Any excuse to dress up right? I couldn't really pass up an opportunity to get decked out in top hat and tails, not having any posh weddings to go to in the near future. So when I got the offer to go to Ascot in the Royal Enclosure no less, I thought I'd pop a long for a day at the races.

Setting up in the car park for the traditional pre-Ascot picnic, I surveyed the scene.

I had it on good authority that the Queen was not amused by the numerous violations of dress code last year, so the dress code's been more tightly enforced this year. There were no shortage on ostentatious hats on display however, apparently there's no regulation that says you can't wear a sink on your head.

Feeling like some kind of Dickensian overlord in my frippery, I thought it was time to place some bets. Having never placed a bet in my life, I was grateful for the automated machines in the lobby, which made the process fairly straightforward (compulsive gamblers beware!).

I'm far from being a royalist, but I was still mightily impressed by the arrival of the Queen and Prince Philip by horse drawn carriage to kick of the day's races, everyone craning their necks to get a glimpse of the royals.

Races themselves were really exhilarating; it's hard not to get excited when you've got your hard-earned fiver resting on horse called Beaver Patrol. I got a real buzz from seeing everyone get so enthusiastic about each race. I'm pleased to say that I won my first two races, but lady luck wasn't on my side for the rest of the day. Gamblers never prosper right? Tell that to a friend of mine who won £300 on a rank outsider at 25-1!

I'd heartily recommend it to anyone that's not been before, it's a great day out and a good laugh if you go with a lot of mates. There aren't that many occasions where you can get a large group together all dressed up for a day and it's a great excuse for you girls to buy a new hat. You need to get someone to sponsor you if you want to get into the Royal Enclosure but you can turn up in smart dress and see the races from as little as £10 per person.