Sunday 13 March 2011

Bet your bottom dollar

One of my earliest memories is of family gatherings on a Saturday at my grandparents where we would have a chippy dinner and my grandma would spend her afternoon concentrating on the ITV Seven. My favourite was chips and curry - but the favourite of my aunts was fish, chips, peas and curry.

It really was an afternoon of gambling - with me being sent off to put on the bets at the local bookies - and afterwards waiting for them all to check the pools - in what was a vain hope of getting eight score draws.

I had never been to a race meeting before moving to Musselburgh. One of the early visits of my mum and dad was punctuated by a trip to the races - where they would both be confiding in us about their extra secret bets.

We have friends who now come up on a regular basis and we go racing with them - we take a picnic and sit in the sun (sometimes) shooting the breeze and enjoying the day. We have never really won much - though I did win a stuffed horse which I gave to a chum for her daughter - for some reason she called him Trevor!!!

Well on 1 April - there is free racing at Musselburgh - so hopefully the sun will shine, the horses will run true and I come away with fond memories of the Musselburgh seven.

http://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk/