– Many will be dritings before the day is over, said the most talkative of the ladies in the group of friends. Before she added: – If they can afford it, then. It was early in the day, and long before the horse races were to begin. Like so many of the tens of thousands who travel for hours from dawn to the small town of Ascot southwest of London this week, they were long overdue for the party. Now they had sat down at the bottom of the stairs in the stands, and they were struggling to find an elegant way to sit in their beautiful dresses, high heels and fancy hats. Swipe left to see photo gallery here: Balance art with the traditional British summer drink Pimm’s in high heels. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news A lot of empty goods and many are tired long before the races start in Ascot. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news A breath in the ground. It can be difficult to keep the style when the alcohol flows and the temperatures approach 30. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news Those who can afford to supply themselves with the goods do so in full force after years of restrictions during the pandemic. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news Full before arrival The hard-pressed economy is thus far ahead in the cerebral cortex, even among those who are so privileged that they can participate in the arch-British and traditional horse race Ascot. Because it requires its own, both financially and stylistically. The ticket price is stiff if you are going to mess with the trick. It is somewhat cheaper in the areas for the common people. But everyone has to dress according to strict rules, and the stricter they are, the higher layers you move in. And then you have to drink the arch-British summer drink Pimm’s or sparkling wine, if you want to do it properly. And you have to, if you are a real Briton. Already in the morning on the train on the way to Ascot, the party was underway. We stood close together in a packed train. I struggled to keep my newly acquired feather ornament of a headdress in place, where I was pampered by broad-shouldered men in floss hats and jackets – and by drunk ladies. Penis Strainer It was intoxicated at this time. Make-up mouths ingested the alcohol via straws that were made as small penises. They almost laughed to death. The priest who sat further down in the train car did not. High party atmosphere on the morning train to Ascot. Intoxication with penis straws struck among these ladies. Photo: Gry Blekastad Almås / NRKPhoto: Gry Blekastad Almås / news The ladies fell off the train on their way to the racetrack. I do not know how many horses they brought that day. It was on the hottest day of the year so far. The thermometer showed 27 heat. And it was the same day that the British central bank raised interest rates for the fifth time in a row. A key interest rate of 1.25 is the highest in 13 years, and it is expected to rise further. Inflation is expected to rise to 11 per cent during the year. More than 23 million Britons can not afford to pay their bills, calculations show. And even less advice to attend the party. Traditional British party culture But partying is in the British DNA. If it’s not horse racing, then it’s cricket. Or a music festival, a street party or a royal anniversary. The concept is to see and be seen in fantastic costumes. Sport or occasion is also important, but subordinate to the folk festival. And it must contain alcohol. Lots of alcohol. The party factor is higher than the “horse factor” during the horse races in Ascot. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / NRKPhoto: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news During Queen Elizabeth’s platinum anniversary recently, I met a mother and her 16-year-old son. The boy drank from a can of energy drink, the mother drank beer. It was 10 o’clock in the morning and we were standing outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. The two hoped to see the royal family on their way to a thanksgiving service for the queen. They brought more provisions in a plastic bag. A six-pack of beer. There was at least one empty beer can there, so mother was deep in her other pint that morning. That’s how a real Briton parties. There is a lot of alcohol on British TV screens as well. So much so that I am constantly reacting and I am not the most puritanical in this area. But every time a TV detective, or anyone for that matter, comes home from work in a TV series, they have a glass of wine. Or a beer, but most often wine from a half-drunk wine bottle. And this happens every day, it seems. It makes me think that a tighter economy can be healthy – for some. But far from for everyone. Party brake: One third are unable to pay their bills Not for the 21-year-old single mother who is expecting her second child, who is threatened with eviction from the apartment she rents. She can no longer pay her bills. I have a friend who works voluntarily for the Citizens Advice Bureau, a kind of British consumer council. She was the one who picked up the phone when the young single mother called to ask for help. My friend has good finances, but also children of the same age. The 21-year-old’s despair hit her like lightning. She wanted to help, but all she could do was put a red exclamation mark on the email up in the system. This inquiry is urgent. A young pregnant mother and her three-year-old are about to end up on the streets. One in three Britons is in the category that is no longer able to pay their bills. And it can get worse. But in Ascot it is all about seeing and being seen. The glasses are raised frequently under a sun that is moving further and further west. High heels are strewn on the lawn. Sore and bare feet ventilate in the summer sun. Party driver: Will catch up after the pandemic It is the first prescribing Ascot in several years. The pandemic has limited the previous ones, as it has stopped a number of large and small festivities. Now the British will make up for lost time. Swipe left to see image gallery here: Ladies in the British colors red, white and blue. The correspondent (right) has a bit to do in the art of posing, but hit the color choice well. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news Watching, but perhaps preferring to be seen, is the main purpose for many in Ascot these days. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news In the counseling booth for dress code, hat type, skirt length and strap width on the dresses can be checked. Ascot debutant and correspondent Gry Blekastad Almås was pleased to state that she had dressed “perfectly”. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news A hateful group of women at an Ascot party. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news This horse owner wanted news to pretend that we interviewed him, so that he could appear even more interesting in pictures. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news Most people stayed in during the pandemic and followed the corona rules of not being social to prevent infection from spreading. But not all. The government apparatus in Downing Street made sure that there was no party deficit. Regular parties were held there, as only the British can. Or – there are more who can – but the British are especially good at it. Wine up the walls, vomiting and petting, while the land was closed. And that at the core of the political leadership. Partygate has become an everyday word in the British language. Thursday – the day I was at Ascot – the government’s ethics adviser chose to resign. Christopher Geidt is the second ethics adviser under Prime Minister Boris Johnson to leave that post in protest of the government’s ethical assessments. Johnson is now considering not replacing him. Britons ashamed to be British In Ascot, the party continues this third of five days. The bookmakers are raking in. For even those who are really only there for the sake of the party, throw themselves into the trembling excitement of the races. The few minutes it takes the jockeys to get the horses through a race and over the finish line, the mood rises even higher than the rather high starting point. The bookmakers are rubbing their hands in Ascot. But economic downturns hit one in three Britons so hard that they are unable to pay their bills, calculations show. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / NRKPhoto: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news The party is moved from the picnic rugs or cafe tables – depending on how much people have paid for his ticket – and to the fence around the track. Some have horse number two as their clear favorite; Brave Nation, which means proud country. But many Britons are far from proud of their country at the moment. I constantly meet people who are embarrassed and ashamed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has his loyal supporters, but they are fewer than before. And it’s not uncommon for Britons I meet for the first time, hearing that I’m a foreigner, to look down because they know the stories of Britain making headlines around the world. But it is also not Brave Nation that wins this race. The Riddler – The Riddle – does that with 50-1 in odds. Some people make good money on the British riddle. For others, the party is over. Read more correspondent letters from Gry Blekastad Almås:
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Economic party brake among party-happy Brits – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
