The first weekend of April every year sees the unique hybrid of fashion, celeb spotting, and sport.
Aintree racecourse, Liverpool, is the home of the Grand National, the biggest horse race in the world.
It is estimated that some 500 million people tune in to watch this most historic of races.
However, while the Grand National race itself, on April 5th this year, will dominate the back-pages in a few months from now, it will be Ladies Day on April 4th that dominates the front pages of most tabloids.
Big, brash and colourful, it is nearly impossible to find yourself not captivated as you flick through the tabloid photos of the wacky outfits some spectators opt for.
With hats ranging from comical to sublime, and outfits ranging from non-existent to slightly-existent, Ladies Day is a spectacle like none other. But the real beauty of Ladies Day is that it is a jaunt for celebrities, particularly the type who love to be seen and “accidentally” spotted by the paps.
Last year, the crowds at Aintree were treated to appearances from Liz McGowan of Atomic Kitten fame, the female cast of the hit TV show The Valleys, whose outfits bordered on debauchery, and footballers wives Coleen Rooney and Alex Curran, both regulars at the track.
And, as if all this girl power wasn’t quite enough, girl band The Saturdays performed.
This year promises to be even bigger and better, and that’s not even including the line-up of runners for the Grand National, which is expected to provide punters with one of the strongest fields ever.
You can safely predict that Alex Curran and Coleen Rooney will be there. Coleen was heavily pregnant last year but that didn’t stop her from attending. The ravishing Abbie Clancy is a proud Liverpudlian and could well also make an appearance.
Despite the name, Ladies Day is also very popular with men; the Manchester United players frequent Chester Races on Ladies Day and with them playing a football match on the Saturday of the Grand National, Ladies Day offers them their only opportunity to visit Aintree.
Ladies Day is arguably the biggest social event in the Northern female calendar, so you can expect anyone who is famous in the North to do their best to make an appearance.
