Headonism: Milliner, Stephen Jones Speaks of His Collaboration with the British Fashion Council and Royal Ascot

London Fashion Week is over and the Headonism exhibition finished, until we welcome its installation at the racecourse over Royal Ascot. 


In the mean time, the video footage below takes a tour of Headonism at Somerset House; hear the thoughts of Stephen Jones, the exhibiting milliners and Director of Hospitality at Ascot, Gary England. 





For more information on Headonism, click here.
To book tickets for Royal Ascot (Tuesday 19th - Saturday 23rd June 2012) click here. 

From The Jungle To The Track - Ant And Dec Announced As Official Patrons Of The Ascot Colts & Fillies Club!

Ant and Dec, two of the biggest names in TV and presenters of the hits shows, I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent, have become the first patrons of the Colts & Fillies Club at Ascot Racecourse.


The Colts & Fillies Club, which currently has over 14,000 members and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, aims to bring horseracing to the next generation of racing enthusiasts by making the sport more accessible, educational and fun.


The Club is free to join for all children aged 16 and under and five dedicated family days form an integral part of the racing calendar at Ascot. There are specifically tailored activities for the Colts & Fillies members to take part in, including organised stable trips, competitions and various raceday initiatives.


In 2012, the Club will own Yurituni, a racehorse trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, and the young members will be able to experience the thrill of racehorse ownership by visiting the horse throughout the year and following her performance on the track.

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, who met at the age of 13 on the set of the hit BBC children’s drama, Byker Grove, also have more than a passing interest in racing now that they own the horse, Primaeval, with a group of friends.


In 2011, Primaeval ran twice at Ascot and it was here that they became aware of the Colts & Fillies Club.


“We had a lot of fun with horse racing last year, it’s a great sport and a day at the races is really exciting. We’re thrilled to be involved in the Colts & Fillies Club as it offers children the opportunity to learn all about horses and racing whilst at the same time having a great deal of fun! I’m particularly keen to see how their horse runs during 2012.” said Dec.

Ant added, “Ascot is a great family friendly track and we can’t wait to visit on 1st April to have a great day out and to meet some of the Colts and Fillies members”.

-Ends-

For more information about the Colts & Fillies club visit the Colts and Fillies section at: http://www.ascot.co.uk/, call: 0844 346 3000 or email: coltsandfillies@ascot.co.uk

For further information and images:

Karen Smith, PR Manager, Ascot Racecourse: 01344 878430 / 07717 851 566

Vicky Paton, Marketing Manager, Ascot Racecourse; 01344 878523 / 07920 834277

Headonism: Royal Ascot Partner with The British Fashion Council to Promote Emerging Milliners

As London Fashion Week begins on Friday, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re once again involved with Headonism; an exhibition to support and showcase emerging millinery talent curated by Stephen Jones. We’ve formed a partnership with the British Fashion Council to provide the perfect platform for a handful of the finest young hatters to display and promote their wears to international buyers and style press. This season milliners, Charlie le Mindu, J Smith Esquire, Noel Stewart, Piers Atkinson and William Chambers have been chosen to show.

 

Stephen Jones



As our Chief Executive, Charles Barnett, explains “Millinery is an integral part of fashion at Royal Ascot” and so we feel it important to support and nurture the talent of emerging designers. For the first time, racegoers attending the week itself will also be able to view the Headonism exhibition as we play host to the instillation throughout the week of Royal Ascot.

Headonism launches with a special brunch on the first day of London Fashion Week at the British Fashion Council’s head quarters, Somerset House. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest updates directly from the launch on Friday.

Ascot’s Premier Sprint Renamed “Diamond Jubilee Stakes”

Ascot Racecourse is delighted to announce that The Golden Jubilee Stakes has been renamed The Diamond Jubilee Stakes to mark this important milestone in Her Majesty The Queen’s reign.

2012 also marks the 150th anniversary of the inception of The Prince of Wales’s Stakes and this year’s renewal will be run as “The 150th Anniversary of The Prince of Wales’s Stakes”.

“We are delighted to be commemorating The Diamond Jubilee by renaming the Golden Jubilee Stakes,” said Charles Barnett, Chief Executive at Ascot.

“All being well, we will be running the race with the world’s top rated sprinter, Black Caviar, representing Australia in what is historically Europe’s most international race, which would be a wonderful way to begin a new era for The Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

“We celebrated the 200th running of The Gold Cup a few years ago and this year we will be marking the 150th anniversary of Royal Ascot’s most important middle distance race, The Prince of Wales’s Stakes, which has been won by the likes of Rewilding, Vision D’Etat and Manduro in recent years.”

