A POPULAR North-East racecourse is under starter’s orders for its 150th anniversary season after investing nearly £1m in enhancing facilities over the winter.
Redcar Racecourse is 150 years old this summer and the seaside course is being refreshed for its historic season.
Around £600,000 is being spent on Caribbean Carnival Family Day – Redcar improvements to the on-site hostel for stable staff, with 18 en suite rooms ensuring comfortable overnight stays for the “unsung heroes” of the sport.
Redcar’s general manager, Amy Fair, said: “Everyone knows how important stable staff are to the racing industry, so we want to make sure those who have embarked on long journeys are looked after properly.”
Redcar has again teamed up with Milbry Hill country and equestrian store to support a “best turned-out series” which will reward stable staff for their efforts in preparing the horses.
Other major projects at Redcar over the winter include replacing the tarmac in the Grandstand Enclosure, upgrading the Middleham Bar, plus providing new railings and refurbishing the toilets at the Petch Stand.
Local firms have been used throughout, with Northallerton-based Moody Construction chosen to carry out the work on the hostel; Duffields, of Ripon, laying the new tarmac; and Marske Fabrication and Engineering installing the new railings.
Used jockeys’ silks, donated by legendary trainer David Elsworth, will now adorn the wall behind the Middleham Bar.
A new coffee shop, run by Premier Catering, will open in the Food Court, selling Lavazza coffee, luxury hot chocolate, and the likes of cakes, muffins, cookies and toasted paninis.
“You can never stand still in racing and this major investment over the winter is all about improving the experience for racegoers,” added Amy.
Redcar’s 2022 season features 18 days of colourful action and family fun, with the first meeting on Monday, April 4. That’s followed by the Easter Monday meeting on April 18, when the Easter Bunny and Alice in Wonderland characters will be handing out mini eggs to those arriving early. Winning owners will also receive an Easter egg.
The historic Zetland Gold Cup Family Day will this year be held on Thursday, June 2, because it marks the start of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee extended bank holiday weekend.
Ladies’ Day, supported by regular sponsors Market Cross Jewellers, Betty Leigh Boutique, and Chic Hats, will take place on Saturday, June 18, with glittering prizes up for grabs in a fashion show, Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat competition.
New for this season is the Circus Family Fun Day on Sunday, July 17, featuring a big top and circus-skills workshops.
The popular Caribbean Carnival Family Day, which gives children and grown-ups the chance to dress up as pirates, is on Saturday, August 6, followed by the popular Gin and Gents’ evening meeting on August 27.
Redcar’s richest race of the year, The Two Year Old Trophy is on Saturday, October 1, and the season finishes with Poppy Appeal Day on Tuesday, November 1.
Racing at Redcar started on the sands in the 18th century, but the racecourse was built in accordance with new Jockey Club Rules and the first meeting was held on August 9, 1872.
Carnival Cruise Line Helps Family After They Were Stranded In The Caribbean
Carnival Cruise Line helped a family return to New Jersey at the end of May 2022 after being stranded on the Caribbean island of Aruba. Thankfully, the Carnival Horizon cruise ship was able to help and get them back home to the U.S.Family Gets Stranded in Aruba
What was supposed to be a smooth and easy return home to New Jersey for one family ended up being an extended three-week stay on the Caribbean island of Aruba.
Carlos Pacheco, Jamie Greene, and their three children went on a family vacation to Aruba On May 10, 2022. On May 17, when their stay ended and it was time to return to the U.S., their 15-year-old autistic son named Elijah went through a sensory episode as they boarded the flight back to Newark.
Despite efforts to calm him and deal with the situation, the plane’s captain ended up asking them to disembark. It meant the family ended up being stranded in Aruba. On May 24, Carlos flew home with the other two children due to school, but Jamie and Elijah had to remain on the island.
Aruba is located in the southern Caribbean, approximately 29 kilometers north of the Venezuelan coast. The island is also around 80 kilometers northwest of the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao.How to Family Returned to New Jersey
After work from the U.S. Consulate, attempts with another cruise line, and even trying a medical evacuation, Carnival Cruise Line ended up helping.
KultureCity, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization on sensory and accessibility acceptance, ended up contacting the Miami-based cruise line to see if they could help get the two family members back home.
Vicky Rey, vice president of Guest Care and Communications at Carnival Cruise Line, said: “Given Carnival’s close partnership with nonprofit KultureCity, our team has a deep understanding of the needs of individuals with sensory and invisible disabilities. When the organization contacted us about Elijah’s situation and we realized we could bring him back to the United States on one of our ships, we did not hesitate to offer help.”
“At Carnival, we work daily to make a difference in people’s lives, and we are proud to have been able to extend those efforts to assist Jamie and Elijah.”
With so many Carnival cruise ships sailing across the Caribbean, including port visits to Aruba, the cruise line was able to help. The Carnival Horizon cruise ship made a scheduled port visit in Aruba on May 31, allowing Jamie and Elijah to board the vessel.
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The family members were then able to disembark the cruise ship in Miami last Sunday, where they were then driven back home to New Jersey by KultureCity volunteers.
Despite the issues with getting back home, at least Jamie and Elijah could end on a positive and get to enjoy some days on the most advanced Carnival cruise ship ever built. Carnival Cruise Line was also the first cruise operator to be certified “sensory inclusive” by KultureCity in late 2019.
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