Hotel and training centre, Melksham, Wiltshire
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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Gone Racing - Larkhill, Wiltshire

Yesterday evening, we went racing at Larkhill. Set high on Salisbury Plain behind a military camp down a dirt track, a glorious evening was had by all as we watched a very full card of seven races. Lisa and I chose the horse that we thought would win each race, but didn't bet.

A strong countryside "bent" was exhibited by most of our fellow racers - tweeds, plumby English voices, dogs, and "Fight Prejudice - Fight the Ban" posters and sweatshirts all around. Picnic tables set out amongst the cars, upperclass take aways (roast pork in a bap, genuine CORNISH pasties), and the beer tent. Bouncy castles alongside army tanks. Soldiers and bowler-hatted officials. Landrovers.

Then, of course, there was the racing.

Since the races are over two and a half miles, bincoulars and a good steady leaning post were mandatory - but there were other places you could see the horses too.


Around the ring, young ladies and young gentlemen paraded the horses prior to each race while we watched the form. For some stablehands, it was a battle of wills between themself and a strong horse that really wanted to get out onto the track, for others it was a walk in the park. Having decided which horse you fancied, you could choose your oncourse bookie or visit the Tote if you preferred


Each of the bookies was stood in a row on his stand, fixing and altering his odds as bets were taken - as "Pulham Down" looked to be in good shape, but "Porlock Hill" was sweating too much too early.

And then the race itself. Although the course was long, the commentary, blared out over loudspeakers kept us informed of the few pixels we could see with our bare eyes (or the few more with our binoculars) as the ran one and a half times round the circuit, over the jumps, and finishes at (!!) the finishing line just across from the parade ground.


I even managed to get a picture of the finishing line, with the winner crossing ...

The whole thing ran like a well oiled machine; as horses completed one race and returned to their trailers, the next horses were already arriving in the ring. Chance for just a quick snack before back to watching the spectacle. As a child, watching racing on the TV I used to think that half an hour was too long a gap between races but here, on the ground, it was just right.


All in all, a great evening's racing. If you get a chance, look up your local "Point to Point"

See our share data pages for further pictures.
(written 2005-05-26, updated 2006-06-05)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
M204 - Well House Manor - Salisbury District
  [833] Old Wardour Castle - (2006-08-14)
  [880] Celebration circles - (2006-09-27)
  [1127] A day at the races - (2007-04-01)
  [1128] Avon Vale hunt at the Point to Point - (2007-04-01)
  [1398] Someone else's wedding - (2007-10-21)
  [1652] Old Sarum airfield brings back fond memories - (2008-05-24)
  [2453] Dark to dark - (2009-10-13)
  [2473] Exploring Old Railways - (2009-10-24)
  [3642] Wiltshire Travel Times - Chippenham, Trowbridge, Salisbury and other places too - (2012-03-07)
  [3709] Queen to visit eight Wiltshire areas - will she know what she misses in the other 13 areas? - (2012-04-26)
  [3723] Bank Holiday Monday, so it was pouring with rain. - (2012-05-07)
  [4622] Frosty morning, beauty of Wiltshire - (2016-01-14)
  [4653] Coats of arms - towns and authorities in Wiltshire - (2016-02-21)

G102 - Well House Consultants - Things to do in Melksham
  [5] Driving in the UK for new arrivals from the USA - (2004-08-07)
  [51] Gym and swimming - Melksham Blue Pool - (2004-09-16)
  [266] A beautiful place to live and learn - (2005-04-04)
  [298] Sharing pictures of Wiltshire - (2005-05-02)
  [305] Within about an hour - (2005-05-08)
  [312] Maud Heath - (2005-05-15)
  [329] the Stately Homes of England - (2005-05-29)
  [342] The evening after the course - (2005-06-09)
  [344] Walk in Bath - (2005-06-11)
  [354] Ballooning from Bath - (2005-06-21)
  [488] Looking for railway groups and users - Swindon, Salisbury, Southampton - (2005-11-06)
  [500] Bowerhill, Melksham, 2006 Calendar - (2005-11-19)
  [524] Santa comes to Melksham - (2005-12-11)
  [670] Architectural Heritage - Devizes - (2006-04-04)
  [829] Where to go within 30 minutes of Melksham - (2006-08-11)
  [929] Presenting Melksham - for a weekend away in Wiltshire - (2006-11-17)
  [951] What happened at Geekmas - (2006-11-28)
  [957] Improving the historic town of Melksham - (2006-11-30)
  [977] Melksham and Norwich - (2006-12-10)
  [989] Melksham Quiz - (2006-12-15)
  [1330] While waiting for Melksham Post Office - (2007-09-02)
  [1452] Santa on the train to Melksham - (2007-12-01)
  [1894] Shopping in Melksham - (2008-11-19)
  [1928] Melksham Oak Community School, Melksham, Wiltshire - (2008-12-07)
  [2141] Town Crier competiton - (2009-04-25)
  [2175] Melksham in pictures - (2009-05-11)
  [2656] Melksham Carnival - (2010-02-28)
  [2716] Melksham in Pictures - (2010-04-10)
  [3062] Melksham Carnival - getting ready for 2011 - (2010-11-20)
  [3229] Coincidence, or naturally repeating event? - (2011-04-03)
  [3230] Whaddon - near us and yet so remote from us - (2011-04-03)
  [3239] TrainWest, 2011 in pictures - Christie Miller, Bowerhill, Melksham - (2011-04-09)
  [3284] What to do in the evening during a Tcl course - (2011-05-10)
  [3531] Blowing our trumpet about Melksham - (2011-11-28)


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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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