra wealthy, their home
countries simply don’t have the right infrastructure. Our racecourses, football
pitches and tennis courts, not to mention our beautiful country
estates and ancient private schools, play host to the most famous
sporting and social events in the world. England is an alluring
country, known generally for its economic, social and political stability.
It is therefore no wonder that the rich of Egypt and the troubled
Middle East are pouring their billions into Britain. We may have become
globalised but the old-fashioned clichés of Englishness have never been so
popular.
There are a certain few
events that should be a part of every gent’s summer itinerary from Epsom Derby
to Cowes you must attend at least one. Even if you take no interest in the
sport, each event is a double spectacle, as well as noting the place your horse
came in you will surely partake in a little people-watching too. Apart from the
esteemed members of the Bullingdon Club, when else would
one have the opportunity to get dressed up to the nines in top hat
and tails and get absolutely sloshed?
Go to one or all of the
events and get ready to enjoy an utterly English summer. Remember to pack your
umbrella!
Over the next few weeks I will be introducing the coming events- with a bit of history, a bit of news and the all essential dress code!
