I have always been keen on horse racing, I was born in Epsom and some of my relatives lived there. My parents would take my brothers and I to visit, and the family and my aunt would all walk across to the racecourse from their home. There was no major car parking hassles as when I was a child very few people in England had cars.
A day at the races was a fun day out, and of course there was the fair ground. The fun fair to us kids was the big attraction, as we made our way over to that unique fairground sound we knew we were in for a special treat. The candy floss the side shows the big dipper, the screams of delight and the general Hurley burley of the day, besides the thundering of the horses as they raced around the track.
The frantic waving of the men taking the bets was a thing to behold and it seemed like when a race was over more little tickets would land up on the floor. As the day wore on people would leave the racecourse some their hopes and dreams shattered, people who had thought to go home richer but sadly it looked as though the bookies were in the winners seat.
In the 21st century Epsom Downs is magnificent so much so that the queen visits the race course on Derby Day and even the queens horses run in the races, a far cry from the days when as a child I walked across the downs to the race track for a fun day out and that is what I had.
Norma Denner 