leisure
Aldaniti with Bob Champion, 1981
called, unsurprisingly, “Champions”. More of Bob later. The preceding evening was spent at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool. I can’t help but feel that naming hotels after human tragedies is a curious choice. I suppose they had similar comments about their sister hotels, The Hindenburg and The Lusitania. Regardless, it was a wonderful hotel with amazing staff and not an iceberg in sight. Amongst the other hotel Aldaniti guests was the Stoke City would have football team who were been a more playing Liverpool that weekaccurate end. Despite initial reservations at their presence, they tipster. were polite, friendly and a credit to the game (this does not, however, mean I forgive them for beating the team I support in the 1972 League Cup Final). Anyway, that weekend, Liverpool thrashed them 4-1. Perhaps they shouldn’t have stayed in a hotel called Titanic. The next morning started with a short but expensive taxi ride to Aintree. For those who have not been to this iconic event, it is definitely bucket list (sorry, birthday present) material. On arrival, despite the ever darkening clouds, we set off to look around the circuit stopping at the grave of Red Rum, probably the most famous champion in the race’s history as well as the infamous Becher’s Brook. This fence, whilst significantly modified and made safer in recent years has seen a horse fall every year bar one in the last twenty. The fence took its name from Captain Martin Becher, who fell from his horse there in the first official Grand National and took shelter in the brook to avoid injury. The alternative title “Bugger That Hurt And Now I’m All Wet Fence”, never gained popular appeal. 78
The Bob Champion Suite boasted views frequently since they bought it, or alterof the parade ring. This sounds good until natively, simply revealed a bit too much you realise this means that it has no direct generally. view of any racing whatsoever. Indeed, the choice was to So, why is going to the Grand If you cannot traipse in the rain to the main National worthy of the bucket birthsee the races, grandstand or watch on one of day? Quite simply the atmosphere you can see the TV screens in the “Suite”. is unrepeatable in your own tent. the race goers. Those attending do so with a style Bearing in mind the suite and a passion. There is excitement, was a marquee erected specially for the there is drama, and there is alcohol. There occasion, the question in reality was, did is a lot of alcohol. It is sponsored by an we want to stay in a slightly damp tent, alcoholic ginger beer brewer and it is in watching races on TV that could have been Liverpool. What else would you expect? from anywhere on planet Earth? For that, I could have erected a tent in a garden, run The following morning, we were in a taxi an extension lead from the house, plugged on the way to the early London train, in in the Samsung, torn a fiver up after every the mistaken belief that “The Faulty Towers race to simulate the experience of gamDining Experience” to which we were bling whilst occasionally popping out to heading and which my eldest had persuaduse the garden hose to spray water on the ed me to take him to (another of the comtent for authenticity. promises I mentioned earlier) was anything other than dismal rubbish that John Cleese We walked to the Grandstands to watch should be suing on the grounds of breach the racing. of taste rather than breach of copyright. Aintree is a big course with huge grandstands from which to watch the races as they unfold. At the top of the grandstands, with the best views, are the proper corporate hospitality suites. Suites which have windows and canapés. Suites which contain happy, smiling, warm, dry people.
From the window of the cab, in the first light of day, there was the occasional figure stumbling along, still wearing their race goer’s attire, but now somewhat dishevelled. Clutching in both hands a bottle of water purchased from the all night convenience store, occasionally wincing as they tried to make their way home. One got the feeling that the wince was not simply from pain as sensation returned to their brains but also from their slowly restoring memories of the night before and how they had ended up so far from their own bed. Another Aintree was over.
At ground level, just in front of the Grandstand, in the wet and the cold, there are those with a slight view of the course and the opportunity to see a glimpse of a galloping horse before it disappears behind the enormous hat of the women stood just in front of you or, on What’s next for the Birthday bucket? The occasion, the hat of the enormous woman summer trip this year includes a night in stood just in front of you. At ground level, Colditz castle. I am surprised the offspring just in front of the Grandstand, your best “chose” that, as it was one of my favourite view of the race is on a big screen in front TV programmes when I was young and I of you because you can see so little of the have always wanted to visit. Can’t actual race itself. At ground level, just in front of the Grandstand, Sounds good think where the idea came from. stood those bedraggled souls from until you the Bob Champion Suite. But we That bucket just keeps on overrealise this did have Bob Champion. flowing with sharing.
means it has no direct view of any racing.
Bob was there to give us tips on the races, based on his encyclopaedic knowledge of horse racing. Regretfully, as I subsequently discovered, Aldaniti would have been a more accurate tipster. Bob left after giving his tips but before the first race. Bob had done this before.
Bob Champion Suite
Nevertheless, if you cannot see the races, you can see the race goers. Young men in suits that were last worn at Toxteth Magistrates Courts. Young and less young women in dresses that revealed they had been to Greggs the bakers a bit too GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2016