During Royal Ascot week, Thursday is Ladies Day. It's a holiday and the ladies come from all over the country, from all walks of life, all wearing outrageous hats and dressed up for a holiday at the races. The racecourse has been there since Victorian times so there is practically no space for car parking. Parking areas are set up around the town and people walk from there and from the railway station, having used the train to avoid the horrendous traffic jam at the end of the day. See the black & white photo's also ... http://wyeman.fotki.com/b_w/scanned_bw/royal_ascot_ladies_day/
In medieval times an area of land where commoners could graze their animals was known as a "common". The land contained within the circle of the track is common land, so we picnic on the common.
This is the same as our Melbourne Cup day in Australia. Believe it or not our whole country stops for a horse race! One of the highlights os the hats that the ladies wear, some of them are amazing.
Lots of fun to photograph. I, too, like to people watch. Especially at large airports like O'Hare and Heathrow where many cultures cross paths. If I remember your bio, don't you have an aviation background? Were you a pilot or something for British Airways? Have you ever flown into O'Hare in Chicago? ------ No, I was ground based, at Heathrow, working on the computers. Been to LA, Vegas, Miami and ski-ed in California at Mammouth & at Tahoe , but thats it.
please wait... 
