Categories: uncategorized
Date: 23 June 2012 16:52:05
Having had some time this week in between the job hunting I have been enjoying the novelty of now living somewhere with a tv again and have been quite avidly following the BBC's coverage of Royal Ascot. The coverage was special and whilst I have no doubt that whoever is taking over the contract to show it next year will do so well it cannot be the same. The BBC is particularly good at (i) pageantry, (ii) national sporting events and (iii) "posh" stuff. The coverage has been anchored by Clare Balding - who has ably been assisted by Willie Carson amongst others. They stand in a fine tradition of BBC broadcasters who have covered this event for over half a century.
The royal procession each day was enjoyable to watch because it was tradition and pageantry but it was also good to watch because this is an event you know the Queen actually loves attending. As such she and the other members of the party are obviously more relaxed than at some other occasions when we get to see them.
The highlight of the racing in many ways came on the first day of the meet (Tuesday) when Frankel won. I am not a huge racing fan normally and so was not familiar with the horse, but watching that race I understood fully what the whole fuss was about. There was a sense of hype around it all, but I suspect that it was far more contained on the BBC than it would have been elsewhere. If you haven't seen the race I suggest that you look up one of the clips on i-player (before Tuesday) or on You Tube where there is coverage of the race (although I am not entirely sure it does not infringe copyright).
Besides the racing it was also worth watching for the fashion. The authorities had tightened up on the dress code and apparently it had made a difference. Not being too much of a girly girl but liking a good dress and stuff I was quite interested in Clare Baldings dress each day - she had been dressed in a way which was great at illustrating how "non girly-girls" can do dressing up for that type of event. Really liked Tuesday's, Wednesday's, Thursday's and Saturday's outfits. Whilst Thursday's purple number was the most striking I have to say I think I preferred Wednesday's and Saturday's best. On Friday the hat was of a different style to the wide brimmed numbers she had been wearing and I have to say I don't think it flattered her in the way the other outfits had. Also didn't help that the rest of the outfit that day was a bit "Barbara Castle", except in a Thatcher turquoise. (Her website has previous outfits and so one assumes this weeks will be added in due course).
With the guys it was interesting to note how, particularly amongst the younger men, there had been a return to the taller Edwardian style top hats.
What makes the BBC coverage so special is their insistence that even with the pageantry and fashion it is all about the racing. They never let you forget that, (apart from possibly when the dizzy fashion presenter - whose name never stuck with me was on screen), and it was clear that they had presenters who were truly part of that scene - not simply drafted in for the event. This is what I think will be lost in the future. The BBC understands and has an experience of true public broadcasting others never quite manage to the same standard.
**(updated after a bit of Google research) **Ok, so it appears Channel Four have got the Grand National and the Derby as well as Ascot and so there is a hope that there will still be a focus on the racing - BUT it's just, well, not - um right. Channel Four is a good broadcaster and has things it is particularly good BUT it is a lesser broadcaster than the BBC. What we are seeing here is more downgrading of major sporting events (just think what has happened to the FA Cup). As somebody who respects the place major sporting events such as the Boat Race, Grand National, FA Cup, Ascot and Wimbledon have in the national calander and tradition of this country it feels almost like part of our Englishness is being lost forever.