Bishopthorpe in Ascot at York

Some final pictures

Evrey day after the carriages had left the Palace a man with a scoop cleared the driveway in the grounds. No doubt the roses will benefit!

Further to our story earlier, here is a picture of one business that was determined to profit from the race meeting.

And what a lot of police we had in the village. Some were from neighbouring forces (you could tell by their accents!), and even the boat police and the police horses had to be imported.

All pictures by courtesy of Linda Haywood

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Buckets at the ready?

For the last time the royal procession clip clopped its way to the Knavesmire past the Palace Grounds.

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Local people line the road awaiting the procession

The Windsor greys lead the landau past the Archbishop's walled garden

The Queen and guests - the camera has almost captured the Queen's costume as they tackle the rise past the crematorium

The friendly police chat to locals

Day Five

For the fifth time the start is grey, yet warm. The forecast is for the skies to brighten up steadily, with a hot and muggy afternoon with a high of 77F.

Yesterday turned out really fine in the afternoon, though it did take a while for the sun to come out.

The going today is likely to be firm.

Helicopters? Insects?

I know it was sunny this evening (wasn't it wonderful?) but where did all the helicopters go? I was expecting them to stay on later than they've been doing the past few grey evenings, but I heard only a few pass at all. Any thoughts?

And insects weren't around either. We had the kitchen door open till well past twilight, with the electric lights blazing; normally squadrons of little beasties would have invaded. Not one did. The same up here in my study - I have all the windows open, it's a warm humid night, but there are no insects!

Something is wrong: very, very wrong....

Not to worry: if the world is still here tomorrow, I'm off to the races again with my litle tribe and various tribal extensions. As, I suspect, is half the village. See you there - or if not, I'll let you know how we got on!

Day Four

Its a mild and breezy start, with warm humid weather forecast for the day. Its cloudy but this is expected to beak up with spells of sunshine and a maximum of 75F. The outlook is for further cloud and sun, hot and humid. Going still good to firm.

Reports are that Ascot has had much wetter weather this week, so there!

From the Papers (Friday)

Quick thinking

The spirit of free enterprise is alive and well in Yorkshire. A racegoer in a smart car blagged his way into one of the car parks closer to the action by dropping the gateman a crisp £50 note. "Find this man a good spot," yelled the gateman to his colleague across the car park. "He's given me £20 and we'll split it between us."

That sounds like a very old story to me, but it's in today's Torygraph - Ed.

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Royal procession

Getting around the racecourse yesterday was considerably harder than it had been for the first two days because of the significantly larger crowd. The trick was to follow the Queen, whose path was cleared ahead of her.

"It's a bit like chasing an ambulance up the hard shoulder but at a slower pace," said one racegoer who had got leaving the paddock and over to the stand down to a fine art. "At least you get a clear run through."

From today's Telegraph again. The same applies if you want to get up Bishy Road between 13:40 and 13:55 (approx) - Ed

Helicopters

Martin said we should do a helicopter count, and living where I do at the south end of the village it's difficult not to! They come over, morning and evening, in bunches of five, with each bunch spaced five minutes apart. This is much more noticeable in the evening: they come from the heliports between Knavesmire and the river, north of Manor Farm, and are routed south over the bend in the river - until they get near us, when they mostly turn south-west.

The nearest I can get to a count is a report from a fairly reliable source that there were 220 helicopters on the ground at one point on Wednesday, and presumably more on Thursday. I'll investigate further if I can!

Day Three - iii - a cause for celebration?

Today (Thursday) for the first time the local traffic plan has been impemented as we were told it would be: from 4pm Bishopthorpe Road was open into the village - one way - instead of being competely closed. We'll have to see what difference that has actually made to the village this evening but the buses seemed happier. Have you ever seen a bus smile?

The late forecast for tomorrow is warmer and again dry, but still quite cloudy with some sunshine. We'll see!

Day Three - ii

Attendance today is much higher, perhaps 55-56 000 people, although the Rails Enclosure looks quite comfortably uncrowded unless you want to be right by the rails. There was also a big crowd outside the Palace for the start of the Royal procession, on both sides of the road; half the village must have been there! We'll have some pictures soon.

However despite the Lady's Day crowds, the village and York itself are still very quiet, and trade is well down. Many shopkeepers, restaurant owners and publicans have geared up for this week, with extra stock and/or extra staff and they are not at all happy.

It seems both that two things have happened: the traffic management plan has been extremely successful in sealing Ascot traffic off from the surrounding city and villages. Vehicles coming down Bishy Road in the evenings are forced right into Church Lane, and when they reach Sim Balk Lane, a copper signals them to turn right. Unfortunately that makes people think they cannot get into Bishopthorpe, where good food and refreshment awaits. Meanwhile other people who might ordinarily have come here think it is not even worth trying.

Good neighbours

One of the good things about Bishopthorpe is the way people still have time for each other in the street.

Today we celebrate an unnamed and unidentified hero. Passing in his car, he jumped out and righted the yellow diversion sign on the corner of Acaster Lane. As you can see, it had fallen in the path of someone quite unable to help herself.

Well done Sir!

Day Three

A mild start with fairly high cloud cover. Forecast is for 'a little rain' and brighter later, with a high of 70F. The outlook is dry and warm with some sunshine. Today is Lady's Day, so hats off to them!

The going is good to firm.

36 000 people came to the races yesterday, but traders around York, despite perhaps unfounded hopes of a trading bonanaza, are talking of very low sales. Bishopthorpe was very quiet - locals away, people taking time off work, people keeping indoors for fear of crowds?

Or perhaps the whole management traffic plan is designed to get people in without actually 'touching the sides' and just spending their money on-course. The two-way blockage at the end of Main Street remains in place.

Day Two

A cool start with greying skies. Weather forecast is for showers of light rain, with brighter spells later, and a temperature of 66F. Going good to firm (with a sandy bit on the turn).

Day Two - II

Its 11.30 and the helicopters are thudding in under the low cloud and windy rain, and at Sim Balk / Church Lane the damp traffic cop across the road has little to do but stare at the enterprising sign put up by two of our pubs to attract trade in to the village.

Traffic deviations

Yesterday it appears that the planned blockage between Church Lane and Main Street that prevents traffic from going up Bishopthotpe Road from Main Street (avoiding conflicts with outbound race traffic) took on a life of its own as the road was also blocked for outbound traffic wishing to get into the village or go on to Acaster. (Actually I saw a cyclist waved through outbound, and also later a laughing policeman whose mate leapt out and moved the cones so they could drive through.)

This meant that possible customers were kept away from village outlets after the race which is a pity, and caused the unheard of sight of two no 11 buses passing the Post Office in quick order heading towards Acaster Lane.

Anyway, a Very Nice Lady at the Council has said that they will look into this deviation from the plan, and perhaps we'll see a change later today.

Day Two - III

Although it was raining, a small crowd gathered at the Palace gates at lunchtime, and watched as first the royal procession waited to let a Coastliner and a no. II bus, plus a man in a white van, through, then proceeded under cover to the course.

The Queen's landau leads off

Its a bit damp but she waves to local people