“When travel journalist Sophie Campbell squeezed
into heels and a hat to investigate the English social season, she got more
than she bargained for. Why, she wondered, were events such as the Chelsea
Flower Show, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, The Derby at Epsom, Royal
Ascot, the Henley Royal Regatta, Wimbledon Fortnight and Glorious Goodwood so
formal, so fashionable and so famous?
Her hectic and sometimes hilarious journey
through the English summer proved as exotic as any tribal rite of passage as
she swam the River Thames in the dark, partied with owners and trainers at
Ascot, camped out for Wimbledon, joined Irish Travellers at The Derby,
infiltrated the parents stand at the Eton v Harrow cricket match and got caught
using a mobile in the Stewards Enclosure at Henley. En route she found a
fascinating and surprisingly complex social structure dating back to the time
of the Stuart monarchs and involving fashion, food, art and the marriage
market. The
English summer will never be the same again.”
Summer of
sport is CANCELLED... Wimbledon, Ascot, the Olympics and cricket face the chop
as coronavirus looks set to wipe them out with Euro 2020 already pushed back to
next year
The English
Season
The English
Season comprises a number of quintessentially British social and sporting
events that take place during the spring and summer each year.
Our luxury
accommodation in Eton and Windsor is set in the ideal location and provides the
perfect place to reside when attending any of the English Season events.
We can
arrange for tickets and event packages for our guests through our concierge
services, and organise chauffer-driven transportation to the events if you
would like to travel in style.
Evolving
with the English nobility and aristocrats in the 17th and 18th centuries, the
traditional highlights of the English Season now include the Chelsea Flower
Show, the Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Henley
Regatta, Glorious Goodwood and Cowes Week among others. However, this has
greatly expanded over the years to capture many fabulous events for which
England is now famous.
The events
are now as diverse as rowing, horse racing, classic car shows, tennis, polo,
golf, cricket, motor racing and music festivals for both the young and the
“seasoned”. There is something for everybody!
Many of the
occasions are a wonderful excuse to dress up in tailcoats or blazers, elegant
dresses and extravagant hats, and all provide the best food, champagne and
entertainment available.
For a full
event list and calendar, visit our English Season Calendar.
Here are
the events though that we think make the perfect English Season (dates vary
annually):
Cartier
International Polo
Hosted by
the Guards Polo Club, the Cartier International Polo Day takes place in Windsor
Great Park in late July.
The Cartier
International is much more than polo - guests enjoy gourmet food and exclusive
shopping.
Chelsea
Flower Show
Hosted in
May by the Royal Horticultural Society, The Chelsea Flower Show is held at the
Chelsea Royal Hospital.
Experience
award winning gardens, exhibits, trade stands, cafes and restaurants.
Cheltenham
Gold Cup Festival
Taking
place in March - four days of the best horse jump racing at Cheltenham
Racecourse – with over 220,000 attendees each year.
Cowes Week
Cowes Week
is the largest sailing regatta in the world - taking place since 1826.
8,500
competitors take part in August each year - from Olympic and world class
professionals to weekend sailors.
Web: www.cowesweek.co.uk
Epsom Derby
The Derby,
or Epsom Derby, is a flat horse race in early June – and is Britain’s richest
horse race.
Web: www.epsomderby.co.uk
Formula 1
British Grand Prix
The British
Grand Prix takes place at the Silverstone circuit in July, but started at the
historic Brooklands racetrack in 1927. Glamour, fast cars and VIP enclosures
make this a very special event.
Web:
www.silverstone.co.uk/events/2012-Formula-1-Santander-British-Grand-Prix/
Goodwood
Festival of Speed
The world’s
greatest car event featuring classic cars, Formula One drivers, driving
experiences and more. Usually held during late June and / or early July.
Glorious
Goodwood
Glorious
flat horse racing spread over five days every August – along with exclusive
entertainment and culinary delights.
Glyndebourne
Opera Festival
The
Glyndebourne Opera Festival in August is a must for all opera lovers – taking
place from May through to August.
Web: www.glyndebourne.com
Henley
Royal Regatta
Henley
Royal Regatta is the best-known regatta in the world. Five days of rowing and
VIP socialising during late June.
Web: www.hrr.co.uk
Last Night
of the Proms
The Proms
consists of 70 concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, London - culminating in the
Last Night in September. The Last Night is traditionally a lighter evening than
the other concerts and is a display of English eccentricity at it’s best.
Web: www.bbc.co.uk/proms
Louis
Vuitton Classic
The Louis
Vuitton Concours d'Elegance of vintage cars is held at the Hurlingham Club. It
usually takes place every June.
Royal Ascot
For over
250 years, Royal Ascot has been a showcase for the best racehorses in the
world. Takes place in the third week of June every year.
Web: www.ascot.co.uk
The Boat
Race
First
taking place in 1829, Oxford and Cambridge universities race each other on the
River Thames every March or April.
Web:
www.theboatrace.org
The Grand
National
Taking
place since 1839, the Grand National is a three-day horse jump-racing event in
April and the most anticipated horse race of the year.
The Queen's
Club Aegon Tennis Championship
The
traditional men’s warm up tennis event for Wimbledon, taking place in June
every year at the beautiful Queens Tennis Club
Wimbledon
Tennis Championships
Strawberries
and cream, Centre Court and the best tennis players in the world. Starts
late June every year.
Web: www.wimbledon.com
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