Every so often, Windsor Racecourse, a compact, attractive course bordering the Thames, goes to great lengths to pull in the family punter, installing giant inflatable slides, bouncy castles, a tent offering expert face painting and a miniature farm. Once you have paid the admission fee for the course, all these goodies are free. The downside is lengthy queues for the face-painting, in particular, ice creams and at the bars, meaning you might not find time to place a bet. A ticket for the buzzing Club Enclosure, which is in line with the winning post and offers a prime view of the closing stages of each race, is £18 for adults and free for children. Even on a 'Family Fun Day', this enclosure, with a dress code insisting that men wear a shirt with a collar, attracts groups of raucous, but good-natured and sharply-dressed lads and bubbly, dolled-up ladettes.
8/10
