On one of the hottest days of the Summer so far, 30-plus t-girls made their way from various parts of the South East to the hilltop racecourse on the south downs with its beautiful views out to sea. Most left Brandys in Tonbridge in a 24 seater coach with lots of girls staying overnight nearby hotels.
There was a suggestion that maybe a trailer with a tank on it and a tube into the coach to deliver Prosecco to the girls would have been a good idea, but eventually, 12 bottles hit the spot nicely.
Ladies' Day is always popular, and the "girls" certainly competed on the fashion front with their colourful display of smart dresses, posh hats and fascinators.
We installed ourselves about 100 yds from the winning post and picked our nags for the first race. Oblivious to any recent form from the horses, jockeys or trainers, it was the horse names that eventually made up the minds of where the bets were going to be placed. Quite aptly, the mounts "Drink Dry", "Reckon I'm Hot", and "Bonkers in Abundance" were all very popular but failed to bring any financial reward. However, each race brought its cacophony of cheering as the horses sped past.
There were, of course, many photo opportunities, including a group shot of all of us in the stand choreographed by Richard, our resident photographer, with many of the locals stepping up to get a shot of this colourful gathering as well.
Five races later, with losing betting slips littering the floor and flesh turned pink in the day's sunshine, it was time to find the coach again and head back home.
Back at Brandy's, we had a last few drinks in the balmy evening and said our goodbyes. This will happen next year if anybody would like to join us. Lastly, it wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of Cindi and Richard, who knows now that it's easier to herd cats than t-girls!
