Thirsk

Thirsk sits snuggled in North Yorkshire, in the heart of what the tourist board is anxious to call Herriot Country.  It’s an old-fashioned market town built around an imposing square and has a population of 4500 which doubles when the neighbouring villages of Sowerby and Carlton Miniott are included. And triples when the races are… Continue reading Thirsk

Stirling

Stirling, ancient capital of Scotland, where Highlands and Lowlands meet, historical heart of this great nation and home to (most of) the Midnight Plumbers. Again, much is written about this town, but this unique guide will tell you what the other guides won’t. You can be sure, dear reader, that the information herein is derived… Continue reading Stirling

Garrison Savannah

Garrison Savannah is a small town in Barbados, two miles outside the capital Bridgetown.  It grew up around the military barracks which gave it its name.  A name, of course, shared by the top class chaser which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1991 and was runner-up in the Grand National the same year.  It… Continue reading Garrison Savannah

Hamilton

Hamilton lies just 11 miles south of Glasgow off the M74 motorway and has never really managed to escape from its bigger neighbour’s shadow.  The town often displays a grey and depressed mien, although this is belied both by its inhabitants, who are amongst the friendliest and most accommodating in the land, and the fact… Continue reading Hamilton

How to Bet

This section goes through everything you need to do to place your bet. You probably want to know beforehand just what type of bet you are going to place so make sure you read the Types of Bet section too. There are four main ways to place your bets and we will look at the… Continue reading How to Bet

Pretty Boy Floyd

Born in Barrow County, Georgia, in 1904, Charles Arthur Floyd, alias "Pretty Boy", participated in the Kansas City Massacre in 1933 when four law enforcement officers, including one FBI Special Agent, were killed.  A leading light in the classic age of American gangsters, Pretty Boy was up there with John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde and… Continue reading Pretty Boy Floyd

John L Sullivan

Recognised as the first heavyweight boxing champion of the world, John Lawrence Sullivan was born in Boston, USA, in 1858.  Son of a quick-tempered Boston Irishman, he at first attempted to learn a trade, being for a while an apprentice plumber, tinsmith and stonemason.  However, as some journeymen colleagues of Sullivan painfully found out, John… Continue reading John L Sullivan