Granny’s wild ride
ALTON Towers Resort has announced a 2020 programme with events to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
It will open on March 21 with a new 4D ride, Gangsta Granny in the World of David Walliams zone. Guests join characters from the book on an adventure to steal the crown jewels.
In autumn a new Oktoberfest event will offer refreshments and late-night rides.
GET ready for the Season, those traditional British events the upper crust live for. The rest of us can get in on the act too. It is about celebrating sports or arts with dressing up or strawberries and cream on the side.
The Boat Race The Thames, London, March 29
The annual contest between Oxford and Cambridge is a surprising hit. Large numbers of revellers line the banks and drink the riverside pubs dry, even though rowing is a minority sport and not particularly interesting to watch for the uninitiated. But it’s free – and in the past few years it has been spiced up by the addition of the women’s race, and the odd swimmer.
It may be too early in the year for flouncy summer dresses, though. See theboatrace.org.
The Grand National Aintree, Liverpool, April 2-4
This three-day race meeting culminates in one of the world’s toughest steeplechases, over a distance of more than four miles. Famous jumps such as The Chair and Becher’s Brook combine to create the ultimate test for horse and rider.
The National has courted controversy over the years, but this remains a race that draws the interest of the nation, and encourages many normally disinterested punters to have a flutter. It costs from £27. See thejockeyclub.co.uk.
Chelsea Flower Show London, May 19-23
Gardeners, celebs and royals come together for the highlight of the Royal Horticultural Society’s calendar in the grounds of the
Royal Hospital Chelsea.
This is where our national obsession crosses over into fashion and design. There is a new category this year, urban gardens, and winning medals here is seen as the ultimate accolade in the industry. It costs from £39.75. See rhs.org.uk.
Glyndebourne Near Lewes, East Sussex May 21-August 30
The opera-lovers’ equivalent of Glastonbury, this festival in the grounds of a country house is essentially a set of lavish dinners sandwiched by arias where everyone wears black tie and evening dress.
Performances have 90 minute intervals, so plenty of time to savour the flavour in one of the three on-site restaurants or picnic in the grounds. Tickets cost up to £250, with standing from £15. See glyndebourne.com.
Royal Ascot Berkshire, June 16-20
Best known for its headline-grabbing Ladies Day, with ludicrous headgear, this race meeting is a multi-day mix of fine dining, champagne drinking and bet laying. Proximity to London makes it a favourite of high-rolling City folk with a heap of corporate hospitality.
The Queen regularly attends, which reminds everyone there is racing too. Grab a ticket from £26. See ascot.co.uk.
Wimbledon London, June 29–July 12
The only one of the four major Grand Slam world tennis tournaments played on grass, Wimbledon has a unique atmosphere.
Gladiatorial encounters between the world’s top players are matched by celebrity spectators, visiting royals and tons of strawberries.
Tickets are allocated by public ballot, from £44 for courts two and three. But if you are prepared to join the famous queue, others are also available on the day. See wimbledon.com.
Henley Royal Regatta Henley on Thames, July 1-5
The best-known regatta in the world, on a lush stretch of the Thames in Oxfordshire, Henley is a