A Mad day out!

Yesterday was birthday treat no.3 and we headed down on the train to York. After checking in to the Cedar Court Grand hotel (which was lovely!) we took a taxi to the racecourse. After some wandering round to see the different facilities we decided that the champagne 'enclosure' would be our best bet. A bottle of pink fizz later and the whole place really was looking rosy. We had a little unsuccessful flutter on the horses - the closest we came was 'Bossy Kitty' who we had an each way bet on and came in 3rd. We accompanied the second bottle of pink fizz with a very good burger (the sandwich on the train seemed a long time ago by now!) and enjoyed the spectacle of ladies in glam frocks sipping pimms and champagne and the excitement as each race took place - we really were at the posh end of the racecourse and it was a lovely balmy evening.

Then when the racing finished we decided to take a walk to find the stage. It turned out to be right at the other end of the course, but we made it there with only a couple of minutes to spare before the horns blasted out the start of 'One step beyond!' and then the Madness really started - literally.

Madness were amazing and the concert flew by so fast with song after song and no breaks. The highlights were the old favourites: Our House, Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, Wings of a Dove and It Must be Love, plus countless others - I think I sang along and danced and clapped along with most of it.

The crowd were wild - down at the 'less expensive' part of the course it was jeans and t-shirts and a lot of beer being drunk and thrown around. Strangely enough I didn't mind it (could be something to do with having consumed an entire bottle of champagne?) and I loved that the crowd were so into the music, singing along and dancing 'nutty boy' style.

I got one or two good photos and a lot of blurred ones - but they were worth it to get the couple that turned out ok!

I have loved Madness for so long and always wanted to go and see them live and I wasn't disappointed. For me singing and dancing along to Nightboat to Cairo amongst a crowd of fans with Suggs only 20 or 30 feet away was about as perfect a moment in life as you get.

Definitely another 10/10 experience