The Today Programme had an item about effete and whingeing southern folk being reluctant to go to York where 'Royal Ascot' is being held this year. Terror of having to go so far North-nearly two hours by train for goodness sake and the fear of being ripped off by the hard headed and stony hearted northerners who have apparently put up their prices in the face of this invasion by wealthy layabouts from the Big Smoke. Huttonian (himself of good Yorkshire stock) has his soft heart bleeding for these poor racing people who have to put up with so much hardship in pursuit of the Sport of Kings. And the Queen will be there and I bet she is not moaning about her lot and the ridiculous price of B and Bs.
As it happens the Hutton Think Tank (Ht2) put in a bid to out source Ascot when the event was out for tender. We have the infrastructure with Farmer O's field around Hutton Hill-quite big enough for a decent track and plenty of room for a temporary grand stand on top of the hill. Accommodation was said to be the biggest problem although with our four spare bedrooms, the 4 B and Bs in the near vicinity we could at least have put up the Royal party. The others could have stayed in big urban areas like Duns, Chirnside and even Berwick itself but we lost out in favour of York. We have hopes however to host on of the rural events in the 2012 Olympics-Tossing the Straw Bale or Rat in the Barrel perhaps.
And if southern folk are afraid of being overcharged they should keep away from Ould Reekie during the festival in August. But they swarm up in their thousands undeterred by the 200% increase in the cost of the famous Scottish hospitality and the 5 hour rail journey. They are obviously a different breed from the over dressed Ascot lot.