Ends

Press Release: 31st January 2012

For more information, please contact:

Charles Barnett, Chief Executive, Ascot Racecourse:

Tel: 01344 878501

Nick Smith, Head of Communications, Ascot Racecourse:

Tel: 01344 878430 / 07771 791 449 or nick.smith@ascot.co.uk

Save over £50 with the 2012 Ascot Family Day Pass

We have five fantastic Family Days in 2012 so put the dates in your diary. We will once again be offering our Family Day ticket offer for 2012.

The family days will include:

Sunday 1st April – Countryside Raceday

Sunday 22nd July – Betfair Weekend Family Day

Saturday 11th August – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and 80s Concert

Saturday 3rd November – United House Group Day and Firework Spectacular

Saturday 22nd December – Christmas Meeting

 

You can now buy a Grandstand Admission ticket to all five Family Days in 2012 for just £47.50 per adult a saving of over £50!

Grandstand Admission tickets for Family Days are usually £18 per person, except Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup when they are priced at £26 so this is great value for money.

Simply quote Family Day Pass Offer when booking.To book, call 0844 346 3000 and talk to a member of the Sales Team. Don’t forget kids under 18 go FREE! Offer limited to four 2012 Family Day Passes per household and must be booked before 29th March 2012.

Ascot Premier Admission Customers to Receive Full Refund

Charles Barnett, Chief Executive at Ascot, said: “It is clear that we let down many of our Premier Admission customers with a well intentioned but misguided policy, whereby we attached marks to those not complying with the new dress code. The intention was that customers who had been advised once that a new dress code applied wouldn’t be approached a second time.

“The results were unfortunate, and no customer should be expected to pay for such an experience. Therefore, we have taken the view that all Premier Admission visitors on Saturday will receive a full refund.

“We have worked very hard for many years to establish ourselves as a benchmark for customer service and are making this statement today to reinforce that we will not allow our reputation as a welcoming sports venue to be tarnished by an isolated lack of judgement on our part.

“We will work through the logistics of the refunds tomorrow. Most people will have booked in advance or paid by card on the day but we will look after cash customers too and anyone who still has their admission badge should hold onto it.”  

Royal Ascot 2012 Dress Code

A day at Royal Ascot is very special and dressing accordingly is an important part of the experience. The dress code set out below is designed to help racegoers to dress appropriately for the occasion. Please note that a different dress code applies for each enclosure.

ROYAL ENCLOSURE

Ladies
Ladies are kindly reminded that formal day wear is a requirement in the Royal Enclosure, defined as follows:

• Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer;
• Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater;
• Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Royal Enclosure dress code;
• Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour;
• Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat.

Ladies are kindly asked to note the following:

• Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch (2.5cm) are not permitted;
• Midriffs must be covered;
• Fascinators are no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (4 inches / 10cm).

Gentlemen
Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear either black or grey morning dress which must include:

• A waistcoat and tie (no cravats); and
• A black or grey top hat; and
• Black shoes.

A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, a private box, a private club or that facility’s terrace, balcony or garden. Hats may also be removed within any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden.

The customisation of top hats (with, for example, coloured ribbons or bands) is not permitted in the Royal Enclosure.

Children (admitted on Friday and Saturday only)
Girls (aged 10-16) should be dressed for a formal occasion. Smart summer dresses are suggested. Hats, headpieces or a fascinator may be worn but are not compulsory.

Boys (aged 10-16) should either dress in accordance with the gentlemen’s dress code (as set out above); or alternatively may wear a dark-coloured lounge suit with a shirt and tie (whereupon no hat is required).

Overseas Visitors
Overseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal National Dress of their country or Service Dress.

Serving Military Personnel
Serving military personnel are welcome to wear Service Dress or equivalent.

GRANDSTAND ADMISSION

Ladies
Ladies within the main Grandstand enclosure are encouraged to dress in a manner as befits a formal occasion.

Ladies are kindly asked to take particular note of the following:

• A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times;
• Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted;
• Trousers must be full length and worn with a top that adheres to the guidelines above (i.e. strapless or sheer strap tops are not permitted);
• Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Grandstand Admission dress code;
• Midriffs must be covered;
• Shorts are not permitted.

Gentlemen
Gentlemen are required to wear a suit with a shirt and tie.

Children
Girls (17 or under) should be dressed for a formal occasion. Smart summer dresses are suggested. Hats, headpieces or a fascinator may be worn but are not compulsory.

Boys aged (13-17) should wear a suit or jacket with a shirt and a tie. Younger boys (12 or under) should be dressed smartly but are not required to wear a jacket or tie.

General
All Royal Enclosure compliant attire, as defined in this document, is welcome in the Grandstand.

SILVER RING

Whilst we encourage racegoers to wear smart clothes, no formal dress code applies in the Silver Ring except that replica sports shirts are not permitted.

GENERAL
In addition to the specific guidance in this document, please note that fancy dress, novelty and branded / promotional clothing are not allowed on site.

Ascot Racecourse recognises that there may be instances where a degree of discretion is required in determining compliance with our dress code. In such instances, reasonable judgement will be exercised.