As a member of a certain website, I get notification of last minute theatre, gig and festival availability.
I look at the emails every time I get one, as there are often tickets to local shows or events at decent prices. I think this mainly happens when ticket sales are slow and it puts bums on seats, which in turn generates word of mouth.
Winner, Winner
Anyway, I looked at one of the emails a couple of weeks ago and there was a prize draw to win two tickets to see Alfie Boe and Michael Ball performing at Newmarket Races.
It was free to enter, so I put my name down and the weekend prior to the event I got an email advising that I had won two tickets!
The Grandstand
Marvellous stuff.
So, on Friday 15th August, I got in the car and headed over to Newmarket for the night racing and the concert after.
Where to go first?
Having only ever been to the races once (which was more of a vintage event) so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I had been onto the website and checked the dress code which was pretty cool, to be honest.
It basically said, be comfortable in yourself. If you wish to dress up to the nines, that is great, but if you wanted to wear jeans and trainers, then that was fine too!
Ready For The Off….
Of course, I never need an excuse to dress up, but I also knew I needed to be comfortable for the two hour journey there and back. It was also during those pretty hot weeks, so I didn’t want to be wearing something heavy and thick.
I went with my pretty Hope and Ivy “Nola” maxi wrap dress which was in summery shades of peach, coral and orange. I added a peachy hair flower and some pretty shoes and I was all set.
Yum!
The two hour journey was lovely; I didn’t leave until nearly 5pm and this meant I missed the first few races.
I arrived in time for the 7pm race and decided that I was going to place a bet (which is very unusual for me)
Eagerly Awaiting the Result
There was a horse called Sir Edward Lear, named after a English illustrator, writer, and poet. Probably most famous for “The Owl and The Pussycat” which was first published in 1870.
Now, I remember clearly studying his nonsense rhymes and poems during my senior school years and absolutely fell in love with “The Dong with the Luminous Nose” who pines for his Jubbly girl.
And They’re Off!
Of course, that was going to be the horse I had my bet on.
I put £10 down and as it was 12 – 1, I knew my chances were pretty slim that it would win.
The Bookies
I didn’t understand the whole “each way” thing to start, so I hadn’t bothered with anything like that!
Sitting down near the track, I watched as the horses thundered by, but didn’t have a clue what was in the lead. I assumed that Sir Edward would be struggling along at the back.
A Quick Selfie
Can you imagine my surprise when Eddie only went and won, earning me £120 PLUS my stake back?
Well, first of all winning the two tickets and now £120 in my purse too.
What a Fabulous Evening
Having a wander around before I settled down for the concert, I decided to get something to eat. There were plenty of options, including fish n chips, shawarma, hot dogs, hog roast and more.
I opted for a hot dog and some loaded fries.
Waiting for the Concert to Start
The fries were amazing but I couldn’t eat the hot dog as it was so peppery that my mouth was on fire!
It was time for the last race and I decided to put a fiver on Travel Agent, on the basis that was my first full time job, and in honour of my Dad, £10 on Ray Von.
What A Night!
Sadly I am not sure that either of them finished, but I was still up by £105.
After the racing was finished, I went along to the area where the concert would be, smack bang in the middle of the stands.
And They’re Off! (Michael and Alfie that is)
Unfortunately I needed to sit down to watch, so was quite far from the actual stage, however as long as I could hear it, I could see the action from the multiple large screens dotted about (and take some pictures from them)
The gig was a little later starting than advertised, as there was some sort of issue with the sound, but eventually that was sorted and there was a huge exhilarating piece of music played, welcoming the two singing giants to the stage.
The Guys and their Band
Obviously the crowd went absolutely mental and you could feel the performers thriving on it.
Alfie and Michael set the stage on fire with a whole repertoire of musical greats, including pop, soul, musical theatre and more. The crowd absolutely loved it when they sang “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton.
Not The Greatest Picture!
However, when the opening notes of “Bring Him Home” rang out, you could have heard a pin drop from the crowd.
The concert went on for around 2 hours, including some great old 70’s and 80’s numbers including my Mum’s favourite; Sweet Caroline.
Marvellous Michael
I have to admit, a tear may have been shed.
When the lights eventually went out, we all worked our way out to the car park to make our journey home.
Amazing Alfie
It was a lot quicker driving home; just over 90 minutes, as the roads were pretty empty.
Hitting home, I grabbed a nice cup of tea and headed up to bed.
The Musical Greats
All in all, an amazing and very luck day out.
Till next time,
SPSG xxx